Fashion School?? Or Univeristy??

Run the numbers here: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml

What does this mean “my financial aid basically covers my tuition for VCU”? Are there loans in that package? If your tuition is basically covered, what about your other expenses (housing, meals, books, etc.)? What were your aid packages like at the other places? How will you and your family cover the difference?

Any place that will require that you take out more than the standard Stafford loans is a place that is going to leave you with too much debt for a person in the industry you want to start out in. If VCU is your only truly affordable option, then go there, and do your best to get summer internships in the fashion industry so that you’ve got a decent chance of landing a job in that industry after you graduate.