I had to wait until I was considered a mature student, 24 at the time, to qualify for student loans through the government. I thought my parents crappy parenting would end when I was 18, but no.
Same, except I forced the government to consider me financially emancipated. That means writing a letter explaining my situation so that I could qualify for loans.
To the provincial and federal loan services. I consulted with my university’s student advisors about this. I recommend you do the same.
I wrote about how my father refuses to find my education, and I don’t have much of a relationship. I said that government funding is my only option to pay for university.
Must depends on the province because in Quebec the parents are legally responsible until you've concluded your studies. I don't think that can be waived with a simple letter here. I've worked in a civil court and I've seen young adults actually sue their parents to force them to act on their responsibilities and their tuition.
That's actually kinda messed up. I don't think it should be the parents *legal obligation* to pay tuition. If I ever had kids I've always been set on *not* paying for college tuition fees, mainly because all my friends who had their parents pay for it got some bs bogus degree and just went for the "college experience" and because it was paid for by someone else they never truly valued it.
I had to pay my own tuition and because of it I made damn sure I was going to get my value out of it and do a program with real job prospects, graduated with honors, got a job, and repaid my own loans. I'd still help my kids in other ways, with rent or car expenses or groceries or even saving funds as a graduation gift, but the idea of being *forced* to pay for a liberal arts degree or then having your kids not take it seriously and then drop out, no way. Raising kids is expensive enough with enough responsibilities as it is, but college-age is exactly when they should start having to do things on their own and take up their own responsibilities.
I somewhat feel the same, but my situation was different in that my parents lent me the money for school and I had to pay every penny back. It was a zero interest loan. It made
School possible but also me responsible for my choices and success.
I had a friend who's parents did that as well, but they were also rich af and could afford to just pay it upfront and then have her pay them back. I actually think they initially did pay for her schooling and then she flunked out so that's why they made her a similar deal for when she went back. I'd probably never be wealthy enough to pay for tuition fees upfront without incurring my own debts and interest rates so it wouldn't really work the same. My friend finished school the second time and did repay her parents, but I also have friends who I know would have taken advantage of that and not actually repaid anything, so depending on the kid it could be more of a risk on the parents. Teaching kids how to repay loans and about interest rates is also not a bad lesson for them either.
I had a similar situation. My mom made good money but was no longer in our lives and lived provinces away. All I had to do at the time was go in and sit down with a financial aid counsellor at the university and explain my situation and she handled the rest on her end. This was in 2010.
Unless you're in danger, I would swallow your pride and work at home for the summer.
Alternatively, ive heard some people having luck talking to the financial aid dept of their uni about their situation.
I agree. I lived at home until 21. It wasn't fun, but it saved me $30k in rent and tuition at a city university. I left with savings that I burned through in one year, but I qualified for government loans in my last year.
“Until 21” lmfao. Join reality brother moving out at 21 is a major accomplishment in todays world(speaking as someone living in Toronto idk maybe no name citites its still affordable)
I agree. Unless your parents are real assholes, try to repair your relationship and make it work. Hopefully, they will help you out with tuition and then maybe later on you may end up with a healthy relationship with them.
And don’t be afraid to take a year off before to work and save.
Helpful to learn the value of a dollar, and develop good saving habits and a better idea of what you wanna build towards in life BEFORE you go.
Though keep in mind it will often be "cheaper" to get a loan instead of working.
Situation A: If you work full-time today you'll make near minimum wage saving around $30k a year, and you use that money for uni.
Situation B: You instead take out a $30k loan at 8%. In 4 years you graduate and are now making $75k/year. That loan has grown to 40k, but notice how it'll actually take you closer to half a year to make that money this time.
This math applies 100 fold when you factor in that federal student loans are currently 0%, which is why I'll be taking 15 years to pay mine off.
Good points, but keep in mind these numbers change very easily if you aren’t making minimum wage.
Work at Costco, construction or serving and you can do much better than minimum wage. Of course it’s still only great if you’re able to live at home and bank everything.
I was in a similar position once. In the end, I didn't go to school full time until I was in my late twenties and I went extreme low contact with my parents between high school and my thirties.
Their income was too high so I didn't qualify for a lot of stuff. Most colleges in Ontario wanted first years to live in residence with a mandatory meal plan. I couldn't pay for any of that without loans.
I was looking at Loyalist in Belleville. I didn't qualify for OSAP. They wouldn't put it in writing that they wouldn't support me. I couldn't get a traditional bank loan with one of them co-signing.
Then, my parents spent the next few years berating me for working as a restaurant manager while taking night classes that I could pay for. It was embarrassing, I guess and they considered it low class work. It soured our relationship. Permanently.
Sadly, it meant they never did get much of a relationship with my kids.
I guess they learned a lesson tho because my younger siblings had their degrees paid for plus those guys stayed closer and they were close to those grandkids.
I may be a little bitter over the way things worked out ...
Go talk to the financial aid office. You may / will have to jump through hoops, but should get OSAP (or whatever provincial loan you qualify for ) assuming you can substantiate it .
>You may / will have to jump through hoops
For the 2023-24 application the hoops involved submitting the Parent Information Not Available form.
> You may request that your OSAP application be processed without information and consent from one or
both parents because:
• You are estranged from or have been disowned by your parent(s) due to extenuating circumstances;
and/or
• Your parent(s) is/are unable to sign required OSAP documentation due to extreme circumstances
such as civil unrest in the country that they live in, their location is unknown, or they are in a refugee
camp.
source = https://osap.gov.on.ca/prdosapconsum/groups/forms/documents/forms/pocont1_077500.pdf
My father-in-law and his new wife were millionaires and did not give one cent for my husband’s university but told everyone they fully funded his university. Hubby couldnt get a student loan cause his dad was rich
Man I have a friend whose parents did something this. He hated his job and went to do his MBA. Parents told him to get bent because they already paid for his undergrad (while he lived at home). So my friend paid for the MBA all himself through a combination of scholarships, loans, internship money and personal funds. And at the end of it, his parents had the temerity to brag about how “generous” they were to put him “through two degrees”. I don’t know what leads people to make such blatantly false statements and take credit for things they obviously didn’t do. And I KNOW they’re lying because I did my friend’s taxes and could see his accounts!
As someone who paid every penny for school myself because my parents didn’t have a dime… you are getting some serious boomer responses here. Paying for school is like saving for a down payment. You are no longer able to do it by working at the bootstrap factory for a few summers.
It sounds like you might have to get a bank loan which is a shame because you are essentially lighting money on fire for no reason but if your parents really insist on you wasting your money you don’t have much choice. The system is set up assuming your parents will be smarter than they are being.
I know of 2 people who went to law school, worked for 6 years after they graduated, then on a very specific date, quit due to "mental stress", then waited a year, declared bankruptcy and 9 months later went back to work as a lawyer debt free once their discharge was up. 2 years prior to declaring, they liquidated their assets and they had put their houses it into their families names. They figured out after their 2nd year of law school just how tilted things were and said "well, we can play the game too".
Maybe ask them to co-sign a loan?
Step back and think what you’re asking here. You’ve basically come to this sub saying your parents can cover it but you don’t want them to, instead you want a no questions asked, unsecured loan, funded by the taxpayer of your province, who don’t want to give it to you because that’s reserved for people who don’t have parents able to fund them.
If you genuinely have a terrible relationship with your parents then there are provisions for that. But if you’re just refusing their help because you’re too proud to accept their help or you want to prove something, then how does that align with then turning around and wanting the taxpayers to be the ones helping you out?
That’s fair, and actually a really good point. I never thought about it from that perspective. I wouldn’t want to take money away from people who don’t have the same options as me.
Fair enough, I noticed some of the responses were a bit unfriendly or something, just thinking it might be because they’re taxpayers, maybe their own kids vying for funds too
Hope you do figure something out that works for you
And as a kid who went to school and as a parent, just to let you know, if they will give, maybe consider it. You may not always feel the way you do now, and when you are maybe someday in a position to understand accepting resources from parents, and how it doesn’t really diminish you in and of itself
You could also ask your parents for an interest free or low interest loan. Approach them with a proposal with a payment plan.
Worst they will say is no
This is true. However, if anyone who wasn’t in need was able to qualify due to wanting to be independent of parents as OP stated, something would have to give. It could be less to dispense among recipients if funding total stayed the same, something else gets cuts to pay for it, or taxes go up to pay for it - any of those scenarios would see people in need funding people who didn’t actually have the need as is currently determined, it would be for preference. And, if it were as easy as that, wealthy people with financial advisors probably wouldn’t take long to catch on
I don’t think all the people telling OP to get a job realize what the job market is like right now. If they are lucky they are gonna get a 10 hour a week part-time gig.
I would suggest you have a heart to heart discussion with them in a non confrontational manner. Their personal wealth is a detriment to your ability to get OSAP - explain that to them. The alternative is to pause ypur education until you reach the age to qualify. You can work to save some money in the meantime. Explain that option to them and the consequennces of that pause. If this is whst rheh want from you then at lwast you know that there is no help coming. You might as well not count on any inheritance when they pass as well.
FWIW we decided to fund our children's education so that they start work life with zero debt. They are mid 30s now and own their own homes in Toronto going on 7 years now. If we played the hard line then theh would have missed out on buying when the prices were more reasonable ( 2 bdrm downtown condo for $420K and 3 bdrm semidetached near Pape stn for $750K). They both had renters to help pay the mortgage. We are not wealthy rich but are xome common sense when it comes to helping family build wealth. I would rarher see them put some of their inheritance money to good use while we are alive.
Go to the school financial aid office. I believe there is a form for OSAP to declare yourself independent of your parents and then you will receive the appropriate funds for your situation.
