Hello,
I go to Point University which is more than $28,000 a year. I have been studying music here for the past 2 years. My parents do not pay for any of my schooling but between my music scholarship, Hope scholarship, Pell grant, GA grant, and a relatively small loan I do not currently have to make any monthly payments until I graduate. I have always wanted to study musical theatre. I have been accepted in KSU’s music and theatre departments. KSU is almost $19,000- nearly $10,000 cheaper. My FAFSA has had some difficulty processing so I do not know yet what my financial aid looks like at KSU. I originally assumed it might be covered in full even without a music scholarship just because it is much cheaper and I’d still probably have some grants, Hope scholarship, and maybe a loan I could take out. I found out today that the housing payments are different from the school payments. It’s very confusing but basically I’d have to pay $375 housing fee next Monday to secure a spot, $710 by Dec 5th (first installment), and then I’d get a refund check in February and my housing payments would then be factored in with financial aid. I’ve spoken with bursar’s, housing, and financial aid all morning and I’m still confused. Anyways, $1000 is a LOT to pay in 2 weeks. I have 2 current (very low-income) jobs at Point University but when I transfer to KSU in Jan I may be without a job at all for a few weeks or longer. I thought KSU would be a better bargain financially (and it is regarding tuition, for sure) and they have better connections/better program than my school has. I could live with my Grandma (40 min away from KSU) and not have to worry about the housing bill at KSU but honestly, music and theatre programs are so demanding and I usually spend 10 hours a day at my current school just because the music program/work/unexpected rehearsals take up so much time. So it would be much better to live on campus (plus there’s no parking for commuters; commuters have to park in a parking lot away from the school and then take the Big Bob bus I think.) I want to transfer to KSU but I am terrified of spending hundreds of dollars when I have a very low-income job and potentially will not have a job for a while after I transfer. I could use some guidance/help please. I am very lost at what to do.
Don’t make any decisions until you understand exactly how the FA will work. In fact, I think you should finish this year at Point as everything is set.
It doesn’t sound right that they want you to pay up front and then get a refund in Feb if FA will cover everything. Most students on complete FA can’t afford to do that. If you can’t get any answers from FA, ask in the theater department if you are understanding everything correctly.
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my music scholarship, Hope scholarship, Pell grant, GA grant, and a relatively small loan I do not currently have to make any monthly payments until I graduate. I have
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Do not cut ties with your current school until you know for sure that your costs will be covered at a new school.
Why are you transferring anyway
Where does the music scholarship come from? If it’s from Point Univ, then it won’t exist if you transfer to KSU.
So you are in your junior year now? So how many more years would it take to get a MT degree from KSU?
How many years can you get the Hope scholarship and GA grant for?
You might run out of aid if you transfer and change your major.
IMHO finish out where you are. In your field you cannot carry much college loan amounts w/o great hardship in living and paying them off. Take away all your in-state or current school scholarships and you will not have the same level of aid versus out of pocket costs, even with the lower overall tuition rate. And the extra costs are starting to show up. You have things under control now where you are at.
Once you finish UG degree, it sounds like you potentially could go to graduate school at KSU and live with grandma, and with right planning, getting a graduate assistant ship and perhaps in-state rate for tuition…
The terrified part is real. The want, you need to plan a way after you finish your current degree. Deferring UG loans isn’t a terrific thing, but if you plan a course for a more enjoyable career that perhaps you may have some financial success…
Kudos for getting where you are. Keep plugging away, planning, and dreaming.