Im travelling to my prospective college tomorrow to meet with a financial aid advisor, what should I expect?
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First I will address the last part of your question. "It is an extremely expensive school that I can not and don't even wanna afford". OK, well then just don't go! What are you doing going to a school you say you can't afford and don't even want to go too? Nobody can force you to do something you don't want to do! Just don't do it. Do something you can really find enjoyment and satisfaction with. life is a one time project, you get one shot at it, so why would you want to be miserable while you are here?
Now, the first part of your question: No you can not negotiate with a financial aid officer. There are certain programs, such as grants and student loans and other such programs designed to assist those who wish to work towards and attain higher education. If you do not qualify, you just don't quality. There are certian rules that have to be followed in deciding who is eligable for what. Usually many types of grants are determined by income levels. If you exceed the levels you do not qualify. You income level also determines how much grant you may receive. The less income the more grant money, but only up to a certain level. Grants will not pay for all of the expense of going to college, especially at expensive colleges. Now, if you were to be awarded a full scholarship, that is a differant story. There are differant types of scholarships with differant types of expectations you have to meet in order to keep them. Acedemic scholarships will require you to maintian a high grade point average and perhaps some other activity as well. Athletic scholarships require you to play the sport in which you won the scholarhship and maintain a certain grade point average, usually a C. If you don't you lose it and have to leave school unless you can pay for it yourself. If you could you would not have needed a scholarship.
So, first off don't make life miserable by doing something you really don't want to do. Secondly , don't go in to the meeting thinking you are in controll of anything as you are not. The financial aid officer is there doing you a favor of assisting you in funding your education. Now if you don't know how to tell your folks you just don't want to attain higher education at that school or anywhere else, go in with an attitude make demands and then I bet you just may find yourself escorted to the door without any assistance.
I really hope you find the courage to go for what you want to do in your own life and not bow down to the pressures of others, no matter how well meaning or loving they are. Please remember, they may wish the best for you and want to see you suceed and do well, but it really needs to be in somthing you enjoy. Perhaps you are just not ready for college yet, are immature and need to play for a while untill you feel ready to get down to the business of living lfe as an adult. If this is the case don't waste anybodies time who loves you. If you are going to sabatoge the good anybody is trying to provide you just don't do it. You will do yourself and those who love you a favor by telling the truth about how you feel.
Sure they may be upset for a while and maybe even disapointed. But this is your life and it is your journey, so it is you who needs to decide exactly what you want and when you want to work for it. Just remember there are no free rides in this life and there may be regretts down the road that you did not take advantage of your younger years to attain an education. But don't do anything just because somebody else wants you too. Even if it is in your best interests, it is still your life and you have to live it.
I have raised eight children and I want them to be happy, whatever it is that will bring them happiness. Some have taken the college road and others differant roads. What is important is it is what they want. perhaps one day those who did not go will want to go or will regret not going. But it has been their decision and I support them in what it is they wish to do in life as long as it does not harm others. I hope you do the same. We all have to live life on our own terms and take responsibility for what we decide. Even if you decide to go ahead and bow down to pressure, remember YOU are choosing to do that, nobody is making you. You can't blame anybody else for what you decide, even if you are being presured. The bottom line is you are allowing it to happen.
You can make friends with financial aid counselors. You can explain that you cannot afford it. You will have to fill out a fafsa in order to qualify for federal or state assistance and potentially for school assistance. There is often a lot of funding for high costs schools especially if they have a nice endowment fund. The actual price of tuition is not applicable to those that are truely poor. But if you are middle middle class or above then you may not qualify for need based aid. If you have high grades or test scores they may offer you some merit based assistance.Ultimately you will have to wait on you award package. Make sure you fill out the fafsa for other schools though. Beware of schools that offer assistance for the first year only. Ask other students how they afford college while you are there. Good luck
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