Paying for College

[Arcael]

I really do not get how the expect college students to afford the amounts that these schools are asking. I've been going to a small community college the last few years, and I can barely afford it with living with my parents. Financial aid is bullshit because my parents make more then $50k a year combined(making it so I'm not eligible for pell grants) and they will only lend me around $3k a year which I would have to start paying back immediately.

I wish someone would do something about the bullshit that is college. How am I supposed to get a Higher Education if im broke.

Sorry if this seems sudden, but this is really starting to get under my skin

[Arioch]

I hear you. Their always saying "we want highly educated people". But then they make it almost impossible for these people to actually get a diploma.

I mean it's not bad enough all the silly stuff you have to do IN said colleges and such. They also make people pay ridiculous amounts of money to do it.

[Arcael]

im thinking about just getting some books on certification and just doing it myself and going in for the certification tests
will save me thousands, but i dont know if im dedicated enough to not be a lazy ass.

[jittus rye]

Apparently the tests are very expensive too.

[booyalab]

I was thinking of stealing a college...but I guess if I'm able to do that, I don't need an education.

[Arcael]

ive been in for a few certification tests, the cost doesnt even compare to tuition books room/board etc etc.

But what I'm wondering is, dont most employers look for atleast a Bachelors

[floyd]

private and out of state schools are insane cost-wise if you get no aid.

community college is cheap ($70 a credit where i live). state college is reasonably affordable ($200 per credit where i live).

so if you get no financial aid, you can graduate from college for around $17,000 ($4250 per year)

60 * $70 $4200

60 * $200 $12000

[Boozer]

I went to State University of New York. Prices were decent for being an in state student, much worse because I lived on campus (had to get away from my family). I lucked out because I got financial aid, loans and my parents paid for the rest. I would say scholarships might help, are your parents unwilling/unable to help? Also I think certifications (if I'm thinking of the right ones) are largely a waste of money. Most formal education doesn't get you much in the way of real world experience but certification also doesn't really carry any of the prestige that a bachelors from a decent school will.

[Arcael]

well im not going for minor certifications like CIW or A+ and N+

I'm thinking certifications in programming languages, and possibly Cisco Certification.

my parents are willing to help, but when they make around 60ish thousand a year I cant expect them to pay the extra 15k$ i would need yearly.

This doesnt even count living expenses and rent

[lauriep]

I know someone that doesn't have a college degree and has been very successful in the computer consulting field but I tend to think that he is very rare and probably just got lucky.

[Arcael]

well thing is i have a friend that dropped out of highschool maybe 4 years ago and he is walking me through everything. I plan on having a portfolio to back the certifications.

Hopefully a good portfolio + understanding + certifications = me a job i can live on :P

if worse comes to worse ill end up working with him in cali :D

[Arcael]

the reason im so angry is im expected to get a degree to have a decent job, and im being screwed because my parents make decent money. Too bad im not a minority either, i just dont think its fair.

[int]

With most student loans you don't have to start payback until after you've graduated. That's how most of us pay for college.


How am I supposed to get a Higher Education if im broke.



:huh: I thought the whole point of college was to be broke for a few years.

[Hypnos]

With most student loans you don't have to start payback until after you've graduated. That's how most of us pay for college.
Yup. I'm a gradaute student, so my loans from undergrad are further deferred.

You can take private loans with similar terms. My schools cost nearly $40k/yr, and got financial aid even though my parents made nearly $100k/yr.

Once my brother started school, I got straight up cash (grants).

[lauriep]

Unfortunately it is usually for more than a "few" years.

[Arcael]

yeah my brother is in college as well, he just started this semester.

damn you shitty ass higher education.

[Hypnos]

yeah my brother is in college as well, he just started this semester.

damn you shitty ass higher education.
Suck it up and take out a loan.

You can pay off a $100k loan in as few as four years if you get a decent job, or take 20 years to pay it off if the stock market is doing well.

[file cabinet]

the cheaper way to do college in the US is to go to a community college to get your generals then transfer to a distinguished university to obtain your degree. You'll have to see a career counselor to make sure you take the right classes and so they transfer...

[Arcael]

yeah i have all my generals out of the way thus far, now im working on the going 6 semesters in the next 2 years.

