Search for Affordable Schools

AlmostThere2018
Wed, 08 Aug 2018 12:37:53 +0000

I admire you and I think you will find a way.

I thought of Berea too – worth giving it a try.

I suggest you set up an appointment with your guidance counselor asap and see if they have ideas. There may be community scholarships (Rotary, Lions, community foundations, etc.) that they could help you apply for that would really help your situation. He or she might also be able to reach out to Berea on your behalf. Perhaps there’s another parent or community volunteer they could could pair you with to help find scholarship opportunities. Don’t be timid about asking for assistance.

This fall take the ACT again and apply for any residential colleges you can for which you might get merit aid that would make your college costs as close as possible to the federal loan limits, Public universities are more likely to accept your CC credits and you could graduate in 3 years perhaps.

If you can’t find a residential option $8 to 10k per year (do you have someone who would cosign the $3 to 5k that wouldn’t be a federal loan limit?), then I think your next best option is to live at home and commute to college so long as your parents won’t charge you rent, etc. Work 20 hours a week – waiting tables might give your the most $$ in your pocket if you can get a job in a good restaurant. You can take the federal loan ($5500) to help cover tuition and use your wages to pay the rest, books, etc. If you got the CC route and do well, you might get academic scholarship to transfer. As soon as you enroll, meet with a college advisor to explain your goals and financial situation. You are a serious student and they will want to help and advocate for you.

Finally, if you are paying yourself w/o merit aid, it’s better to go to a low-cost college (community or regional) and work less than go to a more expensive ‘better’ college that requires you to work full-time. Juggling a full-time job and full-time college is not a recipe for academic success. And when you attend college part-time, it’s easier to get derailed.