THE SECRET TO GETTING FINANCIAL AID FOR SCHOOL - by Episkopos-Princess Kaousuu.

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

???

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Specifically welding.  I don't have the money to get the plain old training done and

no experience < degree < actual experience.

Welding is COOL.

[Don Coyote]

Specifically welding.  I don't have the money to get the plain old training done and

no experience < degree < actual experience.

Welding is COOL.

it also makes me...um....nevermind.....still not that drunk....

[Suu]

A note on car purchases for students who live on/near campus:
In addition to the cost of the car itself, in my experience, city campuses make you pay an arm, a leg, and a testicle for parking permits. Walking or biking will be much easier on your wallet, and probably help to counteract the terribly unhealthy campus food you will probably be ingesting freshman year.

URI charges $150 a semester for a pass.


...But we have the best dining halls in the nation.

most large schools have free a free bus system too

We have 2 shuttles and an hour bus ride between Providence and Kingston. The bus between Kingston and Narragansett is...a half hour I wanna think for a fucking 10 minute drive, and there is no bus between Kingston and Exeter, which is all the super secret biomedical engineering shit anyway.

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

Well then YOUR bus system sucks 
Even if you live on campus at OSU try getting to classes w/o the buses. That place is like a small city.
Buses were pretty fast at Syracuse  to get to the South campus apartments and the off campus apartment area too.
Haven't ridden the bus here cause I forked out the cash for my parking pass lol.

[Eve Hill]

Ya'll wanna know the secret to getting financial aid? Here it is.

There isn't one, motherfuckers. Follow your princess's advice:

1: File your FAFSA yourself. Don't let an advisor, or worse, someone you PAY at a "college planning center" to do it for you. It's a free application, and paying for it guarantees that someone is banking off of something going wrong and misleading you as to what you can get.

2: Do not bitch to me that you didn't get enough money. You're one of 8 million college students in America. Shut your piehole.

3: Fastweb.com. Live it. Learn it. Love it. Or, do what we had to do 10 years ago, and that's get your fucking ass off of the computer and go to the library, find the big book of grants I know they still publish, sit yourself down, and start writing letters until your pen runs out of ink. You can't win scholarships and grants if you don't fucking apply for them.

4: KEEP YOUR FUCKING GPA UP, MORON. If you got below a 2.5 last semester, you don't deserve anything. If you got below a 1.5, why are you even in my office? Seriously. You're PAYING to go to school now, and if you want more money to continue this education, you need to be competitive with your grades. I had a 4.0 my first semester back in college. Not because I'm a genius, but because I FUCKING KNOW BETTER.  It's not rocket science, it's school, do the required work and you'll be surprised how well you do. If you're seriously struggling, get help. It's there. Those professors are more approachable than you think.

5: LOANS ARE FINANCIAL AID. Do not come to me and tell me that you didn't get any because you weren't offered a Pell Grant or University Grant. Fact: Those are for us po' kids, and if you're from a family that you're still dependent on that makes above the mark, you're not getting them. Plain and simple. There is no way around this. Keep your grades up, take the low-interest federal loans, and see #3.

6: LOANS CAN BE MANAGED. Federal programs are FANTASTIC. Private loans are GHASTLY, but there are a wealth of programs out there to assist in the repayment of scary student loans. Yes, loans are fucking horrible, but they can be taken care of. If you want more info, let me know.

7: DON'T TAKE ANYTHING AT FACE VALUE. If you don't get enough aid to cover the cost of attendance, and you know you won't be able to pay the balance, talk to your financial aid department. Did you know that Brown University gives a free ride to almost 60% of their undergrads on merit alone if they fall below a certain income? I didn't until I was already enrolled at URI. Check with your university, keep the pressure on, there's always something. State schools may not have this, but private schools have a larger endowment and a lot more programs to keep the smart kids in their ranks so their graduation numbers stay high.

8: DON'T BUY A CAR OR OTHER OPTIONAL INCIDENTAL WITH YOUR REFUND. I hate you people. Live on campus, it's cheaper in the long run.

9: IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, DISABLED, OR UNEMPLOYED...Don't let them give you the runaround. You're going to school for free or almost free. Get in touch with the right people right now to get your vouchers.

10: MY WORD IS THAT OF GOD. Do not question this. I am a goddamn industry professional.

Great thread!
I'm interested to hear more about #9, please. What vouchers & which right people?

[Suu]

Go to your financial aid office at school and ask about what programs there are for the above mentioned. They should be able to provide the number to the state department that's in charge of that. Veterans should be able to get the GI Bill or maybe subsidized tuition, if you're collecting unemployment, you can probably score a free class or 2, and I'm pretty sure disability can get you a free ride if you ask.

[Eve Hill]

Thanks!

[Suu]

Bumping.

Your award letters and bills are coming in soon. Ask me anything!




On Pell Grants for the summer: I've heard some shaky confirmations from across the grapevine that they are still going forward with it, however, we at my university have not been confirmed this is the case. I will keep you all updated. Trust me, my summer class depends on it.

[Suu]

ON COST OF ATTENDANCE:

For those that receive something that tells you your estimated budget for a cost of attendance, be advised that this is NOT A BILL. What it is, is a statement that your financial aid office plans out for you to give you an idea of how much your school will cost you for the academic year.

If you don't have on-campus housing, scratch that off, if you don't want to buy your books from the school bookstore, scratch that off, and so for and so on, until you're down to what you'll actually be paying. You should not be charged for your books before going to the bookstore anyway, so that tells you it's an estimation based on your enrollment status, as book prices fluctuate daily.

Typically, the only things you are required to pay to your school is tuition and fees. Meal plans, housing, insurance, etc, are additional costs if you choose that route.