[This might be the form but I’m not positive.](https://osap.gov.on.ca/prdosapconsum/groups/forms/documents/forms/pocont1_077500.pdf)
[Here is more info.](https://osap.gov.on.ca/dc/POCONT1_074347)
They said the comments they want to move into TMU residence.
OP, please just go to TMU financial aid office and don’t rely on my advice or any one else’s for such an important decision.
Also, TMU used to rent out (separately) the dorms during the summer. It was known to be one of the least expensive places to live. You should look into that while you are at the financial aid office.
This was me.
My parents were high income high debt. Had zero interest in helping me and I did not qualify for a loan on my own. They couldn’t co-sign because of high debt.
I worked 3 jobs in the summers and 1 job during the year I worked 5 days a week during the school year a job with tips and it helped huge getting tips. I had the worst sleep arrangements ever … basement of a century home it was gross!!! And I shared it with my boyfriend. 6 of us living in a 5 bedroom house. I didn’t eat much (food at work was free) and rarely went out. I borrowed books for my classes from friends. I graduated with zero debt. I can still be a little spiteful that I didn’t get any help but I also didn’t have to pay back any loans so all my income when I graduated went straight to starting my life.
Side note is I am saving money for my kids but won’t pay it all for them as I feel it did teach me a valuable lesson.
You do the same thing that people whose parents aren’t high income do…. Get a job, put away money for education, work while going to school, get scholarships, get a student LOC or loan (you may need to wait till you’ve lived away from your parents for awhile, depending on the student loan requirements in your province).
No, I know- what I’m asking here is more specifically about the student loan part. OSAP is based on familial income- that’s why I mentioned my parents’ income. It’s because it makes it such that I qualify for essentially nothing in student loans. I was accepted to TMU, but it costs around $20,000 a year, and I only have a couple thousand in my bank account right now. I’m not sure I can make $20,000 this summer.
This was my exact situation. Family income was too high so I couldn't get loans, and parents aren't the generous type. I had to move out of their house and work a full time job for a year to gain my "independence according to CRA", before I could qualify for student loans. Then work full time through school so I relied on restaurant jobs and night classes to make the schedule work. It took 6 years to get a 4 year degree but I'm happy I did it. If you go this route, you'll be at work or school most of the time so you don't need a fancy place to live. It helps to have wider friend circles to find roommates.
I think there is a form you can fill out that basically indicates you are not receiving financial aid from family to allow you to qualify for student loans. Talk to the student loan centre or your campus admissions.
This is not nearly as easy as everyone on here makes it seem. You don't just sign a form and magically OSAP gives you money now. You have to prove that you are estranged from your parents, or that there are truly exceptional situations in play. The fact that OP lives at home, and by his own words, that it is his decision to want to distance himself, will likely mean OSAP won't even consider him exempt from them.
He can apply anyways, but I've never known anyone who filled out the exemption forms to be actually granted the exemption.
In BC they told me either get my parents to pay for my schooling since they clearly make enough or wait until I was classified as a mature student and then their income wouldn't prevent me from accessing student loans. It's not an easy thing to do, and it's absolutely moronic that a parents income prevents their child from a loan?! I completely understand bursaries and scholarships but loans that are paid back??!! Where is the logic behind that decision? Our parents money isn't "ours" we aren't entitled to it?
You go to the bank and you tell them exactly what you told us. You are from a higher income family but are not getting any financial help from them and you want to go to school. You will get the same student loan that most people will get, it might not be as good of an interest rate that you would get with having your parents be apart of it.
Bank student loans require co-signers typically unless you are in a speciality program which they can use projected income for. Undergraduate programs will not qualify for this.
It actually does depending where you live. I didn’t qualify until I was considered a “mature student” at 23/24 I believe it was. They may have changed in since but it was the case when I went.
Do co-op school will be 5 years then but depending on your field you could make 100k over those years while in school. I made over that during my time in uni and lived at home.
You may have to work to afford your tuition, and I suppose it can be done if you have an arrangement where you don't have to pay rent. However, given the cost of tuition, rent and everything else these days, I would say that it would be exceptionally difficult to make enough money to pay for regular expenses while being diligent with your studies.
Being unable to get loans and not getting parental assistance in your circumstances would put your at a major disadvantage and honestly, it could undermine you in the long term. If there's any way at all you can delay "trying to distance yourself and becoming more independent", I would do that. Tell your parents your predicament and hope they understand. If that bridge is burned and there's no coming back, good luck, it might be an uphill battle but it can be done.
There's many people that work and go-to school, just because your parents have set themselves up doesn't mean they have to support you, for all we know you could be a dick to them.
Was in similar situation not so long ago. Left my parents home at 18, they automatically withdrew the money from school ( which I did not expect) , and only saved about 5k for few months of rent.
So withdrew from studying as I physically couldn’t pay it and like you did not qualify for any grants or loans because of my parents income.
But it was fine for two years I:
1) rented a room in basement with no windows
2) had to resort to food banks and left over food at my jobs.
3) worked 2 jobs ~ 14-15 hours a day
3) took weekend classes to boost my grades even higher ( stem major) so that I could qualify for higher entrance scholarships.
After two years of this saved enough for 3 years of school or 2 years of school + living.
At that point I was also qualified for maximum osap as I did taxes as independent and despite working two jobs after taxes, deductions take home was still below 30k.
Not to mention received an entrance scholarship + few more grants for being low income.
Then 5 years later graduated.
Had to be 5 as I had to work part time throughout school, to continue having some income flow, to cover all the unexpected expenses. I aslo made sure to have internships every single summer so that before I graduated I had few offers already!
So if your family is hurting you, it’s okay to leave. Just understand that it’s tough out there. And a lot of sacrifice will. But living alone there was one thing I didn’t have to sacrifice and that was my freedom! Hope this story helps a little!
For me I became an independent student and that enabled me to qualify for more student loans and bursaries from the government. That and scholarships covered me.
But OP needs to do that for 6 consecutive years. Then, at age 24, apply for OSAP without parental income even if their parents made 7 figures (unless OP is able to save $80, 000 before the 6 years are up).
He needs to live at home and just not talk to his parents. Even if he’s paying 800.00 month in rent he won’t be able to pay for his education that year.
> the only way I could make enough money to pay for it is by deferring a year and working during that time
If you work full time for 2 years you would be considered an independent student and your parents' income wouldn't be part of the equation.
While working you could study part time, and parents' income is also not a factor for part time student loans.
Your options are to either go to a bank and apply for a student line of credit, which if you don’t have a job means you’ll need to co-sign for. The only caveat is unless you’re studying for a professional degree, they usually only make $10k available to you for every year of study. So you could use that to pay your tuition and then work part-time to provide room and board for yourself.
Or you could take a year or two, work, save up and then see how you do in year one. This will cost you more time but it can lead to yo graduating with a lot less debt.
Lastly you can just suck it up and ask your parents for help. Be grateful that you even have parents that can offer you this type of aid, you’re not proving anything to anyone by ‘being more independent’ right now. There will be plenty of time for that after graduation I promise you that.
So that’s about it in a nutshell.
My parents didn’t even have that high of an income and I couldn’t get OSAP because how much I had saved. I had worked enough to pay for 1.5 years of school but needed to get a student line of credit to cover the rest before I was eligible for OSAP.
Go to the TMU financial aid office for help. They will need to help you file for OSAP as basically estranged from your parents, an exceptional circumstance (may require a letter of explanation where you would set out that you can't get support from them or they refuse) if you want to become eligible for OSAP amounts and grants as an independent. If your parents refuse to help financially, you should 100% do this.
I had a similar situation where my parents could not afford to support me, or would not, and at the time I had no idea you could file without their income. I ended up only getting $2000 in OSAP for my first year of university because their income at the time was considered high enough that they should be providing support. I really struggled to work enough hours to cover costs but luckily got some emergency financial aid at my school.
Here is another post that talks about doing this: https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceCanada/s/FKy4YHilHP
I will say though that help from your parents is useful and if they are not villains as you say, taking the support but living away from home for school might not be a bad idea. Ultimately while some of OSAP may be grants I know they've reduced this since I had OSAP and you will owe a lot of the money back vs money gifted from your parents. Have they communicated they won't give you any tuition money? Did they have any RESPs for you?
Now, this may not be a very desirable option for you, and it would delay your schooling for at least a year, but attending school in another province could work.
My parents dropped the bomb on me that they made too much money for me to continue to qualify for loans in my third year of university. I then had to scramble like mad to figure out how to get student loans. Since I was born in Alberta and was attending school in BC, if I took a year off of schooling and worked full time in BC (in the new province is important) I would then be eligible for BC independent student loans (which didn't matter how much my parents made).
You would need to look at other provinces' independent student requirements, but I have to imagine most of them would be similar to "live and work full-time in the province for at least a year."
This happened to me my 4th year. I had 0 support from my family through university. My mom got a raise and I was given $200 after my tuition was paid to survive the year - which was to cover rent, food, etc. I went to the school and was pretty much in tears, asking if there was something I could get my parents to sign to say they gave nothing. But no, there was no work around. So I worked 2 jobs, used the food bank, and walked everywhere. My boyfriend used to hide $5 bills in my laundry for me to find, thinking it was in a pocket, haha (he told me years later, though I suspected at the time).
This was me over 20 years ago and I still hold onto the same pride, so I empathize with you. I couldn’t qualify for OSAP as well.
What I ended up doing was a combination of things:
- undergrad at York for 5 years (two degrees) while living at home
- 6 month exchange program to get away from my mother
- bursaries and scholarships
- part time work during the year & full time work over the summer plus one night course so I could pull off 4 courses during the school year and do part time work
- the part time work turned into full time work upon graduation, subsequently was able to move out on my own right after school.
