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d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 07:54 PM

Hey I'm a freshman in college going for my bachelor in English. I'm looking to become a teacher in New York. The problem is that my school refuses to except any federal loans that aren't through the school itself. My parents haven't paid their taxes though and in turn, the school refused to give me anything. Everybody in my family also has too low of a credit score to cosign a private loan of any kind. My parents keep promising to pay for college but have let me down for the first term and in turn are about to let me down for the second. I have already begged one aunt for money for the first term and I only have one more family member for the money for this term. That money I still have to pay back. It kind of doesn't help that no one in my family believes that I will graduate from college at all just because I'm the first one to graduate from high school. Any ideas?

Fr_Chuck · Dec 25, 2007, 08:04 PM

I believe NYC has some programs to pay for college ( or at least they did) if you agree to teach school in some of their inner city districts.

And why have your parents not did their tax returns, that is all sort of problems beyond your school.

Also have you looked into the ROTC programs at your college, you have to serve in the military after graduation, but they pay for your college.

d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 08:09 PM

I can't join the ROTC programs because of a bone problem I have. I'm not allowed in any programs such as army, navy, air force or marines and such. As for parents, I can't help much and the only teaching programs are for Science and Math teachers. They can go for free but the humanities programs have to be paid for.

Wondergirl · Dec 25, 2007, 08:22 PM

Have you talked at length with the financial aid office and explored all possibilities?

d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 08:26 PM

Yes I have and they refuse to do anything without my parents taxes being filed because they only work through the FAFSA.

Fr_Chuck · Dec 25, 2007, 08:38 PM

Yes, almost all federal aid require your parents tax returns, with that said, if they are not filing taxes they have more trouble with the IRS, they had better get taxes filed over the last few years.

J_9 · Dec 25, 2007, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by d_auria721

my school refuses to except any federal loans that aren't through the school itself.

I would have to wonder about the school. Is it accredited? Do the credits transfer?

Most accredited schools will accept any student loan. If they require the loans to be through the school itself, I would be very concerned.

d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 08:41 PM

Yea well it's not going to happen in time for next year so while this term might be covered even if I have to beg my aunt for money, next term won't be. I need an idea to raise money in addition to a part time job which I will have starting February. I need around 2-3 thousand by August and I'll only have made 1200-1400 by June.

The school is Accredited. It's part of the CUNY School Systems but unfortunately they are the only CUNY school that has this stipulation with financial aid. You aren't even allowed to do work study through the school until you are a sophomore.

Wondergirl · Dec 25, 2007, 09:32 PM

How about borrowing the money from the federal government? Yes, you will have to pay it back once you're out of school, but the interest rate is low and you will have ten years or more to pay it back. Plus, you will have a job by then.

d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 10:03 PM

No because the school won't accept it and they still need to go through the FAFSA for it anyway.

Wondergirl · Dec 25, 2007, 10:08 PM

Can you circumvent your parents and apply on your own?

d_auria721 · Dec 25, 2007, 10:25 PM

No because for some reason the only way around this is to be 21, an orphan, or emancipated. For some reason you are still claimed as a dependent on your parents taxes until the age of 21 which is ridiculous.

Wondergirl · Dec 25, 2007, 11:59 PM

Maybe it's time you become emancipated. And I'd check about that age 21 thing. I thought it was age 18. Do your parents claim you as a dependent? Since they haven't paid taxes (for how long?), maybe your age is a moot point. There just has to be a way you can become eligible for govt aid.

vingogly · Dec 26, 2007, 07:00 AM

The solution is pretty easy: you yourself said this is the only CUNY school with this policy. So go to a different school! There are plenty of schools in NY state, and I'll wager many of them have programs in English education.

