How am I going to pay for USC?

Question

I got in to USC and I want to go there but the total cost is almost $50,000 a year. My family CANNOT afford that. I know they have a lot of financial aid programs and I did fill out forms for those. I got CalGrant, turned in FAFSA, PROFILE, and everything else they asked for and they still need more paperwork from me. I'm not even sure if I will qualify for enough financial aid. People tell me to work but working simply won't be enough. What should I do?

Answer 1

I filled the gap with loans from Sallie Mae.

Also, if you have any kind of disease or disadvantage, exploit it. There are scholarships out there for pretty much every disease or disadvantage. You might also consider getting married. I know a girl who did that so that she and her husband could get more aid out of FAFSA. That won't help you for this year, but it will help next year. You might also consider having a kid or legally divorcing your parents. I'm serious; government aid calculators like FAFSA include your family's income until the age of 24, even if you live independently, unless you are married, have a kid, or have legally broken with your parents. Merit gets you nowhere. Work won't pay for all of it. You've really got to be diseased or disadvantaged or find some other way to work the system.

Oh - going into some things, like the peace corps, after graduation will also help to pay off some of the loan debt that you accrue while in school.

Answer 2

1.  Apply for every scholarship you find, even if you think you don't have much of a chance of getting it.  If you meet the requirements, apply.  Talk to your guidance counselor about finding scholarships.  Some schools have computer software that you can use to help find scholarships you might qualify for.  Many many scholarships are not just need-based.

2.  Turn in all the paperwork your school requires ASAP.

3.  Consider student loans, work study, etc.

If you really want to go there, you'll jump through all the hoops and find a way to make it happen.

Keep in mind, though, that you will go through this process EVERY YEAR.

Also, consider what you are majoring in and how much you will earn as a new graduate in that field.  While I do NOT agree with the above poster that a degree is of no value, it is true that it can take years, decades, or more to "recoup" your investment.  A college degree does not guarantee you a job, much less a high-paying job.  It might make more sense to start at a community college, which is much more affordable, and then transfer to a University.

Answer 3

Go to a tech school and actually learn something useful, like nursing or computer programming.

The idiot above fails to realize that USC is a private school, not a state school.

College degrees are way overpriced and not very useful in today's job market.  Unless you want to spend four years and a lot of money just partying and "getting to know yourself," I cannot recommend going to USC, or any traditional college.