Paying for school yourself - Needs Help or Ideas
 

Hey everybody. Well, my parents are kind of fed up with me right now. I"ve been here 5 years and after the spring semester I'll still have a few classes to take. So they are kind of cutting me off.

So I'll have to pay for school myself. I know a lot of people do this, but I'm scared. I know nothing about making school payments, finacial aid, etc.

Did anyone else struggle with this for a while and it got better? I hope so. :(

No more new purses for me for a while :( :( :(

Got a few questions?

Are you still listed as a dependent with them? I think, but check with your school financial aid office, that if you are no longer dependent on parents' for your support, then technically you are "independent" and can qualify for pell grants and other finanical aid like work study and student loans, which if you can, avoid like the plague if possible. The key is to show that you are no longer receiving their assistance to help support you. You can do this through showing your employment situation---working part-time if possible.

How much longer are you talking until you finish? Another year?

One thing you should do immediately is to fill out the fill out the FASFA online, which helps your school and the govt. determine what you are eligible for in financial aid. You will need your salary/wages info. from 2005 for the 06-07 year., or you can show what you made last year. Now, summer term, if you go, has a separate application--because it's a different part of the school year.

Definitely go talk with your financial aid office and see how they can help--that is what they are there for.

Also, some GLOs have scholarship $$ set aside with their national office---check with your organization to see if they have such a fund to help members with college expenses.

If you're an undergrad and considered independent, you shouldn't have a problem getting money. It's when you're a grad student that you don't get jack.

I had to pay for some of my own school too, in fact everything I've taken since giving back my scholarship at U of L.

Student loans are a bitch but its what I had to do, and it took me like 3 years to pay off 2 semesters of school! :(

Definitely start applying for grants though & don't freak out. If you do happen to get student loans you can put them off until after you graduate. Not saying its a great idea but its a possibility if you don't have the income up front to start making payments!

Thanks for the ideas. :)

I think I have just one more semester left after the spring.

just tell your parents that when you make big $$$ they wont see any of it because they cut you off one semester. while your at it, tell them there will be no grandchildren visitations. and, when they are in the nursing home, tell them they wont have any visitors there too :).

i am paying for my graduate school right now. right from the checking account.

I ended up paying for most of school myself, but it wasn't because my parents cut me off. There were money issues, and the only way for me to really go to school was to pay. Luckily, I did extremely well in high school and got quite a few scholarships. However, when push came to shove, I worked all the way through school.

The toughest part was towards the end, when I was working two jobs senior year. It was tough at times juggling academics and work, and I didn't have much of a social life. However, when it comes down to it, you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Good luck.

I paid for most of my undergrad by receiving a scholarship to play in the University's orchestra. Do you have any talents or athletic abilities that could earn you a scholarship? (long shot, I know).

Otherwise, as far as law school has gone, student loans are treating me well.

I pay for school through academic scholarships and loans. I work 30-40 hours a week and I got a scholarship through Panhel that pays my sorority dues.

That was the key for me. I graduated with a B.S. and M.S. and no debt. I didn't have a car or a credit card. I rode my bike to my jobs and borrowed clothes from friends for parties. My friends cut my hair. (I always played that off as like a "spa night" so they didn't know it was because I couldn't afford to get it cut at a salon.) Loans would have made my life easier, but I was very leery of starting off with that much debt. I did have some scholarship money. I just skimped on everything and really I don't think many people ever knew.

ETA: I rode my bike in the snow, uphill, with no shoes ;)

Not possible when tuition runs at greater than half of my pre-tax annual salary.

Congrats to you though.