Do I have access to higher education? Please Help.

Paying for College
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<p>I’ll do my best to elaborate briefly on my situation with the hope that someone here can offer a solution.</p>

<p>Brief summary:</p>

<p>I’m a current community college in Illinois who has been accepted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign computer science department for the Fall 2011 semester. This is a considerable accomplishment for myself considering I am a former high school dropout. Under the current system, my parent’s income is considered when determining my FAFSA EFC until I am 24 years of age, I’ve just turned 21. I have not depended on my parents as more than landlords since I was 17 when I started renting a room in their house, although they still claim me on their tax returns despite my urging otherwise. </p>

<p>Alright, you have my background information which may or may not be relevant, here’s the real problem:</p>

<p>The University of Illinois, as you may well know, charges an exorbitant amount for tuition and fees. As it stands, I would be paying just under $19,000 per year for tuition (before any of you internet detectives try to prove me otherwise, the difference in tuition rates for engineering and non-engineering majors can be as much as $4,000). Here’s the problem, I EXPECT to receive little to no financial aide due to my parents income which is ~$140,000. On top of this, I KNOW I will receive $0 in aide from them as they live paycheck due to previous debts and a terrible situation with a second mortgage. On top of this, even if they were willing to cosign on a student loan for me I have a feeling that they would be denied as my father has a lien on Federal taxes from 10 years ago and I know that my parents missed a credit card payment or two about one year ago.</p>

<p>Alright, here’s my question, how does a middle class Caucasian male get funding to go to a public university if his parents are unable to contribute? We all grew up with our public school teachers telling us that we live in a country where higher education is available to all who wish to receive through either public aide or loans, however, I’m starting to believe they forgot to add an “except YOU”, to the end of the “…available to everyone” statement.</p>

<p>I apologize, I don’t wish to play the victim here, however I’m very scared right now that my dreams of attending college and escaping this corn infested hell hole we call the Midwestern United States upon graduation are being dashed right before my eyes, and there’s nothing I can do but nod my head and move on.</p>

<p>Thank you to anyone and everyone who may have some helpful advice regarding my situation, I appreciate it.</p>

<p>edit: I have considered the military to help pay for school, however, joining would really be against my personal beliefs. On top of that, I’m considered to be ‘color deficient’ by the Air Force, which is the only branch I’ve considered joining.</p>

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<p>You get a job and go part time. Would any of the directional Us be less expensive?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input Erin’s Dad. The directional universities are somewhat less expensive, ~$15,000 as opposed to $19,000. However, with my parent’s credit situation there is no school in the state that is affordable to me. I currently am working two part time jobs and and going to school full time. This is feasible at the community college I am at now, however, I fear the extra time commitment that is required to earn satisfactory grades at one of the nation’s top engineering colleges would be too much to keep a ~30 hour a week job, which I have calculated is the minimum I’d need to go to school part time and still pay for living expenses on my own. </p>

<p>This situation seems unreal to me, why is higher education only available to my peers whose parents happen to make less than mine, or that happened to be born with a darker skin tone?</p>

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<p>We all grew up with our public school teachers telling us that we live in a country where higher education is available to all who wish to receive through either public aide or loans, however, I’m starting to believe they forgot to add an “except YOU”</p>

<p>Yes, a lot of over-generalizations are spouted about higher education and they are said by ill-informed but generally well meaning teachers, parents and adults as inspirational phrases. However, no concrete and specific constitutional or legal rights or promises have been broken here. The only soothing thing that can be said is that it is unfortunate that you didn’t look into specifics much earlier so that this illusionary bubble could have been burst a few years ago, perhaps even as early as the beginning of high school.</p>

<p>With that said, yes, colleges presume that parents will pay from their net income for their child’s education up through the age of 24. Federal grants tightly limited and federal loans with reasonable caps. (If the Federal loan limit was doubled from approx 5K a year to 10K a year, I promise you that ALL college tuition costs would magically rise an extra 5K in short order.) I didn’t make the system. Tons of things are not easy or universally fair. The best you can do is figure out your options and pick the least painful way to make it to your goal.</p>

