Student Loans?

Yes, I've taken out for that amount and less (one year my aid/grants changed so I needed something last minute).

Honestly I would get a student loan, don't use another line of credit.  I use CitiAssist, they've always been the easiest and had the lowest rates.  When my dad co-signed I got something like a 5% interest rate.  When I co-sign for DH, it's much higher, but not 10% and it's higher b/c I don't have the credit that my dad has.  So, see if your parent will co-sign for a CitiAssist loan.  You can apply online.  A few times I've had the money within a week.  I would not ask your BF to co-sign even if he has good credit.  Generally a co-signer should really be a parent or spouse.  Since Bank of Gram is out, maybe Gram can co-sign.

Another thing....I don't know about your school but ours do not accept any credit cards.  Checks, cash, grants, and loan money. 

If you need some suggestions let me know.  My school cost over $100K for myself, same for DH and now he's getting a second degree.  No one helped pay any of our tuition so between the two of us we have dozens of student loans.  I feel like I could work for a student loan company! 

I would definitely get a student loan and not use credit.  I took out quite a bit for college and so did my sister.  I would suggest talking to your financial aid department, because getting a federal student loan would be the best option.  There are no credit checks and it's based on your need.  You would have had to fill out the FAFSA.  The limit you can borrow is based on what year you are in.  But these loans carry the lowest interest and are very flexible for payback.  Your financial aid dept should have everything you need in terms of forms and what not, they would also be able to direct you to other loans if for some reason this didnt work out for you.

 Here is some info:

 http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/find_student_loan/undergrad_student_loan/federal_student_loans/stafford_loans/

Oh yeah, I assumed you already went the Fed route.  Definitely do the FAFSA before anything else!  Your state might have it's own loans.  In Michigan you can get MIloans, but I've always gone with CitiAssist since they offered better rates and were easier to deal with.

I apparently don't qualify for a CitiAssist loan, so hopefully my school can help me out.

I just checked my financial aid again - apparently the money fairy came, in the way of a UCF Part-Time Grant.

Yeeeeeeeeeees. Yes yes yes yes yes.

Thanks anyway, Liesji and Jenn. I might come talk to you when I get my masters, Lies - I have to pay that out-of-pocket, and with how rare teaching jobs are in FL, I might work straight through and finish it before I apply for jobs.

 I'm glad it worked out!!!

My BF's sister is in an MD/Ph.D. program right now - she gets a stipend and doesn't have to pay for direct tuition, but there are still living expenses, of course. The stipend is something crazy like $15,000-20,000 a year. She takes out student loans with deferred interest rates and invests the majority of the money she gets from the loans. I don't know how smart that plan is (depends on what you're investing in, I guess), but at least worth a thought. For grad school. ;)

sl2crmeg

I might come talk to you when I get my masters, Lies - I have to pay that out-of-pocket, and with how rare teaching jobs are in FL, I might work straight through and finish it before I apply for jobs.

Are you going to be a teacher like el ed or secondary?  If so, you *may* want to wait on the master's.  A lot of schools actually will NOT hire masters b/c they have to pay them more.  Many schools will hire people with only a BA, or sometimes not even their full degree/certificate, and then use funds to help the teachers finish these degrees.  My SIL started teaching and she wasn't even qualified as a teacher, but she finished her degree, and then went on to get a masters with the help of the school.

Liesje

sl2crmeg

I might come talk to you when I get my masters, Lies - I have to pay that out-of-pocket, and with how rare teaching jobs are in FL, I might work straight through and finish it before I apply for jobs.

 

Are you going to be a teacher like el ed or secondary?  If so, you *may* want to wait on the master's.  A lot of schools actually will NOT hire masters b/c they have to pay them more.  Many schools will hire people with only a BA, or sometimes not even their full degree/certificate, and then use funds to help the teachers finish these degrees.  My SIL started teaching and she wasn't even qualified as a teacher, but she finished her degree, and then went on to get a masters with the help of the school.

Good to know! My degree is someday going to be an El Ed degree. Someday...