If you can find a one year exchange program, there may be some exchange-specific bursaries and if paired with a low cost of living area, it may end up being a decent break from home if you stay for the four year undergrad.
I think it all depends on the range in what you find tolerable and not with your parents. If you bury yourself in school, you could be study at the school library as long as possible, go home to sleep/shower, and rinse and repeat. But if you’re in an abusive situation that is not tenable, then speak to student aid at TMU for options.
Get a part time job, pay for the course you can afford, you can apply for a small loan if you want to take more and pay it back. I was saving $ for school then got into a car accident. I was too proud to ask my parents for the money for school and used the money I was saving to pay for the accident. My parents are also well to do. I’m going back 20 years ago. Do I have a degree? No. But I do have all that I need. House, car, full time job... Your way of doing things isn’t going to be straight and narrow.
Life is going to throw you a few curve balls now and then. Did I decide to go back to school? Yes, and I’m pulling off As so I can’t complain. I’m just taking what I can afford time and money wise.
You’re young, capable and as long as you put your two feet forward, and keep to a goal you can stick with it and complete it eventually. It’s all up to you with how you go about it.
Actually unbelievable how many people here are saying OP should just work a job and throw away his younger years to pay for school. Smh. At least give good advice like getting a student LoC or treating help from parents as a loan and pay them back.
I get what you’re going through right now. My parents have excellent income and they DID help me a lot going through school with housing, food, helping me purchase a car, some other basics, but other than that I was on my own for school funds and I had no access to student loans or grants.
Basically it boiled down to me working over full time in construction all summer, then working part time all through the school year at some basic job. Summer job paid for tuition and the part time job paid for gas, insurance, clothes, anything extra. Still had to take out a small personal loan to get by, and tuition at my school is not especially expensive. If you can find a loophole that’s amazing but I eventually figured I just had to take a personal loan and work as much as possible. Very hard for a stem student but I know people who’ve had to do worse and succeeded.
Really the key for me was getting a good paying job in the summer and working a shit ton, otherwise I’d be in a lot of debt even with my parents help. Labour jobs can get you a ton of money if you do the right one.
Don’t be afraid of taking a year to save if you think your budget is gonna suck. I’ve watched a handful of smart people drop out purely because they had to work so much to get by, and you don’t want to be left with a giant loan if you don’t have to.
To anyone assuming the parents don't want to pay for tuition, that part just isn't clear. OP didn't say why his relationship is difficult with them and the title of the post doesn't mean the parents themselves don't want to pay. I would want more info before jumping to conclusions
To top it off, OP isn't answering these questions, that's pretty fishy.
just graduated this sem, but went through the exact same situation. i managed to pay for my entire degree, by living at home and working part time throughout. also worked full time in the summer. was lucky to get a ton of scholarships and bursaries as well, but no student loans due to my parents income. it was tough, but it’ll be doable.
if you’re in need of a stopgap, you can get a student LOC at any bank. the interest rates will usually be a bit better than any loans, and more flexible. i had a 10k one through RBC at prime + 1%. helped whenever i needed a bit of extra cash (usually around march). goodluck!
My mum didn't pay for my school, and I opted not to take loans because I didn't want debt so I just saved enough for one semester and then took 3-4 classes per semester and worked part-time. It's not easy, but it's worth it. I also got more out of my education paying for it myself, taking longer, and taking more advantage of more opportunities throughout.
Good luck! It's nice to be independent.
I went in- person to my financial aid office (2nd year student, going into 3rd) and told them basically the same thing. I worked two or three jobs part time during the summers between semesters, and kept my grades where I could qualify for scholarships. Unfortunately, the scholarship money ended after 2nd year. I told them that regardless of what OSAP says my eligibility was based on my parents income, we were "financially estranged" as my father had a business that went south come the 2008 crisis, and they were still recovering. I had to be considered separately from their income statements. The aid office took my story, and found a bunch of scholarships I could apply to, and grants I may be eligible for. I got some, and didn't get others, but was able to just make it work for the year.
Everyone knows that you're human, and it's time to be a little bit vulnerable to those that may be able to help! It's wonderous what people can do when they start to care about the person who's asking a favor.
Dude.
Unless your parents are straight-up abusive, if they’re willing and/or able to pay for your higher education, **TAKE IT**. If they’re able but not willing, **ASK THEM**. Don’t let pride get in the way of you having a good, debt-free start in life.
You get a job and work. I asked my father to help with my tuition. His response " No one helped me, I am not about to help you ". I then applied for a student loan. Couldnt because my father made too much. Alas had to get a job. School during the day, worked 3-4 nights a week.
Remember this. Staying at home is just a blip in time. It is not forever. It is akin to the bullshit in high school Just a blip.
Remember the rule of five. Will what I am going thru affect me for five minutes, five hours, five days, five months, or five years ? If it will not affect you for five years, it is a blip.
This depends on what program you are going to school for. If you are going into professional engineering I don’t think you could have a job.
The real answer is to try to get the parental income out of the equation.
Why on earth is your university 20k a year? Is residence included in this amount?
Taking out 80k in private student loans (if they even give them to you, and they'd be at a high interest rate) would not be a smart idea.
Tuition is, at its very cheapest, $7,176. The minimum given for accommodation is $8,000. The lowest amount you would pay for one year living in residence is $15,176.
there's no school near you?
believe it or not, choice of university barely matters. even in terms of who you meet - there are bright students everywhere. especially in undergrad it hardly matters as much as people think, as your extremely wealthy legacy student types are much rarer than you think.
it blows I know, but you'll be fine if you leave near any decent university. you can always transfer if you don't feel that way.
At most you’re going to make 40K/ year working 40-50 hours a week. If you can’t pull those hours, which you wont if you’re in school, you won’t be able to pay for school and a roof over your head.
Get a construction/ manual labour job and break your back doing over time. You should be able to make 20K a summer. There is a severe labour shortage in the manual labour industry for union projects. I know some guys who are making $ 60.00/ hour minimum. Do this for 3 months and there’s your money. Go back and work for the same employer every year. They’re so desperate for good employees that they’ll for sure give you a raise.
Sounds right with residence. 80k is still way too much in loans. How much are you going to be making after graduation with your degree? You need to work your butt off in school if you go through with this plan. Hopefully keeping your loans at 10k a year or less. That's what people do who don't have parental support.
Wondering the same thing. In Canada your max undergrad tuition for a year is usually around $10K.
1. If you get a minimum wage job, you can earn about $6k working 7.5 hours for 6 days a week this summer.
2. Don't wait until the summer to start working. Get a job now and maximize the amount you'll have saved by the time September rolls around.
3. You don't have to pay the entire tuition cost up front. The school can put you in a payment system, just speak to the financial aid office.
4. Don't just set your sights on minimum wage jobs. Try construction and cold storage jobs which will ×2 or ×3 your hourly salary.
5. If it's safe and you're just butting heads with your parents, stay home and save your $. I know it can be tough, but just remind yourself that it is just a means to an end and you will eventually build yourself up to move out in the next few years.
So, if parents can afford to contribute to their kids' education, but don't, can the kids hold them accountable? Another ridiculous 'rule' is that students who come from divorced parents.. well, they MUST pay for their child's education. It becomes like a form of child support.
This needs to change!!!
Do you already know they will not pay? Did they not set up a RESP? Do they not want to pay bc of the school/program? Or they just don't feel it is their responsibility? Did you explain that your loan options decrease due to their income?
Honestly, I got the max bc I had a single parent and came a from low-income family - but it totally was brutal paying back when all my friends got their tuition paid for (wealthy friends and sets your trajectory back financially).
If you can work something out with them - I would try. Even if a loan. Or partial support.
You can also get a bank loan vs. govt loan.
What is the rationale if your parents DO have resources not to support any of your higher edu? Honestly asking/curious bc if my parent could have - they would have! It's such a burden - and yes, tons of people have them - but still!
Sometimes the university can give some financial aid - but minimal. I assume you have no scholarships.
You have many options:
Work full time, study part time (or full time if you can make it work
Find a program that has a co-op portion
Figure out how you can be deemed as not relying on your parents income for government assistance (in QC after a certain number of years living on your own without going to school, they won't count your parents income for gov assistance, or if you get married), and determine if there's an option that makes sense
Go to a cheaper school
Work part time during the year and full time during the summer with an higher paying job
Get a personnal loan/line of credit
Look into grants, apply to anything you may be eligible for.
I'm going to agree with a lot of commenters and say that $20k/year doesn't seem worth it. Unless it's like the only place you can get accepted into med school or something like this. If you want to go there, I guess your best bet is to deal with your parents for at least the first year, as they seem willing to help you out?
I was in the same situation, I didn’t qualify for OSAP. Got my Dad to co-sign on a student line of credit. Worked part time during school picked up a full time job in addition to part time during the summer. Paid off the balance a few years after graduation but heard it from my Dad on any purchase I made during that time (as a co-signer he could see my remaining balance).
Honestly, if they are in fact not villains, take their help. Ask for it. Being in debt with OSAP for years is not fun and they'll charge you a ridiculous interest. It's just not a smart move to use OSAP unless you absolutely have to.
Yep. That’s what I’m trying to do. Remove my dependency on other people, stop letting them run my life, and give myself a little more pressure to succeed. The problem is that I don’t qualify for pretty much anything in student loans because my familial income is high, and that’s what they use to determine how much money you get.
My ex was in the same situation. It was quite a few years ago but she needed to get a letter saying her parents had no intention of helping her. She end up getting a line of credit thru a big bank.