800$ rent/food/gas/other expenses *per month, at a max
7100$ for tuition per semester
and 1000$ a year for books

anyone know a place where i can get like 15-20k$ for a private loan under my name that I would pay back after college?

[Hypnos]

First ask the school you would like to attend about optional deferrable loans they might offer (usually through a 3rd party broker, at decent interest rates).

If that doesn't yield anything, troll google ...

[int]

anyone know a place where i can get like 15-20k$ for a private loan under my name that I would pay back after college?

Ask financial aid for recommendations.

Ask family members and friends if they know any rich persons willing to help out students.

Go to a bank.

Get a work study job - it will decrease your income and might increase your financial need (assuming you are working).

Talk about payment plans with the Bursar's office.

If you're not working, get a job.

[indczn]

THeres something fundamentally wrong with spending ~100k in money that i dont have.... I dont care if i will get a decent job once i graduate.
Colleges are right up there with religion in making money. There is no excuse for colleges to get away with the rampant inflating tuition combined with the steady increase in required credit hours. Add to that the necessity of the degree... its rediculous. Dont expect to graduate in 4 years either. Its not as easy as it used to be. :( meh... i cant wait til i finish tis BS

[Hypnos]

THeres something fundamentally wrong with spending ~100k in money that i dont have.... I dont care if i will get a decent job once i graduate.
Man, don't tell MBA, medial and science PhDs! I'm being paid subsistence wages to do my PhD, so it'll cost me about $100-150k in opportunity cost. Of course, if I choose, I could be making low six-figures right after I finish ...


Colleges are right up there with religion in making money. There is no excuse for colleges to get away with the rampant inflating tuition combined with the steady increase in required credit hours. Add to that the necessity of the degree... its rediculous. Dont expect to graduate in 4 years either. Its not as easy as it used to be. :( meh... i cant wait til i finish tis BS
There are plenty of cheaper alternatives to the $40k/yr private schools -- if these alternatives meet your requirements, go for it!

[Arcael]

its going to be 25k a year for mine, but thats 3 semesters with books

then like $8000 more for rent and food, but i will have a job

[file cabinet]

I have heard around 85% of college students work while going to college.

[lauriep]

I have heard around 85% of college students work while going to college.

I'm trying to go to school while working full time. Community college seems much easier to do while working - at least from my experience the class schedules are more convenient to regular work hours. On the other hand, the graduate classes that I have been trying to take at the university are only offered right in the middle of my work schedule. Where do these 85% of college students work with flexible enough hours to take their classes and still make enough money to make a living and pay for school?

[paladinoflunaria]

Right now I have a scholarship pending that will give me a full ride to Williams, Amherst, Rice, Bowdoin, Trinity, or Grinnell. Hopefully that goes well. I'm in a single parent home and we make it by from payday to payday, so I understand the college funding problem.

[jimkopelli]

Scholarships rock. I'm getting 5K just for my ACT score, and bits and pieces like being the child of an alumni. Work study isn't bad if you can get a good job... aim for the right library position and you'll get paid good money to sit in a comfy chair and do your homework or mess around on forums...

[s]

Two words: Stafford Loans.

Low low interst rates and lots of chances to both forbear and defer. Plant yourself at financial aid office and get aquainted with the system. Paying for school sucks, but getting ahead without a degree is much harder since the bust. A degree is worth more than a certification and can open more doors (even in other fields).

Sallie Mae is an excellant lender, so check out their site.

[int]

Work study isn't bad if you can get a good job... aim for the right library position and you'll get paid good money to sit in a comfy chair and do your homework or mess around on forums...

Or do tech support/web monkey work for twice the money. Yay.

Still, I don't miss it.

[Arcael]

Work study isn't bad if you can get a good job... aim for the right library position and you'll get paid good money to sit in a comfy chair and do your homework or mess around on forums...

Or do tech support/web monkey work for twice the money. Yay.

Still, I don't miss it.

how do i sign up for web monkey :D

tech support may work too hehe, as long as its online or over the phone, from my home

[Arcael]

By the way, thanks for all the advice, im going to have a long talk with my financial aid officer once i get my enrollment fee paid :D

[int]

... from my home

:rofl:



I am, subsequently, unable to listen to any phone ring without wanting to stick my pocket knife into my frontal lobe. I'll take a one-on-one troubleshoot any day.