In 1982, I took out a fed guaranteed student loan that was written through Wachovia. And for years, I couldn't afford to pay on it. Then, for a while, Fannie Mae had ahold of it and I was paying on it. Then, ran into hard times again and it lapsed again. Finally, the Dept of Education withheld my income tax refund for a few years and that paid it off.

On the other hand, I wasn't able to finish my education and get the fat salary to pay it back. So, if you finish your school and get the good paying job, you should be okay. And I think education always pays for itself.

Good luck. You're a smart cookie and you're going to make it.

Here's the irony of my situation. When I was 10, my stepgrandfather was giving me books on electricity, physics, including a layman's primer of Einstein's Special and General Theories of Relativity. Anyway, my major in college was EE (electrical engineering). But I had only started so I was taking care of all the non-electrical courses (english, math, history, drafting, etc). Later, I went back to college and took some more physics and finally, in the 90's I was taking electronics courses so that I could have credit for knowing what I knew back in the 70's. But, I am still at least a year's worth of a full class load away from an engineering degree and only 4 classes away from an Associate's degree. Problem was, you can't make squat on an Associate's. So, anyway, I make my money doing electrical work in construction, something I never went to trade school for. I took licensing exams after studying on my own. But I still valued the education I did receive. Over the span of time sinc 1982, I have basically learned, on my own, all the subjects I would have studied in the degree plan but I don't have that piece of paper from a four-year program.

So, in all, I would say, pursue that degree. It's great to know a lot of stuff but it helps if other people know that by means of your credentials. So, it's worth going into hock to finish your education.

sl2crmeg

Good to know! My degree is someday going to be an El Ed degree. Someday...

Hey my DH started college in 2000 and is finishing his el ed/special ed degree this semester!  Today I went to Financial Services FOR THE LAST TIME!  Considering all the loans we have, between the two of us and three degrees, that's probably more significant than graduation!

Ron, someday if life lets you do it, you might want to look into finishing your degree past the four-year level even - and then teaching as a retirement "hobby."  You seem like just the sort of person that would enjoy sharing your practical experience with the whippersnappers in community college.  Patrick sure is enjoying it.  Most years they look for the education just as a rubber stamp - but actually prefer OTJ experienced instructors.

It still isn't a goldmine, but it might be fun!

I was going to mention the possibility of an in-state grant so I'm glad I read this through.  I'm totally not into government handouts but I think this is one area where tax money is well spent.  We have, overall, a terrific student aid system. 

brookcove

.  I'm totally not into government handouts but I think this is one area where tax money is well spent.  We have, overall, a terrific student aid system. 

Do you mean in your state?  B/c as far as the federal programs go, there is one major flaw - you HAVE to be married or 25 (I think) to file as an independent.  That means for someone like me who was the oldest (no other sibs in college) and whose parents both work, I looked decent on paper but in reality my parents didn't pay a cent for my education and I was already making monthly payments on private loan interest as a 17 year old.  We went to a private school b/c the public school in our district is a joke and dangerous (people have been shot there), so my parents could barely make payments b/c that was more expensive than most state colleges, but the FAFSA only has you list whether any other dependents are in college.  So, say my dad was making 50K/yr (I don't know, that is a guess), he was paying over $14k/yr for my sibs to be in school but couldn't note that on my FAFSA.

So, the fed. gov't system rewards people who are living off their parents.

ron2

Good luck. You're a smart cookie and you're going to make it.

Thanks Ron! :)

Lies, I know how you feel. I'm lucky that my school has a GREAT state scholarship program -- it's funded by the state lotto, tho, and it's only good at state colleges. My tuition used to be paid 100%, plus a book stipend, but I can't work like I need to AND keep my GPA up, so I get 75%. Better than nuttin!

BF is one of those who's kinda out of luck with need-based aid, though. His parents are upper-middle-class (Dad's a deputy, Mom's a court administrator) but they still don't make enough to pay his tuition, BUT they make too much for BF to qualify for need-based aid. sigh.