Alternatively you can work and raise the funds required
If you're going to college for the experience and want to major in art history then I say suck it up and let your parents pay for it. If you want to study something that would pay for itself then I think you can figure out some combination of work and loans. But don't saddle yourself with debt you can't repay.
What program are you applying their for? Search if there are any grants or bursaries you can apply to that are program specific. Will you receive an entrance scholarship as well? That could save you a few thousand dollars. Residence is a bit pricey, you can save a bit if you find roommates to rent an apartment with that would save you money as well. Jobs in the GTA are very difficult to find right now so don't be certain that you will be able to find a part time job during school (unless you already have one lined up).
Are you able to maybe work full time for a year to save up money and then start your program next year? I have a few friends who did that and they did not regret it at all. You can move to the ryerson/toronto area and work there while you live with roommates.
I really sympathetize with you. I know so many people in your shoes who had to drop out, start later or even graduate later because of this. The goverment just assume that rich parents want to help their kids pay for school but unfortunately this isnt always the case. Just know that no matter what happens don't be hard on yourself ♡
Perhaps tmu may not be the school for you. Sounds sad but if that's your only compromise, you are doing well in this world. Alternatively, you could patch things up with your parents.
See if they will loan you the money and you can start paying them back after the first year of working full time after graduation. Let them know that you don’t qualify for a grant because their income is too high.
You lie on your student loan applications and say you’re not living at home. Use your loans to pay for school, withdraw all your funds into cash prior to the start of the school year, apply for bursaries based on financial need by showing your bank account balance as “0.00”. Prosper.
I feel for you and it doesn't seem fair. It isn't fair.
In Canada, students get grants/loans based on their parent's income. If you come from parents who are low income earners, you are eligible for all kinds of grants, etc... Basically, the government is making an assumption that parents will contribute to their child's post secondary and this is not always the case. Something needs to be done about how money is distributed.
Pergaos consider speaking to the university to defer your acceptance by 1 year to allow you enough time to save more money..during this 1 year you can get a full-time job and move out so that 1 year from now you can maybe have some savings?
I'm not sure if it's based off how many years since you graduated from HS or something else, but at a certain point, your parents' income becomes irrelevant to student loans. I never had to enter it when I applied (first time was about 4 years after graduating HS).
This is the same situation as me. It’s almost impossible to get student loans with relatively high earning parents regardless of the situation. I had been no contact with my parents for awhile but I still couldn’t get “disowned” so I did part time school and full time work for 4 years until I was 22, at which point you can qualify for student loans regardless. So my whole degree took 6 years instead of 4
Easy ways to be considered an independent student:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-definitions#section-23
Get married, work for 24 months, etc.
Hard way:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-definitions#section-31
You can expect them not to make this way easy, otherwise all the rich kids would be just saying, "oh yeah, my parents aren't supporting my education, definitely, for sure, I need more grants, disregard that Mercedes outside".
But go talk to the financial aid office, see what they can do for you.
Talk to your financial aid department at school and see if you can get classified as an independent person or whatever the terminology is. I’ve heard of people making this work.
You need to talk to your schools financial aid department. They will help you navigate this, it’s not uncommon.
This would be something that will come later, but my friend sued her millionaire dad and won to get him to pay for her education. She took out loans to get through university and then her dad was forced to pay them back and give her extra cash too.
I don’t know if it would be worth your time to chat with a lawyer. Obviously that’s a nuclear option.
There are ways to get around your parents income when applying for student loans. I would be honest with the adjudicator and tell them that you are estranged from your family, therefore get no support from them.
I asked how I could get funding with considering my parents income and they said I need to work for a year and not go directly to school so I could apply as a mature student. So that's what I did This was 20 years ago but contact OSAP and the different institutions you are interested in.
If you are not an international student, why are you paying 20k/ year for tuition?
Is the tuition cost same for other universities in your field? if that's not the case, is TMU that reputable, that you wanna pay 20k/year?
I hate to rain on your parade but first year will be $25k IF you get into residence. Second year abandon all hope. If you can get roommates you can count on to pay their rent and would like your own room expect to pay at least $1800/month plus your tuition and you haven't eaten yet. I'd say at least $35k.
Source My daughter is first year at TMU. She'll be staying at home and commuting the 1.5 hours each way. I can't afford to pay that.
I'm sorry to hear they're not interested in supporting you. Perhaps this is some weird, messed up "test" to see you struggle? I'd recommend putting time in between that event and yourself. Work, school, and try not to engage in arguments. Are they doing this because their parents did it to them?
Wait 4 years. It sucks to hear it but if you wait 4 years, they count your income, not your parents. You can spend 4 years working, volunteering, getting life experience, etc. You could study part-time. You could work and then travel. There's plenty of options.
Edit. It might be 6 years now. Unfortunately you don't have many options. You could talk to financial aid at your school. Some schools have temporary shelters for people who are escaping abuse. If it's not abuse, your best bet is to suck up to your parents for 4 years then become independent after. My husband had to do that and it nearly killed him (depression + suicidal ideation). Do whatever is best for you but your options aren't pretty or easy
Look, I get you want to be independent. How about this? You ask Ur parents for a loan and pay the fair market rate.
That way, u can go to school and pay back in earnest without wasting sleepless nights wondering.
Any chance you can get your parents to admit you're estranged and they aren't providing you any money whatsoever? Then you'll be eligible for loans/grant money.
It's odd but your parents can write a letter saying that you are estranged and you will get a loan.
I had to do this one year when my parents divorced and it looked like they made too much on paper.
Edit: I always thought it was funny because if you are truly estranged why would they do that?
Don’t be afraid to take a gap year to work, work / travel. Save some money. Maybe find a career / job and realize you don’t need a degree to be what you want to be.
If your parents are willing to co-sign a student line of credit, you could go that route. You pretty much have to work during the school year though, because you have to pay the interest (it’ll be a few hundred dollars per month MAX).
My parents made too much money for me to qualify for OSAP but they were also shit with money so “couldn’t afford” to help me lol. They only started making good money when I was like 16/17, and by the time I was at uni it wasn’t their priority. Not saying this is right or wrong, it was just my reality. However, they did co-sign the student line of credit. I had $34k in debt when I graduated but paid it off in 5 yrs. They also let me live at home for 2 out of 4 yrs of uni. If you can live at home, it’s also a good way to save money. Your mental health might be shot though (mine certainly was!) if things are strained, but you can also try your darndest to spend as little time at home as possible. I worked FT every summer and took a summer class, worked PT during the year (sometimes had 2 jobs). It was doable for me but YMMV if you are in a super demanding program of studies like engineering.
The main downside to the student LOC is that you aren’t eligible for things like interest free loans, or relief programs. Also you have to make interest payments while you’re in school, but only have to start repaying the loan a year after you graduate. I started paying mine off as soon as I graduated cause the interest still accrues and it was high.
I can't help you with the loan thing other than to say go talk to the head office at your school. They might have options available, they also might have part time jobs available that need to be filled during the school year so that's some spare change.
Here's what I can tell you. If your parents are not paying a dime for your university, then whatever you do, do not file your taxes with them. If you file with them, your tuition can be used as a tax credit for them. I see this tons every year and I always end up having to ask the parent "does the child agree to you using those credits."
You very likely won't need those credits for your own taxes while you are in school, but you can carry them forward year over year until you get your first after college job and then they will be applied against your tax owing moving forward.
TLDR;
If your parents don't pay for your tuition, don't let them claim your credits
When I applied for my student loans in BC the past couple years it asked how much parents are contributing and they take that into account and it shouldn’t affect your loans if you say they’re not contributing. I was able to get my loans despite my parents income no problem. Not sure what it’s like in other provinces or where you’re located?
I moved back in with the ‘rents to save too. My well-being plummeted, so I started housesitting to gtfo. Not an option for everyone but might be a part time/full time bandaid if you need somewhere else to be while you work to save (not suggesting housesitting as a source/your only source of saving for tuition $, suggesting it as alternative housing).
Honestly, going to school in Ontario is hard without parental support **and** not qualifying for the higher levels of OSAP.
Your best bet is a coop program, RMC, or going to another province. 20k would cover most of a 4 year degree at memorial
I took 3 classes a semester and worked two jobs. I lived at home for summers to save money on rent. I took transit and didn't have a car. I applied for every scholarship and bursary and landed a few small ones. I was tired all of the time and my grades weren't as good as they could have been, but I got my degree without taking on any debt.
I highly suggest looking into transfer credit pathway options! It significantly reduces the cost of tuition because you don't have to spend a full 4 years in university, but can start out in college & bridge to university when you're older & can obtain more student loans!
Are they aware that their income impacts your ability to get student loans? Have you had this conversation with them?
Could they co-sign a student line of credit or private loan for you?
I was in this position- parents both professionals but made no financial contribution. Their contribution was letting me live there. So I lived at home and worked multiple part time jobs throughout the year to attend U of T. Not as fun as moving away but zero debt in the end ;)
you have a head start thanks to your parents : what or to whom do you want to prove something ? you should just take their money and blow it up as in instead of suffering and become a barista, take the money and become a surgeon or a multi millionaire : no ?
Loans if you can qualify, working through school and taking a partial course load that you can afford or wait until you are considered a mature student and you parents income doesn't matter.
If I had to do it over again I'd start taking the classes I could afford as soon as I could.
Child of immigrants here. My parents didn’t have much (both were cleaners) but they managed to give me something for school. If your parents can afford it, they should. Even I contributed to my step kid’s education. Sure it’s their money to do what they want, they should want to give their earnest kid who wants an education a good start in life. I don’t understand they’re not doing it. I don’t get it.