Stick to the web-monkeying if you can, imo.

[Arcael]

how do i get this "web-monkey" job :D

I live out in the boonies of northeastern washington. About 30ish miles from Spokane. Anyways I do have alot of webmastery and graphic experience I just cant find a job out here :-/

[int]

Talk to the IT department at your school and see what they got available.

Otherwise, get in line with all the other web-monkeys and look for a job like everyone else. :D

[Arcael]

ohhhh I see

Yeah I plan on working on the Networking Hardware once i actually start there in Jan. If that doesnt work I'll work where ever my cousin decides to work (unless its fast food). What I really need at the moment is a job I can work on up until mid december so I have a little extra money to move with.

[gypseymothlee]

I remember saving a hell of a lot of money when I discovered I could find most of the books I needed on the library system at my school.

I noticed that at college, they tell you that having a Bachelor's will make a large difference in finding a job. Everywhere I've looked also wants 3-5 years experience, at least. It's taken me 1 1/2 years to find a crappy job that doesn't even require a BA. So try to find paying internships if you can. It might help.

[Arcael]

Internships are required for graduation at my college :) and they have placement for that and jobs after you get done

[Spartan26]

Scholarships rock. I'm getting 5K just for my ACT score, and bits and pieces like being the child of an alumni.

Not to be callous but there's money out there, you just gotta go look for it. Unfortunately, I can't cite a source but on multiple occasions I've heard there's over one Billion dollars in aid that goes unused each year. You will have to do some work and pick up a few rocks but being an under-represented minority or not would have no baring.

They're generally nickel and dime type funds. Anywhere from $250 to $5K if you're lucky. You'll generally need 2-3 letters of rec and an essay stating desire and qualification. I'd get a few people to write somewhat general letters so you can use them for multiple apps. You don't want to burn someone out with a letter of rec just to get into school, then one for a scholarship, then one for an honors program, and then another scholarship app...

Besides checking at different schools than the one where you attend, you can hunt on the web. But do cross referencing or work backwards. Pick the area or field you want to work in, say it's forestry. Look up forestry companies, logging, paper mills, environmental preservation, construction...In some cases when you go to their web site they will have direct links for scholarships. No lie. Other times look for what it says about community. You can always pop out the e-mail, "Hey, does your offer a scholarship program?" Many times they are joined with a civic group that carries the name of the program but they're generally helpful to pass along the information. You may try to avoid a company's general info e-mail box and try to get a specific person or department. On the labels of the products you use, there are 800 #'s with the phrase "Questions or comments..." Call those.

Civic groups have them if not connections to them. Go to your nearest police station. They'll probably have a bulletin board or display of phamlets with various services and non-profit agencies, look at those. If you do any volunteer ask around there. Again, some of these groups might just be able to lead you to a larger blanket organization.

Different companies have contests. Like making an anti-smoking poster or writing a poem about The Great Plains. It could be work for not, but if you do place at all, not only do you have money for school but you're an award winner from your chosen field. You'll need that getting a first or next-level job.

If you have any seed money, you can pay like $2500 and there are firms and individuals who will do a lot of this work for you. You'll initially have fill out a phonebook of paper work, wait unti the check clears but they'll guarantee a certain amount back. If you don't have a lot of time, I'd say that's your best bet. Only thing is be prepared to be pissed when they send you a $500 check from Hallmark because you didn't know such things existed and you think why couldn't I've got that last week when I got that stupid birthday card???

Good luck and happy hunting.

[Chall T. Dow]

I've been very lucky with my funds. My ACT/SAT and highschool GPA were high enough to get me a scolarship to pay for tuition and because of my unique family situation got to file as an independent. Since I had no income I got tons of grant money, enough to pay for everything plus some. Granted I have to spend several hours a year talking to the Dep of Ed finacial aid people and the IRS to find out how much I can get, how to file, and what I'm eligible for. It's worth it though.

:devil: Chall T. Dow :devil:

[Nighthawk]

I was fortunate. The army paid for both my BS and MS. Of course, I had to give them over a decade of indentured servitude in exchange.