Got a need based scholarship, but. . . ????

austinmshauri
Wed, 30 Mar 2016 13:27:16 +0000

@ogzmaeni42: I live in Southern California and I’d like to go to colleges in the general South Cali area.

You live in CA, your family has debt, you have one unemployed parent and the one who is working has a longterm illness, you have a sibling who will probably want to go to college, and your parents are struggling to meet current living expenses. That’s a tough set of circumstances.

You can’t afford this school. Your parents can’t afford this school. Did you qualify for Pell or any state grants or is your only funding source the guaranteed federal student loan (~$5500/year)? The amount of aid you received will determine your options. You can’t afford to take on debt for art school.

I was in a similar situation at your age (one disabled parent and one working parent with no retirement other than social security due to the unexpected disability) so I understand where you’re coming from. Doing the responsible thing can be very difficult, especially when the circumstances of friends and classmates are so different. But it’s important to make business decisions with your head, not your heart. Withdraw your acceptance from this college and develop a reasonable Plan B. Have you been accepted to any affordable colleges? Are there any within commuting distance of your home? Can you start at a cc?

Let us know what choices are available and their net costs (tuition, books, fees, room & board) - (grants, scholarships) and we’ll help you find an affordable option.