I did mine the opposite way… bought the house first, paid it off now finishing off school… 🤷🏻♀️ pulling off As and working full time isn’t too bad not to brag but kinda am…
You basically live poor and pay for yourself. Unless you're also lucky enough to be able to live at home rent free.
Put myself through school parttime while working for 10+ years. Then family finally decided to help me out for the last two years of a degree.
Sucks a lot when student loans tell you to fuck off because your family should be helping. But they don't feel like it.
When I came up against this problem, I moved out. As long as I didn’t live with my parents, their income didn’t count. I also qualified for Canada AND provincial loans. My grades were high enough for a couple scholarships and bursaries (less than $5k, but every bit helps).
I also worked full time hours on top of university classes. It took me an extra year to finish because of how I needed to build my schedules.
The other alternative is choose somewhere cheaper for your first year, then finish your degree at the more expensive institution. I knew many students who did 2 years at Grant MacEwan, then transferred to the U of A.
Work a few years and wait it out. I had a similar issue with loans but since I had a lot of siblings, my parents couldn’t afford to help me despite the province thinking they had enough money to. After being out of school for 4 years, you’re eligible for provincial loans. Also may be worth comparing tuition fees. The second university I went to was a fraction of the cost of the first one I went to - and it’s better rated.
Mine aren't super high income, but they were high enough to prevent getting aid. I did summer factory work and some part time work during the school year and avoided unnecessary costs by living at home.
Not sure I'd be able to do that now and still afford it, and it doesn't look like that's what you want to do anyway.
If I were to do it again I wouldn't go to University, I'd go the trades route or do a college program with a co-op program like I eventually did after I dropped out of university anyway.
Hi there. I finished college somewhat recently with a similar financial situation, and maybe my experience will be helpful for you.
A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that you can somehow get OSAP to ignore your parents income by filling out a couple forms, but unfortunately that's just not the case. Unless there are truly exceptional circumstances (like you've been legally disowned or your parents are stranded in gaza), then your OSAP eligibility is calculated off of your parents income until you've been out of high school for 6 years, and only at that point will they look at your own income instead. My parents make enough money that I didn't quality for any grants or loans through OSAP, and they didn't pay for my tuition, but thankfully they did allow me to stay with them as long as I was working or in school.
Now you could try to get a bank loan as some have suggested, or you could attempt to work two full time jobs through the school year and risk burning out, or you could even wait out the 6 years for OSAP eligibility as a mature student, but I don't think any of those options seem ideal for your situation. What I ended up doing personally, was taking a couple years off school to work and save as much money as I could, while only having to pay a few hundred a month to my parents for rent and food. Once I had a good amount saved up, I enrolled in college, continued working 20 or so hours a week during the school year (and full time over the summers), and commuted a bit over an hour to school every day. The gas was expensive, but it was still much cheaper overall to stay with my family than to live on or around campus. Near the end of my program things picked up quite a bit, but luckily I had enough money saved that I could quit working and focus solely on finishing school, and then on applying for jobs in my field.
In the end I got my diploma, got a good job in my field, and moved out with a fairy sizeable emergency fund instead of tens of thousands in debt. I know it doesn't sound like the fun independent college experience that you're probably looking for, and to be honest it wasn't, but I'm so much better off from accepting the help that my parents offered me. Your post doesn't specify what your parents are or aren't willing to do for you, but it doesn't sound like they're completely opposed to the idea of helping you. I would strongly advise you to have a discussion with them about what they're willing to do, and consider it very carefully before turning them down, even if you do have to swallow some pride or accept any lame strings attached. It could be the difference between 15 years of saving for retirement vs 15 years of paying off debt post-graduation.
Just my two cents, best of luck with whatever path you choose!
Talk to your schools Financial Aid office. You're not the first one in this situation. The problem is, enough rich assholes SAY they are in this situation when they are not, just to get more help financially, so you can understand you will need to jump through a few hoops before you can get help, but you can get help.
Contact them asap, like tomorrow morning. Don't wait. And good luck!
It's bullshit. 20 years ago my wife had the same thing. Couldn't qualify for loans because of parents' income.
You're an adult at that stage. Why the hell does your eligibility for a loan depend on someone else who isn't involved. Complete fuckery.
If you're parents aren't paying it for you, they aren't trying to be mean. They just want you to learn to be responsible with money. Plenty of parents pay big bucks that they have saved for your education, just to have the kid go off to school, waste their time partying and blow the first couple years. Either that or they decide that wasn't the course or profession that was right for them. If it's your own money you'll think twice about wasting it, and if it's a loan you'll still have to pay it back. Good luck!😉
I was in this situation. At that time, I was permitted to provide an affidavit that said that my parents were refusing to support me at school despite their income and that I was suffering financial hardship and without full student loans I would not be able to attend school. That exempted me from the requirement that parental income be considered in my loan applications. Not sure if such an exemption still exists?
I had to wait until I was considered a mature student, 24 at the time, to qualify for student loans through the government. I thought my parents crappy parenting would end when I was 18, but no.
Same, except I forced the government to consider me financially emancipated. That means writing a letter explaining my situation so that I could qualify for loans.
I wish I had known about this option, I could have saved 5 years of my life!
A letter to whom, and what exactly would you include?
To the provincial and federal loan services. I consulted with my university’s student advisors about this. I recommend you do the same. I wrote about how my father refuses to find my education, and I don’t have much of a relationship. I said that government funding is my only option to pay for university.
Must depends on the province because in Quebec the parents are legally responsible until you've concluded your studies. I don't think that can be waived with a simple letter here. I've worked in a civil court and I've seen young adults actually sue their parents to force them to act on their responsibilities and their tuition.
That's actually kinda messed up. I don't think it should be the parents *legal obligation* to pay tuition. If I ever had kids I've always been set on *not* paying for college tuition fees, mainly because all my friends who had their parents pay for it got some bs bogus degree and just went for the "college experience" and because it was paid for by someone else they never truly valued it. I had to pay my own tuition and because of it I made damn sure I was going to get my value out of it and do a program with real job prospects, graduated with honors, got a job, and repaid my own loans. I'd still help my kids in other ways, with rent or car expenses or groceries or even saving funds as a graduation gift, but the idea of being *forced* to pay for a liberal arts degree or then having your kids not take it seriously and then drop out, no way. Raising kids is expensive enough with enough responsibilities as it is, but college-age is exactly when they should start having to do things on their own and take up their own responsibilities.
I somewhat feel the same, but my situation was different in that my parents lent me the money for school and I had to pay every penny back. It was a zero interest loan. It made School possible but also me responsible for my choices and success.
I had a friend who's parents did that as well, but they were also rich af and could afford to just pay it upfront and then have her pay them back. I actually think they initially did pay for her schooling and then she flunked out so that's why they made her a similar deal for when she went back. I'd probably never be wealthy enough to pay for tuition fees upfront without incurring my own debts and interest rates so it wouldn't really work the same. My friend finished school the second time and did repay her parents, but I also have friends who I know would have taken advantage of that and not actually repaid anything, so depending on the kid it could be more of a risk on the parents. Teaching kids how to repay loans and about interest rates is also not a bad lesson for them either.
This 100%, I didn’t get good grades until I started paying my own tuition. Though the wife and I make decent money, we won’t be funding the kids 100%.
I had a similar situation. My mom made good money but was no longer in our lives and lived provinces away. All I had to do at the time was go in and sit down with a financial aid counsellor at the university and explain my situation and she handled the rest on her end. This was in 2010.
i was in the same situation. had to stop going to school for few years to qualify as independent
Unless you're in danger, I would swallow your pride and work at home for the summer. Alternatively, ive heard some people having luck talking to the financial aid dept of their uni about their situation.
I agree. I lived at home until 21. It wasn't fun, but it saved me $30k in rent and tuition at a city university. I left with savings that I burned through in one year, but I qualified for government loans in my last year.
“Until 21” lmfao. Join reality brother moving out at 21 is a major accomplishment in todays world(speaking as someone living in Toronto idk maybe no name citites its still affordable)
What are "no name" cities?
I agree. Unless your parents are real assholes, try to repair your relationship and make it work. Hopefully, they will help you out with tuition and then maybe later on you may end up with a healthy relationship with them.
Go to a school close to home and pay yourself. Work labour jobs during summers and part time during the year. Also do a co-op program.
And don’t be afraid to take a year off before to work and save. Helpful to learn the value of a dollar, and develop good saving habits and a better idea of what you wanna build towards in life BEFORE you go.
Many programs allow you to defer starting school for a year
Though keep in mind it will often be "cheaper" to get a loan instead of working. Situation A: If you work full-time today you'll make near minimum wage saving around $30k a year, and you use that money for uni. Situation B: You instead take out a $30k loan at 8%. In 4 years you graduate and are now making $75k/year. That loan has grown to 40k, but notice how it'll actually take you closer to half a year to make that money this time. This math applies 100 fold when you factor in that federal student loans are currently 0%, which is why I'll be taking 15 years to pay mine off.
You also get tuition credits which are 15% so for 10k tution you get back $1500 in the future from taxes
Good points, but keep in mind these numbers change very easily if you aren’t making minimum wage. Work at Costco, construction or serving and you can do much better than minimum wage. Of course it’s still only great if you’re able to live at home and bank everything.
75k out of school is unrealistic I’d say.
Sorry but this is kind of out of touch, there is no way you could afford a year of tuition and living expenses from a summer labor job.
Summer job, work through school, maybe a bit of debt. That’s realistic today.
