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how to pay for college if financial aid doesn't cover everything
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Replies to: how to pay for college if financial aid doesn't cover everything
Did you talk with the advisors at ULL to see if they have something similar to the major you want? Computer majors have different names but the courses can be similar. If UKL is in commuting distance your Pell and the $12.5k federal loan for independents might cover the cost. If those are the only loans you'll have you'll finish your last two years with $25k in loans. That's not horrible.
@myos1634 will probably have good advice. My concern for you is that at Nicholls you have a loan of $12k/year and a $4700 gap with no way to pay. You can't work enough to raise the money and your family can't help. At LSU you get a tuition waiver, but only for a year. And your housing is contingent on cousins being able to let you stay. If that falls through you plan to get an apartment. Even if the housing works out, how will you cover your share of expenses plus tuition, car insurance, and personal expenses? You said you can't work more than 15 hours/week while you're in school. That won't be enough. I think you need a solid plan for how to pay for the next 2 years before you commit to transfer.
https://www.lsu.edu/universitycollege/sss/index.php
Confirm that your cousin is willing to let you stay and under what conditions ( yard work+ grocery shopping + helping on weekends? Paying rent? Will you have a spare key?)
Will LSU transfer your credits as pre-reqs & major courses, or only general credits?
Right now, LSU seems the most workable situation but check out the small details.
An aside from what else you were asking about, Carmax does provide tuition assistance/reimbursement without requiring any time commitment before or after your classes. Nor do they require that your classes have anything to do with working at Carmax, so you can major in what you want. Benefits are for full and part-time employees.
$5250 per year for full-time
$2500 per year for part-time
Carmax has 2 types of stores, reg. retail and smaller cross functional stores....sales are paid hourly non-commission in smaller stores with health insurance (blue cross+shield) for part-time and full-time employees.
https://benefits.carmax.com/Files/Tuition-Assistance-Program-Policy.pdf?v=1.1
https://benefits.carmax.com/index.html
Hope this helps.
Kat
Regarding jobs, CarMax should have an on-site finance department where clerks (?) complete the paperwork. Banks hire part timers for the branches and provide tuition reimbursement. Pick a bank close to school or where you will live to make it easy to get there.
Benefits at Carmax are for all employees regardless of department. And selling cars at Carmax is like selling laptops at Bestbuy. Prices are as marked, no negotiating, and the smaller cross-functional stores you are trained in all aspects, paid hourly with no commissions part-time and full-time. All aspects is selling, financing, logistics, processing all paperwork (business office), vehicle assessment, transferring vehicles throughout the nation, tech and corporate. Carmax promotes from within, especially for management.
Then you need money for housing and food.
You can use the Pell Grant and loans for that. You can borrow up to $12,500 as a junior. Take the subsidized loans first. You don't have to borrow that much if you don't need it.
Pell Grant might cover most of your living expenses depending on rent and food expenses.
Then books can be rented and bought used possibly.
You can get a part time or work study job at school.
You should be fine.
LSU sounds like a great choice. Affordable, you can transfer most of your credits, it has your major and if you can live with your cousin, you will have someone familiar there.
Good luck, you will do great!!
LSU is both your best academic option and your most affordable option.
Use that opportunity to get straight A's in the classes they won't substitute.
Being on the job market in January can actually be a plus since there won't be as many
graduates at that time.
Note: remember to participate in one or two clubs or groups (professional fraternity*, charity, academic club, or research....) and show leaderships (not just membership). Holding a job is also good leadership, especially if there's a possibility for promotion. IT for Carmax would likely be a win-win situation.
Also, your summer 2020 internship should be researched and applied for in October 2019. Use career services as soon as you arrive, update your resume, etc.
* NOT the same as a social fraternity, these professional fraternities are selective in terms of achievements and can help you make connections.