Challenging Financial Aid Problems! Help Needed!

[TrevorDemented]

I'm a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design an expensive school but now I'm a sophomore now so I'm pretty much stuck there.

Last winter I was in class with some financial aid but not enough for the rest of the year now I'm out of school and I'm trying to scrape together enough cash to
pay to next quarter (summer quarter) and to pay about $4,450 of back tuition.

I know this looks bad but getting into college and having the funding for it and living expenses and art supplies is not easy when you have been primarily doing all of this alone and some of the time working at 2 jobs and being a full time student. I recently stopped working and I have got my mother to co-sign for student loans from private institutions. The plan was to get $30,000 a portion of it would be put away to collect interest in savings so that I could use it to pay back interest and financial cost after graduation. But there was some hic-up in my mother credit and now I can't get that loan disbursement I have tried other lenders and up to now no luck.

This financial matter has affected me on so many levels that I'm surprised that I'm not insane or surrendering to all the pressure. I have seen other students that are in similar situations while there are the others that have parents pay their tab or the others that earn really nice scholarships.

My question is: Can anyone advise me on a way to solve this problem of not be able to find education funding other than just the FAFSA? Is there a very lending institution that is more flexible and has lower standards than a company like Astrive or Nextstudent.? What about grants does anyone know about grants other than the typical pell grant type?

Thank you in advance for answering in a mature manner and giving me and others out their help that some may be to embarassed to ask (because I'm a bit embarassed at disclosing this information about myself but some has to).

[Senira]

Have you tried checking fastweb? They actually list quite a few moneylenders in addition to scholarships and grants. As a fellow SCAD student, I feel your pain-- they were kind enough to give me 6,500 dollars in financial aid for next year, 1,000 dollars of which is a loan. OH BOY.

I used citibank loans myself, so I can't attest to the standards of what fastweb will give you. I wish you the best of luck, though.

[quesadeist]

Depending on how much you make per year, Sallie Mae has a "Tuition Answer Loan" for students who also work. I think the minimum income is $15,000 per year to be eligible. The interest rate is pretty high at like 13%, but it's something if you have nowhere else to turn.

More info here: http://www.salliemae.com/TuitionAnswer/index.html

[TrevorDemented]

Thanks for you responses. A thread like this is good for anyone that is having difficulty with money.

I need to go over to fastweb and check out what they have to offer. If only I was going to art school during
the Clinton administration. It seems that this one has something against people trying to be socially mobile as
I have noticed a dramatic drop in the amount of aide that is awarded to students these days.

The only thing a student should have to worry about is turning in work and doing the work. Not whether or not
I should be food or another brush or tube of gouache it doesn't make for good art.

Anyone else has any suggestions?

[darth massacre]

Sign up for the next CA scholarship. :teeth:

[Storyboard Dave]

I know this might not be the solution but would it be worthwhile to take the semester off to work and save? I know you want to get out of there within a particular time frame but sometimes things like this don't always happen. Whether it's financial, medical, family issues or whatever- there's no shame in taking time off and coming back at a later time.

There's absolutely NO shame in that whatsoever. If anything, it proves your own resolve.

Look at all of the older, non-traditional students on your campus who've come back to get their degrees. They have no sense of false pride and are in it for the right reasons... to get that education!

So, here's to hoping you can manage the finances and go back to school, but on the odd chance that you can't... don't be afraid or embarrassed to take the time off to make some money to ultimately pay for more schooling.

Good luck.