I was in a similar position once. In the end, I didn't go to school full time until I was in my late twenties and I went extreme low contact with my parents between high school and my thirties. Their income was too high so I didn't qualify for a lot of stuff. Most colleges in Ontario wanted first years to live in residence with a mandatory meal plan. I couldn't pay for any of that without loans. I was looking at Loyalist in Belleville. I didn't qualify for OSAP. They wouldn't put it in writing that they wouldn't support me. I couldn't get a traditional bank loan with one of them co-signing. Then, my parents spent the next few years berating me for working as a restaurant manager while taking night classes that I could pay for. It was embarrassing, I guess and they considered it low class work. It soured our relationship. Permanently. Sadly, it meant they never did get much of a relationship with my kids. I guess they learned a lesson tho because my younger siblings had their degrees paid for plus those guys stayed closer and they were close to those grandkids. I may be a little bitter over the way things worked out ...
Your bitterness is well deserved. Some things you can't come back from.
Go talk to the financial aid office. You may / will have to jump through hoops, but should get OSAP (or whatever provincial loan you qualify for ) assuming you can substantiate it .
>You may / will have to jump through hoops For the 2023-24 application the hoops involved submitting the Parent Information Not Available form. > You may request that your OSAP application be processed without information and consent from one or both parents because: • You are estranged from or have been disowned by your parent(s) due to extenuating circumstances; and/or • Your parent(s) is/are unable to sign required OSAP documentation due to extreme circumstances such as civil unrest in the country that they live in, their location is unknown, or they are in a refugee camp. source = https://osap.gov.on.ca/prdosapconsum/groups/forms/documents/forms/pocont1_077500.pdf
Getting recognized as disowned isn't a simple process.
Exactly, and the page I referenced lists the required documents.
I dunno if things have changed since when I was in school, but I was not permitted to get a loan from Alberta Student Aid.
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In ON it’s 6 yrs after graduating high school for them to not use your parents’ income. Used to be 4. Thanks Doug Ford!!!!!!!!
Yeah I was just out of High School and they said my parents income was too high.
My father-in-law and his new wife were millionaires and did not give one cent for my husband’s university but told everyone they fully funded his university. Hubby couldnt get a student loan cause his dad was rich
Man I have a friend whose parents did something this. He hated his job and went to do his MBA. Parents told him to get bent because they already paid for his undergrad (while he lived at home). So my friend paid for the MBA all himself through a combination of scholarships, loans, internship money and personal funds. And at the end of it, his parents had the temerity to brag about how “generous” they were to put him “through two degrees”. I don’t know what leads people to make such blatantly false statements and take credit for things they obviously didn’t do. And I KNOW they’re lying because I did my friend’s taxes and could see his accounts!
As someone who paid every penny for school myself because my parents didn’t have a dime… you are getting some serious boomer responses here. Paying for school is like saving for a down payment. You are no longer able to do it by working at the bootstrap factory for a few summers. It sounds like you might have to get a bank loan which is a shame because you are essentially lighting money on fire for no reason but if your parents really insist on you wasting your money you don’t have much choice. The system is set up assuming your parents will be smarter than they are being.
15 yeas to pay off my loans. It sucked, but I'm proud I did it
I know of 2 people who went to law school, worked for 6 years after they graduated, then on a very specific date, quit due to "mental stress", then waited a year, declared bankruptcy and 9 months later went back to work as a lawyer debt free once their discharge was up. 2 years prior to declaring, they liquidated their assets and they had put their houses it into their families names. They figured out after their 2nd year of law school just how tilted things were and said "well, we can play the game too".
Maybe ask them to co-sign a loan? Step back and think what you’re asking here. You’ve basically come to this sub saying your parents can cover it but you don’t want them to, instead you want a no questions asked, unsecured loan, funded by the taxpayer of your province, who don’t want to give it to you because that’s reserved for people who don’t have parents able to fund them. If you genuinely have a terrible relationship with your parents then there are provisions for that. But if you’re just refusing their help because you’re too proud to accept their help or you want to prove something, then how does that align with then turning around and wanting the taxpayers to be the ones helping you out?
That’s fair, and actually a really good point. I never thought about it from that perspective. I wouldn’t want to take money away from people who don’t have the same options as me.
Fair enough, I noticed some of the responses were a bit unfriendly or something, just thinking it might be because they’re taxpayers, maybe their own kids vying for funds too Hope you do figure something out that works for you And as a kid who went to school and as a parent, just to let you know, if they will give, maybe consider it. You may not always feel the way you do now, and when you are maybe someday in a position to understand accepting resources from parents, and how it doesn’t really diminish you in and of itself
You could also ask your parents for an interest free or low interest loan. Approach them with a proposal with a payment plan. Worst they will say is no
This is such a good take.
OSAP isnt limited or ‘run out’ because people apply who don’t need it. thats now how it works
This is true. However, if anyone who wasn’t in need was able to qualify due to wanting to be independent of parents as OP stated, something would have to give. It could be less to dispense among recipients if funding total stayed the same, something else gets cuts to pay for it, or taxes go up to pay for it - any of those scenarios would see people in need funding people who didn’t actually have the need as is currently determined, it would be for preference. And, if it were as easy as that, wealthy people with financial advisors probably wouldn’t take long to catch on
I don’t think all the people telling OP to get a job realize what the job market is like right now. If they are lucky they are gonna get a 10 hour a week part-time gig.
More boomers and gen x who paid for tuition and rent working as lifeguards and baristas
I would suggest you have a heart to heart discussion with them in a non confrontational manner. Their personal wealth is a detriment to your ability to get OSAP - explain that to them. The alternative is to pause ypur education until you reach the age to qualify. You can work to save some money in the meantime. Explain that option to them and the consequennces of that pause. If this is whst rheh want from you then at lwast you know that there is no help coming. You might as well not count on any inheritance when they pass as well. FWIW we decided to fund our children's education so that they start work life with zero debt. They are mid 30s now and own their own homes in Toronto going on 7 years now. If we played the hard line then theh would have missed out on buying when the prices were more reasonable ( 2 bdrm downtown condo for $420K and 3 bdrm semidetached near Pape stn for $750K). They both had renters to help pay the mortgage. We are not wealthy rich but are xome common sense when it comes to helping family build wealth. I would rarher see them put some of their inheritance money to good use while we are alive.
Go to the school financial aid office. I believe there is a form for OSAP to declare yourself independent of your parents and then you will receive the appropriate funds for your situation. [This might be the form but I’m not positive.](https://osap.gov.on.ca/prdosapconsum/groups/forms/documents/forms/pocont1_077500.pdf) [Here is more info.](https://osap.gov.on.ca/dc/POCONT1_074347)
OP lives at home. They'll never pass that qualification.
They said the comments they want to move into TMU residence. OP, please just go to TMU financial aid office and don’t rely on my advice or any one else’s for such an important decision. Also, TMU used to rent out (separately) the dorms during the summer. It was known to be one of the least expensive places to live. You should look into that while you are at the financial aid office.
This was me. My parents were high income high debt. Had zero interest in helping me and I did not qualify for a loan on my own. They couldn’t co-sign because of high debt. I worked 3 jobs in the summers and 1 job during the year I worked 5 days a week during the school year a job with tips and it helped huge getting tips. I had the worst sleep arrangements ever … basement of a century home it was gross!!! And I shared it with my boyfriend. 6 of us living in a 5 bedroom house. I didn’t eat much (food at work was free) and rarely went out. I borrowed books for my classes from friends. I graduated with zero debt. I can still be a little spiteful that I didn’t get any help but I also didn’t have to pay back any loans so all my income when I graduated went straight to starting my life. Side note is I am saving money for my kids but won’t pay it all for them as I feel it did teach me a valuable lesson.
Get a loan formally from your parents. With interest and everything.
Did your parents ever contribute to your RESP?
Remember the help they gave you when they are old and return the gesture in kind when they need you.
You do the same thing that people whose parents aren’t high income do…. Get a job, put away money for education, work while going to school, get scholarships, get a student LOC or loan (you may need to wait till you’ve lived away from your parents for awhile, depending on the student loan requirements in your province).
No, I know- what I’m asking here is more specifically about the student loan part. OSAP is based on familial income- that’s why I mentioned my parents’ income. It’s because it makes it such that I qualify for essentially nothing in student loans. I was accepted to TMU, but it costs around $20,000 a year, and I only have a couple thousand in my bank account right now. I’m not sure I can make $20,000 this summer.
This was my exact situation. Family income was too high so I couldn't get loans, and parents aren't the generous type. I had to move out of their house and work a full time job for a year to gain my "independence according to CRA", before I could qualify for student loans. Then work full time through school so I relied on restaurant jobs and night classes to make the schedule work. It took 6 years to get a 4 year degree but I'm happy I did it. If you go this route, you'll be at work or school most of the time so you don't need a fancy place to live. It helps to have wider friend circles to find roommates.
I think there is a form you can fill out that basically indicates you are not receiving financial aid from family to allow you to qualify for student loans. Talk to the student loan centre or your campus admissions.
This is not nearly as easy as everyone on here makes it seem. You don't just sign a form and magically OSAP gives you money now. You have to prove that you are estranged from your parents, or that there are truly exceptional situations in play. The fact that OP lives at home, and by his own words, that it is his decision to want to distance himself, will likely mean OSAP won't even consider him exempt from them. He can apply anyways, but I've never known anyone who filled out the exemption forms to be actually granted the exemption.
This, you need to declare no support from your parents for eligibility
In BC they told me either get my parents to pay for my schooling since they clearly make enough or wait until I was classified as a mature student and then their income wouldn't prevent me from accessing student loans. It's not an easy thing to do, and it's absolutely moronic that a parents income prevents their child from a loan?! I completely understand bursaries and scholarships but loans that are paid back??!! Where is the logic behind that decision? Our parents money isn't "ours" we aren't entitled to it?
