<p>Pardon my ignorance on the subject. Long story short, I'm going to lose my in-state status unless I lease my own apartment or rent a room in a house or something. My dad has been willing to pay for uni so far because I have in-state status so it's pretty cheap, but out-of-state it's a lot more expensive. I'm not sure if he'd be willing to pay for an apartment, or the car that I'd probably need depending on where I end up living.</p>
<p>So do student loans cover things like off-campus housing? Transportation costs (including the cost of the vehicle and insurance)?</p>
<p>Financial aid, including student loans, can be used to pay costs that are included in the cost of attendance at a school. COA usually include tuition and fees, books, room and board, and sometimes miscellaneous and/or travel expenses.</p>
<p>The amounts are usually set items in the COA that are the same for each student. For instance travel might be $1200, or room and board might be $7,000. A student living off campus may (or may not - depends on the school) have a different COA to a student living on campus.</p>
<p>So yes a student can use student loans toward paying for an apartment. But it is limited by the amount included in the COA for the school. And there is often some allowance for some travel expenses. But certainly not to buy and insure a car.</p>
<p>Also federal student loans are very limited. A freshman can get up to $5500, a sophomore $6500, and third year and up $7500.</p>
<p>Alright. Is that just for federal loans or does that apply to private loans as well?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused by this comment. How is it that you are losing your instate status and are you SURE that you will retain it if you rent or own an apartment? This very well may NOT be the case. You may find that keeping your instate residency requires more than just YOU renting an apartment.</p>
<p>Now…re: the loans…yes, loans can be used to pay for off campus housing. But the max on Stafford loans (which is what you would qualify for in your name only) are limited as noted in above posts.</p>
<p>EDIT…I see from other posts that your PARENTS have relocated to DC.</p>
<p>I thought DC residents qualified for IN state tuition or at least a tuition reduction at public universities in ALL 50 states. Is that true or not? I’m sure someone will be able to tell.</p>