I love how when I Google "Getting student loans without a co signer" every site says "FASFA! Pell Grants! Stafford Loans!" as if this solves every bodies problems.
Here's my situation: I work 60+ hours a week between two jobs. I'm doing 19 units at a JC. I'm transferring to SFSU in Fall.
Because I actually work, I'm not eligible for ANYTHING. My mom refuses to help (trust me, I've tried endlessly for years to change this). Every time I've filled out the FASFA, I'm always denied aid. Not only grants, but supposedly I make too much to be eligible for federal loans (which you can get without a credit check or co signer and have low rates).
I have great credit. I'm in the top 3% for people my age as far as my credit score goes. But I'm only 21. With barely 3 years of credit history and no co signer, who in their right mind is going to give me money for school?
And scholarships- don't get me started. There's NO scholarship for working so much (I've been trying Fastweb and every other scholarship service for years). I don't have time to grocery shop, let alone volunteer so that I can get a scholarship. And when you work as much as I do, your GPA isn't that great either. I can't even get a scholarship for hobbies- because I don't have any. My life is work, school, sleep, work school sleep and repeat that 364 times a year.
I'm not a minority. I don't have a kid, I'm not married, I've never been in prison or the army, I've never been in foster care. I'm a hard working student who doesn't have time to socialize or enjoy life because I have to work 60+ hours a week to pay for rent, food, books, classes, my car, health insurance, and everything else. I've never received any sort of help from anybody.
It's sick that this is what the education system has come to. This is what I get for working my ass off.
I had a roommate who didn't work at all, and neither of her parents did. They had gotten laid off years ago. They had no disabilities and no legitimate excises to not be working, and neither did my roommate. But because they chose not to work she had her education completely paid for. She's currently in Grad school, all at the expense of my tax dollars. If I had a kid right now my tuition would be completely covered at SFSU. I would also receive grants to pay for food, housing, books, and daycare. With these types of options I often wonder why I haven't had an unwanted child. After all, if I did I could go to school full time. I could get my Ph. D and never have to work. Or I could simply go to prison, not have to pay rent or for food, and get a free education that way.
I think that if I was in charge of the California education system I would want students to be just like me. I would want them to work and study at the same time. I often see interns at my job who have just graduated from college. They have no idea what they are doing and expect to be babied. They last about three weeks before they leave because their job is 'too stressful'. These are the types of babies the financial aid systems is educating, instead of people like me who pay their own bills, work for a living, and know what it's like to have to choose between eating dinner for a week or buying a Biology textbook.
Does anybody know of a better solution? Maybe a bank that gives out low interest student loans to students without a co signer and only 3 years of credit history? Anybody else in this situation? I know I can't be the only one.
Anybody else in this situation?
By meghanbrooks - Posted on March 2nd, 2009
Depending on your intended major, have you considered getting certificates instead? In some industries, having certifications is actually superior to having a college education because the certifications generally have to be up to date and recent.
Also, talk with your employer to see what benefits they have for tuition assistance. Many employers will help pay for education, especially if it's in a related field to the company.
Then there's also private loans through banks such as Citibank and JP Morgan Chase.
Finally, since it's tax time, talk to someone who knows taxes and look into the Hope credit, which is a major tax deduction for going to school.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Our system has long been set up to punish productive people and it is soon going to get a lot worse.
Hey meghan,
How are things w/ you right now? I am also a student at a university. My parents don't pay anything for college but I do get financial aid. I have to wrk during the summer, winter, and year roundto pay for everything. Last semester, i worked for about 15 hours, interned for 10/wk, and took 5 classes. On top of that, I cooked my own food b/c its cheaper that way and healthier. And I didn't just microwave food, i cooked from scratch. On top of that, I also did my grocery. And I live in the suburbs and have no car, so its really inconvenient for me to travel. I remember that on mondays, I would be out of the house at 8:30 and i wouldn't be bk home until about 9pm. And then I had to cook and do hw for the next day. On weekends, I worked both days for about 7 hrs. So I had absolutely no free time. I literally felt like a robot. ANd I used to envy my friends who didn't do shit and got through their school complaining.
There are other people out there like you, im sure. Just like you, I have to pay everything my self. So it's like being an adult when ur 19. I've been living on my own since the beginning of college. Right now I'm 21.
If you can't afford college right now, wait till you have money and then when ur free start again. It's better to know that you'll definitely have enough money to pay ur tuition than to go half way and find out you don't have the money. So if money's the problem right now, wrk until you have enough money. A year or two won't be much of a big deal if you're committed to coming bk to school.
GL.
you can email me if you have any questions: virgogirl88@hotmail.com
byee