$16k would cover tuition and many other costs at an instate college in MANY states, but won’t cover private college tuition or OOS tuition.
Unfortunately, no. Very few students qualify for 100% financial aid. Those who aren’t wealthy go to community college and live at home, or go to instate colleges and have earned merit aid, or do work study, or do co-ops where they go to school one semester, work the next. You are borrowing a lot. How the forgiveness programs work is that you will pay back some of your loans while you work for 5 or 10 years and then the remainder is forgiven. It’s a long way away.
You need to talk to someone in the FA office tomorrow and see where you stand. I think you’re not going to be able to afford it.
Well I am trying to find an affordable college close to RMU, and I’m thinking maybe CCAC. Would I be able to get my masters from RMU if I graduate from a community college ?
Your goal is to become a teacher, the best way to do that is to attend a school you can afford, and requires little in loans, because once you work as a teacher you will have to pay all of these loans back.
And a master’s is going to require more loans.
So where is your home state?
Your parents were never in a financial situation to be able to help much if your EFC was $1500 last year and is $900 this year. And they were denied for the Plus loan.
Now there are two in college which will make the affordability issue even harder.
You can get a Pell grant, maybe state grant, and a student loan. You need to find a school where tuition, fees, and your living expenses are covered by the aid you can get.
Going to a community college is not going to solve your problem. You already have too many credits and like thumper said you need to transfer to an affordable 4 yr university in your state that has elementary education if that’s what you want to do.
The teachers in PA that I know do not get a master’s degree right away, they work several years to pay off student loans and do the master’s online on a part time basis, while working as a teacher.
For now you need to focus on getting your bachelor’s degree first.
Second, I would NOT count on the program that is in place at the moment to be there when you get out. If it is, nice perk. Many of these programs are on the chopping block.
With federal and state aid, and your student loan you can attend an instate university and become a teacher. You are halfway there.
In PA you pay out of state rates for tuition. Even at a community college which would not give you a bachelor’s degree in education.
Even at a PASSHE school, where the closest is also an hour or more away.
I would be careful of the loan forgiveness programs. I’ve read that rules change and people who thought they were eligible end up getting denied. OP can’t borrow enough anyway. The school costs ~$40k and she has ~$16k ($5k Pell, the $7500 student loan, and a ~$4k loan because her parents don’t qualify for a PLUS loan). She has a gap of $24k and no way to pay it.
OP, can you transfer back to your original college? The majority of your costs were covered there, right? I don’t think you’re going to be able to find a PA college that’s affordable for an OOS student who has a budget of $16k. If you can’t get reinstated at your old college, you can probably find an affordable option in your home state of W. VA. Are there any schools you can commute to from your parents’ home?
Your situation is difficult because you have too many credits to be able to enroll at a cc. You can’t borrow money on your own, and PA schools aren’t going to be affordable. I understand you want to live with your boyfriend. Is he attending college in PA? @Blossom may have some ideas, but in my opinion, if he can’t afford to attend school in W. VA. and you can’t afford college in PA, then if you want to finish school you’re probably going to have to have a long distance relationship until you graduate.
@mom2collegekids has rentals and kids old enough to be renters, so she can tell you if $500/mo. is enough for food, books, utilities, transportation, a cell phone plan, and personal expenses. I don’t believe it is.
My parents pay for my cell phone plan and will send me money for food and personal stuff. I do need the whole $40k for tution bc I will be commuting from apartment which is 6 min from school and giant eagle where I work is right across campus. I will not be using much gas. Plus when I go farther place my boyfriend will drive. The amount of tuition should be $29,910 which with a financial package of $16,000 and then it would be approx. $14,000 for while year ($7,000 a semester) I am in the middle of applying for many scholarships. I also know WV gave a grant eligible for every schools and some Pa schools if I can be eligible for that which is $4000 extra. So brings down to $10,000, but I’m not sure. Does anybody know any scholarships I could apply for and grants ?
It’s July 16. It’s a little,late to apply for,scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year. I can’t think of one scholarship that would still be available at this late date for THIS academic year.
At this point you have two choices.
Wait and see what your financial aid package is from RMU. Then you will need to make a quick decision about whether it is going to work...or not. Except for an increase in your Pell Grant, and $7500 in student loans, your aid will likely look the same as it did last year. If your parents are again denied a Plus...I thinkmwe calcukated your aid this year to be roughly $16,500.
Did you apply for,the grant from West Virginia? Did you apply for it last year?
See if you can get that education degree in West Virginia where college is affordable. There are a lot of long weekends, and school breaks. And summer next year. You can visit RMU on those occasions.
Try to look at your end goal…getting your bachelors degree and a teaching job. That’s the end game, right?
The loan forgiveness programs for teachers and public service (after 5 or 10 years) are NOT taxable. Loans forgiven after 20+ years of payment, or dismissed for permanent disability or dismissed for other reasons can be taxable.
My sister had her teacher loans dismissed after 5 years. It was part of a program she entered for professionals and that was the intention all along. She went to school, worked 5 years in this program, and her loans were forgiven, as planned.
Teachers have different programs for loan forgiveness than other public service programs (the ones currently under review by the dept of education). BUT the OP should investigate the programs and know exactly what they require.