College 101
Why'd You Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated?
Maybe you're the national hair-sculpting champion and you got a full scholarship for it. Maybe your biggest problem is that Harvard won't stop calling and begging you to go to school there. Or maybe Daddy's rich enough to buy the school of your choice.
Usually, though, things aren't sunshine and rainbows.
So what if…what if…what if…
We don't have all the answers, but we can help you get started.
What if…I have to live at home?
Maybe going away to school is just not an option.
Maybe your dad is sick or maybe your family can't afford campus housing.
Whatever the reason, we get that living at home can cramp your style. You've waited eighteen years to get out, and now you're stuck in the same place for another four while all your friends are living it up on their own.
Sure, it's not ideal, but it can be worth it if it means more time with a sick family member or saving money that you just don't have.
Here are a few ways to make commuting work for you:
- Meet other people who live at home. It'll take a little extra effort because you might all live in different parts of town, but these people will be in the same boat as you and will likely be looking for people to commiserate with.
- Take part in campus activities. It's a great way to connect with like-minded people and it helps you spend as much time as possible on campus even though you're not living there.
- Carve out some independence. One of the big concerns for students who stay at home is that their experience will feel a lot like high school. Find ways to carve out your own life. Do away with a curfew, for example, and look for interests and time away from your family. They'll understand.
What if I…am an international student?
Good news: the U.S. has one of the most international student-friendly college systems in the world. No other country accepts more international students than the U.S., with about 900,000 people from other countries deciding to study in the good ol' U.S. of A (source).
Of course, if you're applying from outside the country, you might face a few challenges: you might have to prove that you can speak English well enough to study at your chosen school; you might have a harder time taking the SAT, ACT, or other tests wherever you live; you might not get to visit your chosen college before you attend; you'll probably have to deal with fussy visa issues to get permission to study here. Oh, and studying in the U.S. as an international student can cost more than studying here as an American. You won't qualify for as much financial aid, either.
Uh…great.
Okay, it's not all bad news. All colleges have international student offices. If you're not a U.S. citizen or are applying from outside of the U.S., you'll want to contact this office as soon as you can: they can help you with the visa and application process and give you information about any scholarships available for international students. Once you arrive, the office can help you with orientation workshops and programs meant for international students.
Pro tip: If you are an international student, start the application process early. You might need additional time to get ready for tests, have your documents translated, deal with extra paperwork, or just handle unexpected processes.
What if…I have a family to support?
Classes and diapers are not the easiest mix.
If, by the time you get into college, you have your own family (i.e., spouse and/or kids), you'll need to find a way to juggle your family life with your school obligations—not to mention the money it costs for both.
There are a few things you can do to make the process easier:
- Talk to your family about your plans. It's important to get their support.
- Decide where you'll live. Think about whether you'd need to commute to school or if your spouse is comfortable living on campus temporarily.
- Find some schools and programs that are family-friendly.Some colleges offer free daycare while others have special married student housing or night classes so you can be home with your kids during the day while your spouse is at work. You might even find scholarships available for students with families.
- Figure out your finances early. Contact the financial aid office at each school and talk about what support is available for you. Apply for every scholarship, bursary, and source of college funds you can. And try to keep your student loans small, or you'll be still paying off student loans when your kids are in college.
- Consider taking online courses. It'll let you stay home with your family while still getting an education; plus, online classes can cost less than traditional colleges. Win-win.
- Give yourself extra time. You have responsibilities that might not let you study full-time—that's okay. Going to school part-time or taking longer to finish your degree can help you balance life and school.
What if I…work somewhere that provides some reimbursement for college cost?
If your boss or your mom's or dad's boss has a reimbursement program for college, some of your college costs may be covered. This common workplace benefit means the company pays some or all of your tuition and fees. Not bad, eh?
If your parents do get a reimbursement program at work, don't just assume that college is handled: the money usually comes with all sorts of limits. Some companies might pay for only some of your college costs—like 50% of tuition or a flat fee of two thousand dollars—which means you still have to come up with the rest of the cash. Other companies require reimbursed employees to work at the company for a few years after college or only offer reimbursement for students who have a certain GPA. Find out exactly what limits exist so you don't run into trouble.
And don't forget to look at your own job, too. Both UPS and Starbucks, for example, offer tuition reimbursement to their part-time workers.
What if I…don't have parent support?
If you don't have parents supporting you, the main problem you'll run into is applying for financial aid. See, applying for financial aid starts with filling out the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid), a form that asks a lot of questions about your family. If your parents can't or refuse to file the FAFSA, you won't qualify for need-based federal aid.
What then?
If your parents refuse to file the FAFSA…
Try talking to them. Remind them that their private information will stay private and that the FAFSA will not require them to pay anything or make them responsible for your college costs. For now, it's just a form.
If they still refuse, contact the financial aid office at your college. In some cases, the college will try to talk to your parents. They can also help you apply for an unsubsidized Stafford loan—which doesn't require your parents' signature or consent—and other financial aid.
In some cases, you may be able to apply to college with independent student status. It won't give you the same number of financial aid options as a student with a FAFSA filed, but it's definitely better than nothing.
If you don't have parents or don't know your parents…
Your legal guardians might be able to fill out a FAFSA on your behalf. If you come from the foster system or don't have anyone to help you, try contacting the admissions offices at various colleges to find out what support is available.
You might also want to specifically look for schools that offer help to students without families. UCLA, for example, has special scholarships for students from foster homes and other challenging backgrounds. The school even keeps its dorm rooms open all year long so that students without families always have a place to stay.
Bottom line: it won't be easy, but you have options.
What if I…am undocumented or have undocumented parents?
Some schools in some states (hello, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia) don't recognize undocumented students, but plenty of schools will go out of their way to work with you; some schools even have specific scholarships for the situation.
The first thing you'll want to do is contact the colleges where you want to apply and find out what their policies and application process are like for people in your situation.
Do not worry about making this call.
Colleges can't share private information about students, so you are not risking anything by asking. In fact, you're probably the thousandth person to have asked the same question to the same admissions officer—they're used to it.
You won't qualify for federal aid and can't fill out a FAFSA, but if you live in Texas, California, New Mexico, Minnesota, or Washington, you might qualify for state-based financial help. And in some states, public colleges allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition, which is far more affordable.
When filling out applications, do not lie about your status and don't fill out your Social Security number. Leave the "citizenship" section blank or choose the "no selection" option if available. Lying on your application can hurt your chances—and has some serious legal ramifications.
If you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident but your parents are undocumented, you can qualify for federal financial aid, but filling out the FAFSA will be tricky. Experts tend to tell students in this situation to use their own Social Security number but to enter all 0s when asked for their parents'. It may take a few tries, but keep entering the 0s until the system accepts it.
If you are at all worried about the process, contact an advocacy group for undocumented people. That's what they're there for.