<p>As an art major, freshman foundation is crucial, so I really want to go to the school I put my deposit down at, although it’s fairly expensive. Also, I live in Rhode Island, and they don’t have illustration as a focus. UConn does not have illustration as one of the partial tuition reduction majors for neighboring states, either. </p>
<p>I’m serious about art, but I’m going to have to take loans out for myself without a cosigner, at least for the first semester, since my mom’s not going to be helping me out. She might later on, though, when I “prove” myself, or my boyfriend and I break up. </p>
<p>So which loans are the best without a cosigner? If it means anything, I have a job, but I got it recently and I only make $7.90 an hour plus a little bit of tips, and a few hundred dollars in savings bonds.</p>
<p>The only loan that you qualify for without a co-signer, is the Stafford Loan. If you file the FAFSA, you will be able to borrow $5,500 for your freshman year.</p>
<p>I know about the Stafford, but what about private loans? I know the interest will be high, but no matter what I do, it’s going to be expensive. Even community college for JUST tuition is going to be $4000, and gas to get there is going to end up being about 2 grand, plus books, food, car insurance…how can I afford ANYTHING, then?</p>
<p>A Stafford would cover tuition. A part-time job would probably cover your commuting expenses.</p>
<p>No, you aren’t going to get more loans without a co-signer. People lend money because they expect to be paid back. Most students don’t have enough work history or credit history to cause lenders to believe that they will indeed repay their loans. That is why the Staffords exist, and why they have the limits that they do.</p>
<p>You will NOT be able to secure a private loan without a cosigner. </p>
<p>And the Stafford loans will NOT be sufficient to pay out of state tuition or tuition at a private LAC (are you still planning to attend UConn?).</p>
<p>Taking the year off to work and save is a good idea…but do save…and have a plan for subsequent years. </p>
<p>I noticed in another thread that you were considering “moving to CT”. If you are doing so to gain instate tuition status…you might want to reconsider. It’s your PARENTS who would need to move to CT for you to have instate tuition status in CT. And they would need to move here 12 months prior to you enrolling as a college student. YOU (as an undergrad) are unlikely to receive in state tuition status if your family resides in Rhode Island.</p>
<p>My neighbor was an art major. She is a very successful graphic designer at a major firm. She did not major in art initially and started out at a college with virtually no resources in the area, and transfered. You can do the same. Any major state university is going to have a lot of resources in art and can provide the spring board for you. Many of the schools will have reciprocal arrangements with specialty schools if indeed your needs exhaust the school. </p>
<p>As a dependent student without the money and job to qualify for a loan, you will need a co signer. Borrowing is usually not a great idea for someone going into the fine arts anyways, but really under most circustances, you should not be borrowing more than the Stafford maximums.</p>
<p>*So would it be better if I try to take a year off to work to save for college, instead? *</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>How much could you save? Enough to pay for all your years of college? If not, then you’d find yourself in the same situation of not having enough money to pay for the later years of college.</p>
<p>Do you understand that you won’t likely be earning much after you graduate? how will you pay off these large loans???</p>
<p>My suggestion is that if your school of choice is truly unaffordable, you take a gap year and work, save and do what you can in terms of art work, take some basic college courses for foundations at an inexpensive community college, and put together a portfolio that could get you some consideration for funds for following year. At the same time, look for affordable options to meet your needs in case you can’t get the funding for your ideal course of study.</p>
<p>Thumper1, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway because my mom might be able to retire soon and wants to move to Florida…</p>
<p>Also, that plan was if I decided to join the Air National Guard, since that was something I was considering. I’m trying to get out of the house, because, not to sound dramatic, but my family life is pretty awful. It’s not that I really want to go to UConn, it’s just that I don’t want to go to URI or RIC.</p>
<p>So, this is a dumb question, probably, but how does everyone else do it on just Stafford loans? Even if I went to community college for the first two years and went to a state school ($7000 for a college an hour away or $10,000 35-40 minutes away), that’s still expensive! I’d need 5 grand for school, about 2 grand for gas, books and some money for food…</p>
<p>How does everyone do it? I’m sorry to sound like I’m whining, I guess I’m just going to have to get used to working really hard just to get by. I hope this doesn’t ruin my GPA…</p>