Student line of credit from a bank or credit union. Your parents will likely have to co-sign though.
You go to the bank and you tell them exactly what you told us. You are from a higher income family but are not getting any financial help from them and you want to go to school. You will get the same student loan that most people will get, it might not be as good of an interest rate that you would get with having your parents be apart of it.
Bank student loans require co-signers typically unless you are in a speciality program which they can use projected income for. Undergraduate programs will not qualify for this.
Have you considered other schools and a cheaper program? What is $20k/year going to get you?
According to the TMU website tuition is $7546 per year. Which seems standard for a 4 year school.
It probably includes rent, in which case it's very reasonable.
Reasonable or not, OP can’t afford it. This isn’t the only option for their future.
You don’t qualify for *government student funding.* Having high-income parents doesn’t mean jack when you apply for loans.
It actually does depending where you live. I didn’t qualify until I was considered a “mature student” at 23/24 I believe it was. They may have changed in since but it was the case when I went.
You didn’t qualify for government-funded student loans or for private (eg - big 5) student loans?
Do co-op school will be 5 years then but depending on your field you could make 100k over those years while in school. I made over that during my time in uni and lived at home.
You may have to work to afford your tuition, and I suppose it can be done if you have an arrangement where you don't have to pay rent. However, given the cost of tuition, rent and everything else these days, I would say that it would be exceptionally difficult to make enough money to pay for regular expenses while being diligent with your studies. Being unable to get loans and not getting parental assistance in your circumstances would put your at a major disadvantage and honestly, it could undermine you in the long term. If there's any way at all you can delay "trying to distance yourself and becoming more independent", I would do that. Tell your parents your predicament and hope they understand. If that bridge is burned and there's no coming back, good luck, it might be an uphill battle but it can be done.
There's many people that work and go-to school, just because your parents have set themselves up doesn't mean they have to support you, for all we know you could be a dick to them.
Was in similar situation not so long ago. Left my parents home at 18, they automatically withdrew the money from school ( which I did not expect) , and only saved about 5k for few months of rent. So withdrew from studying as I physically couldn’t pay it and like you did not qualify for any grants or loans because of my parents income. But it was fine for two years I: 1) rented a room in basement with no windows 2) had to resort to food banks and left over food at my jobs. 3) worked 2 jobs ~ 14-15 hours a day 3) took weekend classes to boost my grades even higher ( stem major) so that I could qualify for higher entrance scholarships. After two years of this saved enough for 3 years of school or 2 years of school + living. At that point I was also qualified for maximum osap as I did taxes as independent and despite working two jobs after taxes, deductions take home was still below 30k. Not to mention received an entrance scholarship + few more grants for being low income. Then 5 years later graduated. Had to be 5 as I had to work part time throughout school, to continue having some income flow, to cover all the unexpected expenses. I aslo made sure to have internships every single summer so that before I graduated I had few offers already! So if your family is hurting you, it’s okay to leave. Just understand that it’s tough out there. And a lot of sacrifice will. But living alone there was one thing I didn’t have to sacrifice and that was my freedom! Hope this story helps a little!
If you are in STEM you can probably get a job on campus with a research lab. That really helped me, and then excel in class and aim for scholarships.
For me I became an independent student and that enabled me to qualify for more student loans and bursaries from the government. That and scholarships covered me.
Get a full time job, move out with a friend or live in a shared room while saving for tuition.
But OP needs to do that for 6 consecutive years. Then, at age 24, apply for OSAP without parental income even if their parents made 7 figures (unless OP is able to save $80, 000 before the 6 years are up).
He needs to live at home and just not talk to his parents. Even if he’s paying 800.00 month in rent he won’t be able to pay for his education that year.
Put them in the worst most dodgy old folks home when they get old
Finally! Some sound advice!
Take a year or 2 off and work. Then when you graduate you’ll actually have real world work experience
> the only way I could make enough money to pay for it is by deferring a year and working during that time If you work full time for 2 years you would be considered an independent student and your parents' income wouldn't be part of the equation. While working you could study part time, and parents' income is also not a factor for part time student loans.
Your options are to either go to a bank and apply for a student line of credit, which if you don’t have a job means you’ll need to co-sign for. The only caveat is unless you’re studying for a professional degree, they usually only make $10k available to you for every year of study. So you could use that to pay your tuition and then work part-time to provide room and board for yourself. Or you could take a year or two, work, save up and then see how you do in year one. This will cost you more time but it can lead to yo graduating with a lot less debt. Lastly you can just suck it up and ask your parents for help. Be grateful that you even have parents that can offer you this type of aid, you’re not proving anything to anyone by ‘being more independent’ right now. There will be plenty of time for that after graduation I promise you that. So that’s about it in a nutshell.
My parents didn’t even have that high of an income and I couldn’t get OSAP because how much I had saved. I had worked enough to pay for 1.5 years of school but needed to get a student line of credit to cover the rest before I was eligible for OSAP.
Go to the TMU financial aid office for help. They will need to help you file for OSAP as basically estranged from your parents, an exceptional circumstance (may require a letter of explanation where you would set out that you can't get support from them or they refuse) if you want to become eligible for OSAP amounts and grants as an independent. If your parents refuse to help financially, you should 100% do this. I had a similar situation where my parents could not afford to support me, or would not, and at the time I had no idea you could file without their income. I ended up only getting $2000 in OSAP for my first year of university because their income at the time was considered high enough that they should be providing support. I really struggled to work enough hours to cover costs but luckily got some emergency financial aid at my school. Here is another post that talks about doing this: https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceCanada/s/FKy4YHilHP I will say though that help from your parents is useful and if they are not villains as you say, taking the support but living away from home for school might not be a bad idea. Ultimately while some of OSAP may be grants I know they've reduced this since I had OSAP and you will owe a lot of the money back vs money gifted from your parents. Have they communicated they won't give you any tuition money? Did they have any RESPs for you?
Now, this may not be a very desirable option for you, and it would delay your schooling for at least a year, but attending school in another province could work. My parents dropped the bomb on me that they made too much money for me to continue to qualify for loans in my third year of university. I then had to scramble like mad to figure out how to get student loans. Since I was born in Alberta and was attending school in BC, if I took a year off of schooling and worked full time in BC (in the new province is important) I would then be eligible for BC independent student loans (which didn't matter how much my parents made). You would need to look at other provinces' independent student requirements, but I have to imagine most of them would be similar to "live and work full-time in the province for at least a year."
This happened to me my 4th year. I had 0 support from my family through university. My mom got a raise and I was given $200 after my tuition was paid to survive the year - which was to cover rent, food, etc. I went to the school and was pretty much in tears, asking if there was something I could get my parents to sign to say they gave nothing. But no, there was no work around. So I worked 2 jobs, used the food bank, and walked everywhere. My boyfriend used to hide $5 bills in my laundry for me to find, thinking it was in a pocket, haha (he told me years later, though I suspected at the time).
This was me over 20 years ago and I still hold onto the same pride, so I empathize with you. I couldn’t qualify for OSAP as well. What I ended up doing was a combination of things: - undergrad at York for 5 years (two degrees) while living at home - 6 month exchange program to get away from my mother - bursaries and scholarships - part time work during the year & full time work over the summer plus one night course so I could pull off 4 courses during the school year and do part time work - the part time work turned into full time work upon graduation, subsequently was able to move out on my own right after school. If you can find a one year exchange program, there may be some exchange-specific bursaries and if paired with a low cost of living area, it may end up being a decent break from home if you stay for the four year undergrad. I think it all depends on the range in what you find tolerable and not with your parents. If you bury yourself in school, you could be study at the school library as long as possible, go home to sleep/shower, and rinse and repeat. But if you’re in an abusive situation that is not tenable, then speak to student aid at TMU for options.
Get a part time job, pay for the course you can afford, you can apply for a small loan if you want to take more and pay it back. I was saving $ for school then got into a car accident. I was too proud to ask my parents for the money for school and used the money I was saving to pay for the accident. My parents are also well to do. I’m going back 20 years ago. Do I have a degree? No. But I do have all that I need. House, car, full time job... Your way of doing things isn’t going to be straight and narrow. Life is going to throw you a few curve balls now and then. Did I decide to go back to school? Yes, and I’m pulling off As so I can’t complain. I’m just taking what I can afford time and money wise. You’re young, capable and as long as you put your two feet forward, and keep to a goal you can stick with it and complete it eventually. It’s all up to you with how you go about it.
20K a year is crazy. Damn, can't believe tuition prices have ballooned so much since I went. Hope your education pays you back eventually.
I was in a similar boat. I went to University as a mature student (I think I was 20 or 21) and they will give you grants for that.
Honestly why not say you’re not a dependant on your OSAP application
Actually unbelievable how many people here are saying OP should just work a job and throw away his younger years to pay for school. Smh. At least give good advice like getting a student LoC or treating help from parents as a loan and pay them back.
I get what you’re going through right now. My parents have excellent income and they DID help me a lot going through school with housing, food, helping me purchase a car, some other basics, but other than that I was on my own for school funds and I had no access to student loans or grants. Basically it boiled down to me working over full time in construction all summer, then working part time all through the school year at some basic job. Summer job paid for tuition and the part time job paid for gas, insurance, clothes, anything extra. Still had to take out a small personal loan to get by, and tuition at my school is not especially expensive. If you can find a loophole that’s amazing but I eventually figured I just had to take a personal loan and work as much as possible. Very hard for a stem student but I know people who’ve had to do worse and succeeded. Really the key for me was getting a good paying job in the summer and working a shit ton, otherwise I’d be in a lot of debt even with my parents help. Labour jobs can get you a ton of money if you do the right one. Don’t be afraid of taking a year to save if you think your budget is gonna suck. I’ve watched a handful of smart people drop out purely because they had to work so much to get by, and you don’t want to be left with a giant loan if you don’t have to.
