<p>What are the chances that I can get a degree and NOT go bankrupt?!!!
Are college prices feaking anyone else out?!!!</p>
<p>You need to calm down and do your research.</p>
<p>First priority is to establish approximately what you EFC is (the expected family contribution) and what you parents are willing to pay. this needs to be a serious sit-down discussion with all parties involved (parents, step-parents, etc). Once you know what your EFC is and what you parent will pay, you have a better idea of what college will cost you. </p>
<p>If you want to avoid loans of any kind, you will need to apply to schools that do not have loans (and there are a few out there) or be flexible in what colleges you want to attend. there are merit scholarships available, ROTC scholarships, service academies (whose cost is your time after graduation rather than dollars up front), work colleges, community college for two years and probably some other possibilities that I haven’t mentioned.</p>
<p>What you will find is that you can’t have it all – you will have to determine what is important to you (graduating debt free?) and focus your college plans around that goal. You can certainly get a fine education and not go bankrupt!</p>