<p>I am 18 and will be going to college in the fall. I was accepted to a good college that is about 30 minutes away from home and also to UTSA, which is about 5/6 hours away. Yes. its not that far but it is far enough to have to leave home and live there. My family doesn’t want me to leave. My brother is currently attending the college that is 30 minutes away from here so now they’re all telling me that it should be common sense to stay here. I don’t have a car but i have friends who are going to UTSA and we are planning on going together. We are even planning to live in an apartment but my financial situation isn’t looking so good. I plan to get a part time job but i dont know if it will be enough to live by myself or with other people away from home or if it would just be better to live in a dorm. The education that i would receive if i stayed here would probably be as good as if i left home. I know it would be much easier to stay here but i live in a small town full of people and places ive known my whole life and i just want to see something else. I know this is such a typical small-town-girl-that-wants-to-see-the-world issue but i really want to go. So is there any advice that i can get from financially troubled people who survived going away to college? Also, would it be better to live in an apartment or in a dorm?</p>
<p>No, not really. I’d suck it up and stay at home. See if you like the college and work at the same time. Have a goal to transfer once you save enough money up, but you may find that you like the 30 min away college. </p>
<p>You can probably do a year/semester abroad type of program or something. Look into your options. </p>
<p>College is costly. I went to a community college for three years before transferring. I’m super poor living on my own! </p>
<p>I agree with CalDud. Unfortunately, going away to college is a privilege and an extra. Not everyone does it, especially if they’re struggling financially. Most people stay at home with their parents for at least a year or two, be it for a community college or even a nearby 4 year university.</p>
<p>I can sympathize with you because my family is going through financial problems as well. I actually do live away, but I attend a school that is 35 miles and roughly an hour/50 minutes away from my house. I actually moved out for one semester to save money and so commuted, and I made enough money over summers and at part-time jobs to be okay. However, I have most of my tuition covered by institutional scholarships and I also get full Pell that I can use for housing. That leaves me with roughly $1500/yr plus books, gas, car insurance, phone bill, and anything extra to pay for, so that’s what made the difference. If I had to pay the extra 12k for tuition, there’s no WAY I’d be dorming here. And I’ll add that I pay for most of this by working my tail off during the summer, which leaves me more time to study during the school year.</p>
<p>So, that said, how much debt would you go into if you chose UTSA? Do you have any scholarships? Do you qualify for Pell or SEOG? It’s a complicated situation, and though you can definitely get a part-time job, you won’t be able to bring in a sustainable income while keeping up with your grades. I worked about 8 hrs/wk last semester at a bit of a higher-paying job and now bumped it up to 12 hrs/wk, and that’s really pushing it. Some of my friends work closer to 30 and are completely drained, but they have to do it so they can pay for their apartment. I wouldn’t recommend putting yourself in that kind of situation because it’s really toiling. Do try and get a job and work maybe around 10 hrs/work, but expect to be primarily devoted to your studies and potentially even your social life because that’s what college is for.</p>
<p>I’d need specifics before I can give my opinion, namely:
1° what are the two colleges in question? (=> there can be a real difference in quality between a small, commuter, “branch” campus, and thus in graduation rates & post-college prospects, so that the money “saved” isn’t, in the end)
2° how much would each college cost, after scholarships but before loans? How much did you expect to pay? </p>
<p>I went the route of eating rice and beans, working any job I could get, and studying late - I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. </p>
<p>If you want to know if you can afford it, just do the math.</p>
<p>How much could you reasonable expect to make working a part time job? Look around the area for what part time jobs pay, and estimate how much you would reasonably expect to work. Do you have savings that you could rely on? How much could you make working full time over the summer? Then consider how much it would cost to pay rent, utilities, internet, phone, groceries, transportation, books, and incidentals, considering off campus and on campus, and see if all the numbers add up. If they don’t, then it’s probably not worth it. If they do, then consider whether the sacrifices you’d have to make would be worth it.</p>
<p>Also consider how you would be paying for school. Are you could to have to take out a lot of loans to afford it? Is one option significantly cheaper than the other? If you’re going into a decent amount of debt just to pay tuition and fees at school, then it’s probably worth it to save money by living at home.</p>
<p>I had a friend who worked several jobs in college (often upwards of 40 hours a week total, if they would let her) because of her financial situation, and her grades and health suffered (at least partly) because of it. She was incredibly hard-working and I’m sure she’ll be fine, but consider whether the sacrifices you’d have to make to attend a school far away would be worth it. You’ll have your whole life to leave your town, and getting a college degree may help you do that. Don’t risk doing poorly in school or not having the opportunity to do anything other than work and study, just because he want to leave your hometown. You may survive, but you may not enjoy it.</p>
<p>Compare costs for dorm and apartments nearby. Also look into how expensive the food plan will be. Note that if you are not living at home you will probably have to buy some necessities for your apartment/dorm, which will be extra expenses. </p>
<p>I suggest you talk to scholarship reps for the university. Maybe there’s some sort of work study program or scholarship available for you that will pay for your room & board. Talk to them on the phone or set up a meeting with someone so you can make your case in person. Do some research about the schools work study options. </p>
<p>I encourage you to go away so you can mature and become more independent. But make sure its in the best interest of you and your whole family. How much of a sacrifice would it be? Maybe you can talk to your parents about them fronting you the money for freshman room and board (if they can) and you will pay them back with summer job money and the job you will get near UTSA. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>