<p>Among your choices</p>

<p>1) Get a job at a company that reimburses tuition. Many jobs do this and the position can be entry level and still have this perk.
2) Join the military.
3) Work fulltime, go to school parttime.
4) See if living in another state, establishing residency and then going to college might be a better route. There are state universities with tuition far below 19K/year.
5) Alternate working 1 year, attending 1 year, repeat. Or work 2 years, attend 1 year. Etc.
6) Wait 3 more years. Get work experience within your field in the meantime.</p>

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<p>Under the current system, my parent’s income is considered when determining my FAFSA EFC until I am 24 years of age, I’ve just turned 21. I have not depended on my parents as more than landlords since I was 17 when I started renting a room in their house, although they still claim me on their tax returns despite my urging otherwise</p>

<p>Quick note. Even if your parents didn’t claim you on tax returns, you’d be considered dependent for FAFSA purposes until age 24.</p>

<p>The US system of colleges and federal grants and loans is far from perfect, but considering you hopefully will live to be 80+, the three year wait is frustrating but can be used fruitfully until you turn 24 and can try for more aid then. However, make certain that whatever additional aid you would get at age 24 is actually enough to offset the rather large 19K tuition pricetag. (Part-time college attendance perhaps at a cheaper college is probably one of your more feasible choices.)</p>

<p>Going to a college that costs 19K a year is pretty much a luxury. There are not as many “free riders” coming from poor households attending elite universities as you think–many of them never make it that far or have had to look at alternatives. Most the kids are going to be from middle and upper middle income households who have parents that have saved for college or at least have not gotten into other financial debt problems so they can pay out of current income.</p>

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<p>i think you’re a racist ■■■■■.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your input Annika, it confirmed what I have feared to be the truth, and that is that life really isn’t fair. The most appealing option that I have considered, and that you mentioned, is moving to different state (maybe a more conservative state like Texas or Georgia where tuition is much less expensive) and establishing a domicile. However, this seems to me to carry a very high risk as I am not guaranteed access to any loans as I have no cosigner, even if the tuition is cheaper by a factor of 2.</p>

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<p>Calimami your response was both unwarranted and unneeded in this discussion. Everything was kept civil until you posted. Please spread your hate elsewhere.</p>

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<p>'i’m considered to be color deficient by the air force"… “why is higher education only available to my peers whose parents make less than mine… or who happen to be born with a darker skin tone?” </p>

<p>so i guess those statements (which are also UNTRUE, by the way) are what u call “civil”?</p>

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<p>Ah, I apologize that you misunderstood what I meant by ‘color deficient’, as this has absolutely nothing to do with race. Color deficient is the term used by the United States Air force to denote a slight problem with color vision according to their medical tests. I can see how that phrase is offensive if misinterpreted.</p>

<p>As for the darker skin tone comment, that was based on my own experience within higher education and the availability of scholarships to minorities, which I know has nothing to with FAFSA, but it would really help if my skin color didn’t disqualify me from something my peers have available them. I am sorry if I offended you, however, your name calling was unwarranted.</p>

<p>edit: To answer your question, yes, both of those statements were civil. You’re the one creating a problem where there isn’t one.</p>

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Maybe it was my time spent in the AF but I certainly understood that to mean color blindness.</p>

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<p>Scads of red-green color deficient people in my extended family, most of whom are in the corn infested Midwest, so I do get it too!</p>

<p>EbolaVirus, why don’t you pay a visit to the person who would be your advisor at UIUC, and talk about how what a part-time degree program could look like. You aren’t the first person who has faced this kind of challenge. The professors at UIUC have helped other people deal with it. They will have ideas for you.</p>

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<p>You need to find a situation with a co-op program.</p>

