So I am currently a senior and pretty much have planned on going to a UC up until this point (either UCSD or UCSB), however I’m getting very worried on how I will actually manage to pay for school. My parents have decided that they will only pay for my first year of school, while I’m on my own for the last 3 years which adds up to almost $100,000 (their belief is that paying for college is my own responsibility, not theirs). Based on my financial aid awards, I get absolutely no aid since my parents make way too much and are able to pay based on their own income. I also only get 5,500 in a Direct Student Unsubsidized Loan so I don’t know how I will manage to pay an annual tuition of $30,000+ without even being able to borrow money. From what I’ve researched, the easiest ways to file as an independent on the FAFSA are if I get married, have kids, or join the military and none of these have been an interest of mine right now! So please if you have any idea on what I can do, please let me know!!!
You are out of luck. There is no way for you to pay for 3 years of college on your own. Your parents are being unreasonable, or is there more to this than you have let on.
Community college would be the only option.
Or don’t go to college at all this coming year (work to earn some money), then reapply to some full ride merit scholarship schools.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21089443/#Comment_21089443
Your parents probably worked their way through college when it was possible to self-support on a high school graduate job’s pay, with some money left over (or maybe a small student loan) to pay for the then-trivial state university tuition and books. But it is much less realistic to do that now.
You cannot borrow more than the direct loan without a cosigner.
So instead of them paying for one year of college ask them to put a certain amount in a 529 account for you, for example 40k. Then you apply to a high merit option like UAH https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit-tuition-scholarships
With your stats 1490 and a 3.9 GPA, you receive a full tuition scholarship and YOUR cost per year would be maybe 2-3k which you could pay for with a summer job and tiny Stafford loan. And your college is paid for. @cookie620
Also you would be close to affording U Arizona is you could get your parents to bank 50k for you.
https://financialaid.arizona.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships/freshman-transfer
Also look at U New Mexico.
But your basic strategy is have parents bank a first year cost for a private college. Attend a high merit (or local commutable) option and work summers.
YOU cannot take out high loans. YOU will probably not be able to be independent so you are bound to their salary. They will keep you on health insurance right?
@cookie620 Just read that you are a senior. Apply to UAH NOW. They are still accepting scholarships. Have your parents bank 30k for you. With a full Stafford loan, you can afford it.
Your parents are being ridiculous. Have you asked them where you’re supposed to come up with $30k+ per year for soph, jr, and sr years?
Well, if I were you, I’d call their bluff. I’d quickly apply to schools that will still award huge merit…like UAH and Miss St. if your parents balk at the idea of you going to those schools, nicely explain that since there is no way for you to have a net income of $30k+ per year after frosh year, you needed to find other means to pay for college.
The OP hasn’t said their parents supported them applying to expensive schools like USC to start with, though. There are plenty if parents out here with a budget of $50K or less for 4 years, too.
OP, you can’t go to USC. There is no way to do so if your parents won’t pay.
@intparent OP says UCSB or UCSD, not USC. Unless he/she’s said USC in other posts.
Sorry! Misread. Still, no student can come up with $100K on their own. It wouldn’t be advisable to borrow it even if they could.
Is there a CSU you could commute to?
@mom2collegekids The parents might be in 1970’s, 1980’s mode when you could work your way through college. They have four kids so maybe they can’t afford it and haven’t planned/ are unaware.
@cookie620 Do your parents expect you to go to college?
I get that when parents don’t know the costs. These parents know that a UC instate is about $32k per year. Unless they’re idiots, they know that their child can’t net that much as an undergrad.
I agree with the others - you’ll have to look for schools that give high merit aid. Luckily, there are lots of them out there. What do you want to study?
This was something they should have discussed with you long ago. I get the feeling they aren’t on board with this whole college thing. Is there a reason they don’t want you to go?
I’m wondering if the parents just think that a student can borrow all that’s needed on their own. The op needs to let them know that’s not possible
Yes, for the most part they’ve pushed me to do well in school so I could get into college so it’s a bit of a shock that I won’t have much help in financing my education. I tried to explain to them that I don’t think it’s possible for me to afford the cost in the long run, but they seem to think I am able to pay off the money if I work a part-time job all four years. Also, off-campus housing should be cheaper in later years so maybe that will help? Are you sure it’s not possible for me to pay for either UC?
Why don’t you post your current funds and show how you will pay?
UCSD’s tuition is: $14,273.
Housing and room/board $13,733
We haven’t even talked about fees.
You can get loans of $5500 the first year (divide that by each quarter).
How do you think it is possible for you to pay that?
My dd worked part-time jobs and worked about 10 hours per week. She made about $5K to $6K per year.
The rents around UCSD are anywhere from **$1500 to $2K ** per month. Santa Barbara is just as expensive, if not more.
Let’s see your budget worksheet that show how you can budget and pay for it?
California community college is a good and affordable alternative for the first 2 years and then transfer to a UC.
Live at home, work part-time and save your student loans for the last two years.
Or since you have high stats, you can still apply to UAH and get full tuition.
If your parents can give you $7,500 per year ($30,000 total) and you take your direct loan and work summers, you should have enough money to pay for fees, travel, books.
Then get a 10hr a week campus job for spending money.
@mommdc, the parents are only paying for the first year ~$30K.
My dd was instate and attended her UC. We paid ~$32K per year (all inclusive-tuition, rent, fees, books, etc.) from 2012 to 2016.
If she goes to a CC for the first two years, her remaining costs are still about $64K for the next two years. Don’t forget that the fees rise incrementally.
How do you propose that her part time job will cover these fees?
Assume:
Junior year
$7500 parent
$7500 loan=
$15K
~2K +campus jobs on UC’s are not guaranteed and are at minimum wage. (My dd had lab experience, so she was paid significantly more as a lab tech.)
Total
$17K This would just cover tuition and insurance.
How does she cover her rents in California, one of the most expensive areas of real estate in the country?
Where’s the travel money?
What am I missing on my math?
She can’t do it on her own for those schools.
I assumed that the parents would give the $30k for the last two years, plus the $27,000 from loans saved from freshman and sophomore year, plus $15,000 for last two years.
That would be $57k
Money saved from working PT those two years, maybe another $10k.
That was assuming that community college was affordable without loans.
And in the case of UAH with full tuition, room and board and travel and books is assumed to be $15k a year. So if parents pay $30k and student pays $27k with loans and student has some summer earnings, it would work.