As we all know, college is reallllly expensive and I come from a low family. “How will I be paying for college?” quickly turns into “I’m better off not going”. My parents don’t completely understand the whole financial Aid process or pretty much anything about college. Any time i mention a college they shut me down and insist on community college or just not going to any college. My problem with CC is I don’t drive nor have a car. It would be nearly impossible for me to make it to classes. I am planning to dorm so I obviously would not have to worry about driving. I am applying for as many scholarships as I can, but I have not had any luck yet. I feel as if I should just take a year off to save up, but I know trying to get myself back into the habit of studying will be similar to death and will set everything off. I have no idea what I should do. Please help.
Are you a junior or a senior?
On another thread you mention being in love with NYC. Are your from NY? Is LIU in-state for you? If not then part of the issue is probably your unrealistic expectations on what you CAN afford. What is your home state and what are your stats?
Show your parents that each college has a net price calculator on their website, and that it can show what your expected cost of attendance is if they enter in financial information. Ask them to give it a try with you (hint: don’t start with NYU).
Where will,the money come from to pay for your college costs? Your loan limit guaranteed is $5500 for freshman year. I seriously doubt that is going to cover the costs of tuition, fees AND room and board in NYC.
You need to be realistic about the amount your family can afford to pay.
The best scholarships,come directly from the colleges to which you apply. Outside scholarships tend to be less money, and are for one year only in most cases.
The cost of room and board is high in NYC…very high. It’s expensive real estate.
Are you saying there is NO community college,within public transportation commuting distance from your home?
What about a SUNY? Any of those near you? This would only be a decent option if you are a NY state resident. Are you?
Oh, I didn’t realize you were low-income in my other post! I wouldn’t recommend LIU to low-income students, since that’s the reason I wasn’t able to apply. Estimated cost of attendance is $50,934. Median aid awarded is $15,913. This leaves $34,481, which is way too high for the Pell Grant to cover.
I’m from New Jersey, so trust me, it’s very expensive here. In NYC, the average one bedroom apartment is easily $3,000.
It’s true outside scholarships aren’t very reliable. The scholarships students apply to online are nearly impossible to win, since so many people enter.
Where do you live? Couldn’t you take a bus or train to a CC? You could attend a cheaper four-year school, but definitely not sc
kayline, I hope your are not a Sr because you are very late and have missed some possible opportunities. Please give us your gpa and SAT or ACT scores so we know what you might get. Also it helps to know approximate income level.
Federal aid gives you:
Maximum Pell Grant if you are eligible 5775 per year
Student Loan 5,500
Some states have aid, what state are you?
The rest comes from the college, if it comes at all because most colleges don’t have much to give. Often this depends on gpa and test scores.
Very few outside scholarships pay for 4 years college. Gates Millennium if you qualify. A few small ones can help with books but you need a 4 year plan, you can’t just start one year then have to drop out. Working one year won’t pay for 4 years of college with boarding.
When you talk to your parents, ask for 30 minutes to sit and discuss. Tell them you would like to explore possibilities so everyone can see what is possible and what is not, at least to discuss it before dismissing it. Ask how they can help you get to CC if that turns out to be your only option. Show them this report that illustrates with easy to read graphs, that students who graduate from a 4 year are making more, on more of a career path than a dead-end job and have higher job satisfaction. Start at a CC if that is all you can afford. Figure how to make it work.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/11/6-key-findings-about-going-to-college/
How are your stats? If you have good grades/test scores, you can look at schools that give guaranteed merit (preferably full ride, not just full tuition) and/or schools that meet full need.
Private scholarships are hard to come by, and usually aren’t guaranteed for more than the first year. Commuting to a CC and transferring is not a bad option, but the big merit and FA awards are generally more available for first-years rather than transfers.
Where do you live? Have you looked at Fordham?
@BrownParent Long Island University - Brooklyn. On the OP’s other thread, they said they were accepted into LIU, an expensive school in NYC. So, they are a senior, unfortunately.
Tks - i edited that out because I googled it. Oh I wish this Sr filled us in, did she get any offer of financial aid yet? Kayline if you did not apply to affordable schools you may be better off working for a year and reapply when you understand that you have to apply to schools you can afford, that will give you aid if possible.
LIU Costs Commuter Boarding
Tuition & Fees $28,922 $28,922
Books & Supplies 2,000 2,000
Room & Board 3,000 13,300
Personal 1,350 1,350
Transportation 900 900
Total $36,172 $46,472
What about CUNYs?
Op, do you live in NYC/NYS ?