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<p>This thread is similar to ones the pop up fairly often. The problem is the “system” or the “government” or “financial aid” or the colleges themselves who extend aid to someone-else-but-not-me for whatever reason; they’re an athlete, they’re poor, they’re an ethnic minority, they’re first-gen… it goes on and on.</p>

<p>Why is the problem “them” and not your parents? I do appreciate that it’s not a parental obligation to pay for college, but does that mean it’s someone else’s? If your parents make that much money and can’t/won’t help you because they have mismanaged their finances… then level your criticism there, not at some other students who have their own set of struggles. Geesh.</p>

<p>Yeah… no, life isn’t fair, college isn’t free, you are in a tough spot through no fault of your own. It happens. You probably need to put together a solution that uses most or all of the suggestions above: split work and school in some way (year-on/year-off or part-time/full-time), relocate to a state with more affordable options and establish residency there, borrow. Or look at the military option or work and wait for a few years when you’ll be able to file the FAFSA without your parents’ financial information – although doing that won’t get you $19,000 a year in federal aid anyway.</p>

<p>Good luck. You seem like a hard-working guy and you’ll deserve the success you’ll no doubt eventually have. But don’t level your frustration at the wrong people.</p>

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<p>happymom and momof2kids, thank you for the advice! I’m going to speak with a counselor and a financial aid officer at the U of I at the beginning of June, and really have my fingers crossed that they will be understanding and work with me. Also, I’m finally starting to realize this is just a small bump compared what I’ve already faced, I’m a high school dropout with the chance to attend one of the best colleges in the country, how many people can say that? I’ll find a way, it just won’t be easy. Maybe I’ll call a recruiter to see if I can retake the color vision test, because since I’ve been to three optometrists and they’ve all said my color vision and depth perception were fine.</p>

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<p>“As for the darker skin tone comment, that was based on my own experience within higher education and the availability of scholarships to minorities, which I know has nothing to with FAFSA, but it would really help if my skin color didn’t disqualify me from something my peers have available them.”</p>

<p>I was offended as well, but then I have a"darker skin tone", and maybe that makes my skin thin. And I was an MD in the Air force, and never heard of that “color deficient” label…who knew? </p>

<p>But mostly I am responding because I am always hearing about these scholarships for minorities, but at the undergrad level at least, they seem to require “need” as well. </p>

<p>Hope that helps…</p>

<p>PS I wouldn’t join the military unless you want more from it than the money.</p>

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<p>EbolaVirus…I hope everything works out for you and you’re able to complete your education, but as someone who served in the Air Force for 20 years I find it very disturbing that you would consider this as an option.</p>

<p>Putting aside your frustration and issues with the “system”, I can tell you from first-hand experience that the military neither needs nor wants individuals who have no desire to serve their country, but are only seeking to tap a source of funding for a college education. </p>

<p>Since you’ve implied that you think you’ve had less access to scholarship money than your peers due to skin color, how can you possibly consider it ethical to pursue scholarship funds meant for individuals that are willing to trade years of service to their country in exchange for their education? It strikes me as slightly hypocritical to consider taking advantage of a system you think has somehow wronged you.</p>

<p>As another poster pointed out, the root of your problem lies with your parents…probably through a combination of cirumstances and bad decisions on their part. You do have options and opportunities for higher education…maybe just not the ones that you feel you deserve. The “system” doesn’t promise you an education at whatever institution you want to attend or any institution that you get accepted to. It provides enough aid for those that are unable to pay through no fault of their own…but not to make up for parental mistakes (financial mismanagement, non-involvement, etc.). </p>

<p>You are not to blame for your parent’s issues, but unfortunately you have to bear the burden of their mistakes…and I’m sorry for that. But please don’t try to make up for their bad decisions by making one of your own. Please consider other sources or avenues.</p>