<p>The majority of full-time college students are receiving significant aid from their parents to pay for tuition, cost of living, or both. Also, many/most students are working part-time. A combination of parental contributions, grants, loans and income gets cobbled together to finance college.</p>
<p>*So, this is a dumb question, probably, but how does everyone else do it on just Stafford loans? *</p>
<p>Everyone else DOESN’T do it with just Stafford loans. Everyone else does it with other money added in as well…money from parents, money from student (job), other grants, etc.</p>
<p>And, most people do NOT go away to college. Most people commute to their local public. If you commuted to your local public (which most do), your EFC, some summer earnings from you, and a Stafford loan would likely cover that. </p>
<p>Going away to school is a luxury that MOST kids do not get.</p>
<p>If all you’re getting is Stafford loans then that means you have an EFC that your parents aren’t paying. What is your EFC?</p>
<p>When you or your parent paid that deposit to that college, what discussions did you have about how you and the family were going to pay for this first year? The time is soon coming when some payment is going to be due. You can take up to $5500 in loans through the Staffords your first year, but you have to come up with the rest if there is any, as well. The loans are given per semester, so that means $2750 for the fall term. </p>
<p>If your parents cannot or will not pay any of the remainder, and you don’t have the money either, than you can’t afford to go to that school. It’s as simple as that. You can look at the choices that are left that you can afford. You may have to go to find a job and go to school part time at first. Really, that is how most people get through college. They commute, work and go part time, or work part time and manage to go full time some years when there is enough money to do so. It is an expensive luxury to go away to school, and to be able to do so, most of the time it is the parents who pay for it, just as some parents pay for sleep away summer camps and programs, boarding school for pre college years, private school for pre college years. It’s no different for college, though more scholarship and loan options exist. Students cannot typically take out more than the Staffords on their own which means parents have to co sign any loans or take them out for the students. Those who are truly excellent students or have other attributes a college really wants may get merit aid. Those who are truly needy are guaranteed some PELL funds, and there is financial aid available, though rarely enough for those whose families demonstrate need.</p>
<p>The majority of students do not go away to college. They go to school locally. A large number of students start out at their community college. many students go to school part time while working to put themselves through college. A 200k education is a “luxury” that the majority of people don’t have. This is one of the downsides of CC, it gives a very myopic view of the college experience: everyone is a 'boderline genius" who is going away to a “top” school.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, you have to work with the realities of your situation and go where your money can take you.</p>
<p>“So, this is a dumb question, probably, but how does everyone else do it on just Stafford loans?”</p>
<p>The simple truth is that nationwide, the single largest group of traditional-age college students is comprised of those who attend a local community college (some estimates put this figure at fully 50% of the students in this age group). The second largest group is comprised of those who attend an in-state public u - many of whom commute from home. Most of these students are working at least part-time, if not full-time, in order to pay for their expenses. Living at home, working, and commuting to school is the college experience for most students. If that is what you have to do in order to meet your long-term goals, you will be in good company.</p>
<p>Sybbie has it right. It’s not just CC that gives this view. When you read or hear about college in the main stream media, it’s the sleep away situation that gets most of the attention when it is just a small part of the college scene. If you go to certain schools where many of the kids go away to college, again, it looks like that is what “everyone” does when it simply is not true. The average college student is in his mid 20’s, commutes to college, works at least part time and goes to college part time.</p>
<p>It took me six years to finish my associate’s degree at a community college because I was taking classes part-time while working as an auto racing public relations manager. Only then did I transfer to a “sleep-away” college for my junior and senior years - an out-of-state public with a tuition exchange program. I paid for it with a combination of savings, parental assistance, earnings, grants and Stafford loans.</p>
<p>I didn’t earn my bachelor’s degree until I was 26. Guess what? Nobody cares. All that real-world experience means I have a hell of a resume. So please don’t listen to the deluded and sheltered rich kids on here who think your life is ruined if you don’t spend $200,000 on a college education. They’re literally clueless.</p>