Can I afford college?

I got accepted to a public out-of-state state university. My parents were told by an adviser that the % need is low so it will be really expensive for me. We will be getting financial aid and loans as well as some scholarships and grants. Our income is around 80,000 per year (I think). I will have no problem paying back any loans, considering I am going to an elite school for the major I am going into. What do you think? Can I get enough loans to cover if we can%26#039;t pay even with the scholarships, etc.?

Can I afford college?

No. You will never get into college.

lol, sorry I just had to put that there.

But seriously, like Joseph said, fill out your FAFSA, go to http://www.fastweb.com/ and sign up for scholarships (although most take a lot of work), and many states offer grants (California offers %26#039;Calgrants%26#039;). If all this is not enough, get a loan, which you can pay back after college, especially since you are going to an elite school.

Can I afford college?

Well, you should fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible (www.fafsa.ed.gov). This is always useful, especially if you get a low Expected Family contribution. Also, look for any scholarships that apply to you, and fill out tons of them. I found FastWeb.com to be expecially helpful, you fill out a profile and it automatically updates with scholarships that you are eligible for. In this day and age, just about every person can afford to get through college, it just may take a bit of work.

Can I afford college?

Everything JosephG said is perfect! I can also say that www.fastweb.com was a huge help to me in finding scholarships. Definitly check it out :-)

Can I afford college?

probably not

Can I afford college?

Absolutely, there is money out there for you to go to college. In general, follow this three-step process:

1. Get all the free money you can - scholarships, grants, savings, work study, etc.

2. Get federal student loans (Stafford and Parent PLUS). Federal loans are guaranteed by the government and generally have the lowest interest rates and most generous repayment terms. Fill out your FAFSA right away to start this process.

3. Get private student loans to cover the rest. Private student loans are given by banks, credit unions, etc. and are credit-based. Since they are not guaranteed by the gov, there is more risk to the lender, so the interest rate will likely be higher than a federal loan.

As always, be conservative and borrow only what you need, because you will have to pay it back. You should also speak to the financial aid office of the school you will be attending.

Here%26#039;s additional info on student loans: http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loa...

And the College Answer website has a free scholarship search: www.collegeanswer.com

Good luck!