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<p>First of all, thank you very much for your military service, and your input on my situation. It’s good to hear someone’s perspective whose vantage point is different from my own. However, the ‘color deficient’ term I used is the term my recruiter used when looking over medical papers after I returned from MEPS processing. I assumed it was a standard term within the military, so I used it. I’ll try to refrain from using it from now on.</p>

<p>However, the idea that more scholarship opportunities are available to minorities than than majorities is quite inarguable, and thus not worth arguing about, so I’ll leave it at that.</p>

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<p>Once again, thank you for your input on me taking the armed forces route to a higher education. I completely understand your apprehension to me joining Air Force given my initial comments which you quoted above. However, you stated that me joining the Air Force to pay for college is in some way shape or form unethical, and I would have to completely disagree with that. Hypocritical, yes, given my earlier statements…Unethical, no. Hell, the military itself uses college funds as its main advertising platform. If I joined the Air Force I’d do my job just as anyone else does their job, and I’d collect the benefits afforded to me for doing my job just like anyone else. Believe me, if I had any other choice besides joining the military I would take it, however, I seem to be backed into a corner here. How you can consider the acceptance of payment for a job done in the Air Force, or see it as somehow cheating the system is quite beyond me.</p>

<p>I know the guys with guns are hearing this less and less often considering our current political environment so I’ll say it again. Thank you for your service to our country, there are many people out there appreciate it, even if their voice is drowned out by the people who ignorantly blatantly voice their disdain.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your input, I can genuinely say that it has helped reshape my view of the situation I’m in. However, you seem to believe that I have some sort of animosity or anger towards the students that benefit from our educational system. This notion is ridiculous, if I was in their situation I’d take advantage of any opportunity legally afforded to me. Any animosity I have is directed towards our system, and not individuals that can benefit from it. I also understand that if you cannot have a perfect system, try as you might there will be someone who is at a disadvantage. This is especially true for systems in which you take one person’s money and give it to another. You will not end up with two happy people, rather, you’ll end up with one happy person and one person with less to show for their hard work than they had before…I’ll stop rambling, this is irrelevant at this point.</p>

<p>You ask why my animosity is not directed towards my parents instead of the system. Well, there’s a simple answer to that. My parents were married after my mother fell pregnant with me (the first of four children) when they were nineteen years old. Neither had college educations, neither had mommy or daddy to leech off of, they only had each other. Needless to say, I was not at an economic advantage by any sense of the word. I grew up eating peanut butter sandwiches and pouring the uneaten milk from my cereal back into the jug to be consumed later. However, everything my parents did they did out of love for me. In order to try and give me a better life they somehow managed to scrape enough together to put my father through school over a period of around ten years. He graduated nine years ago. The “mismanagement of finances” you ignorantly (by the Webster definition, not trying to be hostile) accuse my parents of committing was their effort to give my siblings a better, more economically privileged childhood, it’s too late for me. The debt they have and the “mismanagement of finances” they are accused of is what it took to get my father the high paying job he received two years ago and give my younger brother and sister a better childhood. That is why I have no animosity towards them. They are currently working on paying off the debts that it took to get them to where they are now, and that is why they have nothing to contribute to my college education. So please, do not preach to me about being somehow screwed by my parents, I will not let their hard work to give me a good life be thought of as a ‘mismanagement of finances’ because, to be honest, what they with so little was absolutely brilliant.</p>

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<p>Ebola…Consider the following phrase:</p>

<p>“I swear (or affirm) to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic. I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation of purpose of evasion”.</p>

<p>If serving in the military is against your personal beliefs…exactly how do you plan on raising your right hand and taking this oath without it being a bald-faced lie? Maybe it’s just me, but I was raised to believe that lying was unethical. Not everyone in the world loves the job they’re doing, but falsely representing yourself simply for personal benefit sounds suspiciously like fraud to me…also unethical I believe?</p>

<p>As I said, I can understand your frustration and your feeling of desperation but have a little respect for those individuals that take the oath…and actually mean it.</p>