I’m going to an In-state school that costs about $17,000 a year this fall 2018. I received $9,000 in Financial aid and I am eligible for $5,500 in Student loans. My EFC is 0 so I don’t really have family that can help me out with this. I’m about $2,600 short after financial aid for the 2018-2019 school year. Should I not attend this fall or is there another way to make up the difference? Would a part time job earn enough?
Is that total 2600 for two sem or just one?
I would recommend you to appeal to FA office. And/or you can start working for this summer if that is an option, AND look for on campus job.
Is 17,000 the full cost of attendance or just tuition? I assume it’s for the year, too, so you’ll have to pay half of it in August and half of it in December (for second semester). So you have to ezrn $1,300 between now and the end of July. Basically you need to find a job where you can make $800 a month- that’s about 12h/week at minimum wage.
If the full cost or attendance, it means you can take a smaller meal plan (12 meals a week is the bare minimum - it means lunch and dinner during the week, and just dinner during weekends so you need to take care of lunch with rmen noodles, gogurt and a piece of fruit on Saturday and Sunday, still much cheaper than lunch on the meal plan. Breakfast would be a cup of tea and a bar of cereal.) You can rent books rather than buy, and use the library extensively to decrease book costs.
Is there any way you could work full time over the summer to make up the difference?
Would going part time cut the tuition a bit?
If you work full-time over the summer you can probably raise ~$3k. If you’re offered a work study job on campus, accept it and apply for jobs as soon as you get to campus.
Do you have parents? If so, your parents can apply for the Parent PLUS Loan. If they get it, it will cover this difference. If they do not, then the amounts you can get in your regular federal loans can be increased beyond what you have now. Talk to the school’s financial aid office about this and other options. There are sometimes other loan options that they know about - talk to them directly.
Another option is to go on a payment plan with your school for the remaining $2,600. You’d pay it off over the months of the school year, so this means you’d have to get a job while you study; but it is an option if you think you can handle the monthly payments.
Have you considered if you are eligible for the American Opportunity tax credit…
“you may be able to claim a credit of up
to $2,500 for adjusted qualified education expenses paid
for each student who qualifies for the American opportunity
credit”
from https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf
Get a job over the summer and save your entire refund moving forward for school expenses. The refunds come in spring so you still have a cash flow issue to work through the first year. Have you sent out hs graduation announcements to everyone you know - letting them know you are headed to college? Graduation gifts are a good way to pull together some extra money for the first year.
Don’t give up yet! As others have said, try and find a job this summer and earn some money. If you can’t find a job at a business, try freelancing - hire yourself out to do yard work, wash windows, walk dogs, do pet sitting, etc, Do you have anything to sell? My son has successfully used both Craigslist and Ebay to make money - selling his childhood toys (Legos, Hot Wheels, Nerf guns, X-box games, books). I’ve seen educational crowdfunding (like using GoFundMe) utilized by college students who need help paying for school.
My kiddo was able to earn $1700 through work study last year and had it put towards his tuition. Also, they have found summer jobs doing labor - babysitting, mowing, cleaning attics, dirt work, weeding flower beds, painting, detailing cars. Those are things you might be able to pick up during school too as odd jobs to make a little gas/spending money. Even a regular minimum wage job should let you earn a good portion. Remember you’ll need to cover books, etc too. Check amazon, chegg, and other rental options to compare prices and start early so the rentals or used books are available. He’s very frugal and took the minimum meal plan with lots of pb&j for snacks. Also, as you get involved on campus you can find regular activities that usually offer pizza, etc. Are there any outside scholarships you can qualify for? Sometimes there are ones that work for the first year.