If you want it bad enough and money's a problem, you will find a way to do it. Like go part time & work until you can find the resources to go full time. Or work full time, live frugally, and save the money for college until you can quit and go back to school.

d_auria721 · Dec 26, 2007, 09:01 PM

The SUNY's are completely out of the question because the cost is even higher than what I am paying now and they are all dorm required from where I live. I am living at home. That is the only way that I can pay even what I am paying. As for going to another CUNY school, it will only suffer to my grades as I will go from traveling an hour on public transportation to traveling for nearly 2-1/2 to three. This school is on Staten Island where I live and easier to get to. I will have a part time job this next semester but it is a job where I will only work for a day or so each week. It won't pay much. It's more of an application job for graduate school.

J_9 · Dec 26, 2007, 09:06 PM

Please forgive me if this option has been brought up... But have you tried for student loans?

I go to school with a gal who lives with her parents, much as your situation, and she has to receive student loans to go to school. And yes, the FAFSA age requirement is 21 for all schools.

d_auria721 · Dec 26, 2007, 09:35 PM

Yea I have applied for student loans but the school only accepts that one loan through the school itself which runs through the FAFSA and as my parents didn't pay their taxes, it won't happen. Private loans are out of the question because they all require a cosigner unless you have had a steady job for 2 years or you are 21 and older and no one in my family has the credit to cosign for a loan.

Wondergirl · Dec 26, 2007, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by d_auria721

The SUNY's are completely out of the question because the cost is even higher than what I am paying now

But if you can get financial aid and much of your tuition covered, why not?? If I were you, I would contact SUNY-Stony Brook or even Brockport to find out possibilities.

vingogly · Dec 27, 2007, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by d_auria721

The SUNY's are completely out of the question because the cost is even higher than what I am paying now and they are all dorm required from where I live. I am living at home. That is the only way that I can pay even what I am paying.

When I decided to go back for an MA in Clinical Psychology, I had an MS in Computer Science and grad study in two other discipline. I'd never taken a psychology course in my life, and every grad department required a major in psychology or its equivalent to apply.

So I decided that since I didn't have a BA in psychology there's no way I could go back to grad school and gave up... NO! I spent about three years getting the undergraduate courses out of the way, at local community colleges and four year schools. During the last of the three years I got my financial aid in line. And get this: I was 53 years old when I quit my job and went back to grad school. I invested everything I have in my new career, walked away from a very comfortable life as a software consultant, and spent the first year out of grad school living in a friend's spare room because I only made 3000USD that year.

As I said before, if you want it bad enough you will find a way to do it even if it takes years to do so. You're thinking you're boxed in by your current situation, so think outside the box. That means thinking long term; consider developing a three year plan for getting to the point where you can go back to school full time without having to depend on living in your parents' house. It may mean quitting school and living frugally so you can save toward your eventual education. It may mean picking a more affordable school. It may mean finding a job in the town where the university you plan to attend is located so you can network and make contacts in the department. It will definitely mean being creative and sacrificing short term comfort for your long term goals.

I saved up money, worked toward my undergrad for two years at a local community college until I ran out of money, dropped out and worked for four years until I could save up enough to get through with the help of student loans and a work-study job at my university. I finished my BA eight years after starting it. My parents didn't have a cent for my education. We used to call this "working your way through college", and although things are more expensive now I find it hard to believe that someone who's determined to get a college degree can't get one... even if it takes them eight years like me.

If you think it's too expensive, or too hard, or there's no other way, or you're too old, or whatever, guess what... it will be impossible for you.

Financialaidguy · Jan 8, 2008, 09:54 PM

d_auria721.

Have you looked into any colleges with free tuition? There are many of these schools nation wide and there are several different fields of study you can choose from. There are a few in New York. Here are the links:
CUNY
The Cooper Union
Webb Institute

I believe you will have to fill out a FAFSA for all of these school's but with your parents tax situation, you should ask the school to classify you as an "independent student" and that way you can use your own taxes from any previous jobs. As you have found, the school will not readily give you this classification based on your age, but you need to appeal their decision and ask for a change in status. If the financial aid department says no still, go to the dean of student affairs or someone similar and plead your case. The financial aid department processes all aid through the school and sometimes they can be extremely "by the book" due to government scrutiny, but the dean of student affairs is YOUR advocate and should be looking out for you.

The short answer is don't take no for any answer.

Let me know if this helps