My parents said that they will not be able to pay for my college. I have two younger siblings who will not be in college as the same time as I am (the struggles of being 4 years apart).
The EFC score is high because both of my parents work. My mother owns a small business (but she pays 5 part-time workers PLUS the high rent and all the other expenses). Their combined income is a little over 100,000. My father still has debt that he needs to repay as well, and is being billed on many things. Although now we are making money, we used to be very poor. Most of it is being sucked away and we barely have enough for ourselves.
I thought that I would be able to work-study so I can keep my loans to a minimum, however, I believe that this will not work because with a high EFC score I will not be eligible for work-study.
I do not want to have a debt of $50,000 when I graduate because I want to go to med school and fulfill my dream of becoming a family physician/advocate for underprivileged individuals and racial minorities.
What are some non-time consuming (I am pursuing a double-degree in performance music (Bachelor of music) and biochem) ways that I can pay for college?
Will the college allow me to set up a payment plan even if my EFC score is over 15,000?
I’m sorry for asking so many questions; I’m just so stressed right now and I really need to figure out this whole entire “paying for college” thing within the next one and a half months.
If you can’t get work study, you can still work a regular job. However, either one is time consuming.
Are you starting college in 6 weeks or are you applying to colleges in 6 weeks? The best way to keep from having a lot in loans is to pick an inexpensive college from the beginning. That can mean a school close to home to which you can commute, a school that gives a lot of merit aid, an instate school, a school that has a low tuition in a low cost of living area.
Thank you for your reply!
I am going to school in 6 weeks. I will be attending an in-state school, with a 2500 merit scholarship. However, the music department requires me to take 700 dollar lessons/qtr. which only leaves me with a ~400 dollar scholarship left.
I’ve never worked in my life before because my parents were extremely focused on my studies and didn’t want me working because i already was involved in many EC’s such as orchestra, track, japanese school, running start, leadership youth groups, volunteering at the hospital, etc…
Basically, i need to figure out a way to come up with ~4000 dollars by the second week of october.
Back up. The school isn’t going to come up with 4k. Even assuming you get it broken into payment plans, how exactly are you going to pay that? Money isn’t going to just magically appear.
You absolutely can NOT start school until you know how you’re going to pay for it.
I was out of the country for over a month and I just got back two weeks ago. I could not apply for a job while I was out of the country.
I will probably have a way to pay for this quarter (i will have to probably ask for money from my relatives), but i will as both of you guys kindly suggested, try to get a job within the next month so I can start saving up for next quarter and have a sustainable source of income.
I always assumed that my parents would pay for my college but something came up recently and they won’t be able to support me throughout college as I’d hoped. That’s why I’m on here last minute. Please try to understand and hopefully help me without getting so upset; I’ve already have had so much stress and anxiety over other issues.
So do you think they will not let me have a payment plan?
Most universities allow you to have a payment plan and I’m sure this one is no different. You need to initiate it by a certain time though and that time may have past. Call tomorrow.
What I’m worried about is that you’re going to start school, find you can’t pay, and then get dropped from your classes due to non-payment. Once that happens, you can’t apply to be a freshmen anywhere and merit aid for transfers is pretty rare.
This happens all the time both on CC and in the real world. People come on here because they can’t even go to a community college because their transcript is held by the university due to an unpaid balance
My honest advice to you would be to take a gap year, save money, and start next year. You’re not going to be able to make 4k while double majoring and taking lesson. It’s just not going to happen. I worked full time and would barely have been able to pay that much.
If you’re anxious thinking about this now, imagine how much worse it’s going to be when you’re in school and the payment deadline is coming up. That’s why I recommend a gap year unless you can absolutely, 100% guarantee that you will be able to cover that 4k…
You have six weeks. MANY businesses are looking for workers to work through labor day. My daughter is heading back to college the last week in Aug, but then coming home to work labor day weekend so that she’ll qualify for a bonus. Her job is at a boat/bike rental place in a park, and they want to stay open on weekends through the fall.
Can you teach music lessons? Can you help some younger kids with after school tutoring or taking them to sports just for the first few weeks? Do you have office skills like typing? You might check with temp agencies.
I can’t take a gap year because i know i won’t be able to come back if i take a break. I need to stay in school. If things do get too hard, I will get student loans and pay those off through work instead. Thank you for the advice @romanigypsyeyes@twoinanddone
You may need to rethink your plans – this does not sound sustainable. Are you living at home to attend college, or going to a campus away from home? Are there 4 year schools within commuting distance of your home you could attend? Note that if you attend your current school and have to leave because of finances, they may not release your transcript so you can transfer if you have an unpaid balance with them.
You could have secured a job the day school finished. You can probably get a job tomorrow. This is not some abstract thing. Why were you overseas? Why didn’t you start getting a job the day you came back? It is bizarre, only 4K and you could have that socked away over summer. There are employers begging for your kind of labour (cheap, inexperienced, flexible, desperate).
@Sybylla please don’t be so hostile. i had been helping my mother out with her business because she needed my help. She runs a preschool. I will find a job that will match my needs and aim for a larger scholarship next year for music. Thank you for your concern.
@intparent i am planning on commuting from home to alleviate costs. Tuition is currently ~4000 dollars a quarter (with my scholarship, about 3300) Commuting takes roughly 1.5hrs~2hrs which is bearable.
P.P.S, the law requires that people be paid. Childcare requires you have a background check, maybe vax history, etc? That min wage is great news. Imagine the earnings you would have had.
Is this for the University of Washington? Their tuition is ~$12k/year. You can only borrow $5500 as a freshman. If your parents won’t pay and you don’t have the money to pay the bill in Oct., the college can drop you from those courses, refuse to let you register next semester, and hold your transcript until you pay. You wouldn’t be able to transfer without your tranacript and you won’t qualify for freshman grants at most colleges if you’ve attended somewhere else.
How are you planning to double major in music performance and biochem, commute 2 hours/day (I assume that’s roundtrip, not one way), work enough hours to earn ~$7k/semester, take the mandatory music lessons, and get the grades you need to make you eligible for med school? Are your parents paying for your transportation or do you have to cover those costs too?
^^ That’s probably the closest to a workable idea I’ve seen.
Change your major, lose the costly lessons, and make the numbers work. It sounds as though that’s the only possible way you’ll be able to afford college this year.
And if your aim is medical school, the music lessons are expendable.
You say you’ve never worked a paid job in your life. It sounds to me as though your should find one today. Because, even without the music lessons, you’re still short of the money you’ll need for college. And “non time consuming” and “making a lot of money” are pretty much contradictory terms. You’re 18 years old with no work experience-- you’re looking at jobs where you get paid by the hour.
Probably the highest paid sector for unskilled labor is acting as a waitress in a good restaurant-- but you typically work your way up to that position from busboy/busgirl.
This really should have been worked out prior to May 1. You need to sit down today and either find a concrete way of being able to afford college or make other plans.