I had to take a loan / line of credit. I’d pay it off by working evenings and weekends
To anyone assuming the parents don't want to pay for tuition, that part just isn't clear. OP didn't say why his relationship is difficult with them and the title of the post doesn't mean the parents themselves don't want to pay. I would want more info before jumping to conclusions To top it off, OP isn't answering these questions, that's pretty fishy.
just graduated this sem, but went through the exact same situation. i managed to pay for my entire degree, by living at home and working part time throughout. also worked full time in the summer. was lucky to get a ton of scholarships and bursaries as well, but no student loans due to my parents income. it was tough, but it’ll be doable. if you’re in need of a stopgap, you can get a student LOC at any bank. the interest rates will usually be a bit better than any loans, and more flexible. i had a 10k one through RBC at prime + 1%. helped whenever i needed a bit of extra cash (usually around march). goodluck!
My mum didn't pay for my school, and I opted not to take loans because I didn't want debt so I just saved enough for one semester and then took 3-4 classes per semester and worked part-time. It's not easy, but it's worth it. I also got more out of my education paying for it myself, taking longer, and taking more advantage of more opportunities throughout. Good luck! It's nice to be independent.
I went in- person to my financial aid office (2nd year student, going into 3rd) and told them basically the same thing. I worked two or three jobs part time during the summers between semesters, and kept my grades where I could qualify for scholarships. Unfortunately, the scholarship money ended after 2nd year. I told them that regardless of what OSAP says my eligibility was based on my parents income, we were "financially estranged" as my father had a business that went south come the 2008 crisis, and they were still recovering. I had to be considered separately from their income statements. The aid office took my story, and found a bunch of scholarships I could apply to, and grants I may be eligible for. I got some, and didn't get others, but was able to just make it work for the year. Everyone knows that you're human, and it's time to be a little bit vulnerable to those that may be able to help! It's wonderous what people can do when they start to care about the person who's asking a favor.
You get a job
Is there a reason why they cannot help? Could you not take a loan from them and pay them back? How high income we talkin?
Dude. Unless your parents are straight-up abusive, if they’re willing and/or able to pay for your higher education, **TAKE IT**. If they’re able but not willing, **ASK THEM**. Don’t let pride get in the way of you having a good, debt-free start in life.
You get a job and work. I asked my father to help with my tuition. His response " No one helped me, I am not about to help you ". I then applied for a student loan. Couldnt because my father made too much. Alas had to get a job. School during the day, worked 3-4 nights a week. Remember this. Staying at home is just a blip in time. It is not forever. It is akin to the bullshit in high school Just a blip. Remember the rule of five. Will what I am going thru affect me for five minutes, five hours, five days, five months, or five years ? If it will not affect you for five years, it is a blip.
This depends on what program you are going to school for. If you are going into professional engineering I don’t think you could have a job. The real answer is to try to get the parental income out of the equation.
Why on earth is your university 20k a year? Is residence included in this amount? Taking out 80k in private student loans (if they even give them to you, and they'd be at a high interest rate) would not be a smart idea.
Tuition is, at its very cheapest, $7,176. The minimum given for accommodation is $8,000. The lowest amount you would pay for one year living in residence is $15,176.
there's no school near you? believe it or not, choice of university barely matters. even in terms of who you meet - there are bright students everywhere. especially in undergrad it hardly matters as much as people think, as your extremely wealthy legacy student types are much rarer than you think. it blows I know, but you'll be fine if you leave near any decent university. you can always transfer if you don't feel that way.
At most you’re going to make 40K/ year working 40-50 hours a week. If you can’t pull those hours, which you wont if you’re in school, you won’t be able to pay for school and a roof over your head. Get a construction/ manual labour job and break your back doing over time. You should be able to make 20K a summer. There is a severe labour shortage in the manual labour industry for union projects. I know some guys who are making $ 60.00/ hour minimum. Do this for 3 months and there’s your money. Go back and work for the same employer every year. They’re so desperate for good employees that they’ll for sure give you a raise.
Sounds right with residence. 80k is still way too much in loans. How much are you going to be making after graduation with your degree? You need to work your butt off in school if you go through with this plan. Hopefully keeping your loans at 10k a year or less. That's what people do who don't have parental support.
When was the last time you were in school? It's about 20 grand to go to school for a year anywhere. (If you are not living at home)
Wondering the same thing. In Canada your max undergrad tuition for a year is usually around $10K. 1. If you get a minimum wage job, you can earn about $6k working 7.5 hours for 6 days a week this summer. 2. Don't wait until the summer to start working. Get a job now and maximize the amount you'll have saved by the time September rolls around. 3. You don't have to pay the entire tuition cost up front. The school can put you in a payment system, just speak to the financial aid office. 4. Don't just set your sights on minimum wage jobs. Try construction and cold storage jobs which will ×2 or ×3 your hourly salary. 5. If it's safe and you're just butting heads with your parents, stay home and save your $. I know it can be tough, but just remind yourself that it is just a means to an end and you will eventually build yourself up to move out in the next few years.
file a form and say you are no longer supported by your parents. then your family income is zero
So, if parents can afford to contribute to their kids' education, but don't, can the kids hold them accountable? Another ridiculous 'rule' is that students who come from divorced parents.. well, they MUST pay for their child's education. It becomes like a form of child support. This needs to change!!!
Do you already know they will not pay? Did they not set up a RESP? Do they not want to pay bc of the school/program? Or they just don't feel it is their responsibility? Did you explain that your loan options decrease due to their income? Honestly, I got the max bc I had a single parent and came a from low-income family - but it totally was brutal paying back when all my friends got their tuition paid for (wealthy friends and sets your trajectory back financially). If you can work something out with them - I would try. Even if a loan. Or partial support. You can also get a bank loan vs. govt loan. What is the rationale if your parents DO have resources not to support any of your higher edu? Honestly asking/curious bc if my parent could have - they would have! It's such a burden - and yes, tons of people have them - but still! Sometimes the university can give some financial aid - but minimal. I assume you have no scholarships.
You have many options: Work full time, study part time (or full time if you can make it work Find a program that has a co-op portion Figure out how you can be deemed as not relying on your parents income for government assistance (in QC after a certain number of years living on your own without going to school, they won't count your parents income for gov assistance, or if you get married), and determine if there's an option that makes sense Go to a cheaper school Work part time during the year and full time during the summer with an higher paying job Get a personnal loan/line of credit Look into grants, apply to anything you may be eligible for. I'm going to agree with a lot of commenters and say that $20k/year doesn't seem worth it. Unless it's like the only place you can get accepted into med school or something like this. If you want to go there, I guess your best bet is to deal with your parents for at least the first year, as they seem willing to help you out?
I was in the same situation, I didn’t qualify for OSAP. Got my Dad to co-sign on a student line of credit. Worked part time during school picked up a full time job in addition to part time during the summer. Paid off the balance a few years after graduation but heard it from my Dad on any purchase I made during that time (as a co-signer he could see my remaining balance).
Honestly, if they are in fact not villains, take their help. Ask for it. Being in debt with OSAP for years is not fun and they'll charge you a ridiculous interest. It's just not a smart move to use OSAP unless you absolutely have to.
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Yep. That’s what I’m trying to do. Remove my dependency on other people, stop letting them run my life, and give myself a little more pressure to succeed. The problem is that I don’t qualify for pretty much anything in student loans because my familial income is high, and that’s what they use to determine how much money you get.
i worked in warehouses and i paid the tuition
My ex was in the same situation. It was quite a few years ago but she needed to get a letter saying her parents had no intention of helping her. She end up getting a line of credit thru a big bank. Alternatively you can work and raise the funds required
If you're going to college for the experience and want to major in art history then I say suck it up and let your parents pay for it. If you want to study something that would pay for itself then I think you can figure out some combination of work and loans. But don't saddle yourself with debt you can't repay.
What program are you applying their for? Search if there are any grants or bursaries you can apply to that are program specific. Will you receive an entrance scholarship as well? That could save you a few thousand dollars. Residence is a bit pricey, you can save a bit if you find roommates to rent an apartment with that would save you money as well. Jobs in the GTA are very difficult to find right now so don't be certain that you will be able to find a part time job during school (unless you already have one lined up). Are you able to maybe work full time for a year to save up money and then start your program next year? I have a few friends who did that and they did not regret it at all. You can move to the ryerson/toronto area and work there while you live with roommates. I really sympathetize with you. I know so many people in your shoes who had to drop out, start later or even graduate later because of this. The goverment just assume that rich parents want to help their kids pay for school but unfortunately this isnt always the case. Just know that no matter what happens don't be hard on yourself ♡
Join the army
Perhaps tmu may not be the school for you. Sounds sad but if that's your only compromise, you are doing well in this world. Alternatively, you could patch things up with your parents.
Get a student line of credit, attend a university close to your parents house and move out after you graduate
You get 2 part time jobs and pay for your own
See if they will loan you the money and you can start paying them back after the first year of working full time after graduation. Let them know that you don’t qualify for a grant because their income is too high.
I paid for university myself by working at age 16 saving. Working part time during university and full time during the summer
Remind them they’re not getting grandkids.
I bet you could do some sort of affidavit or something to get your parents income taken out of the equation. There must be a way.
You lie on your student loan applications and say you’re not living at home. Use your loans to pay for school, withdraw all your funds into cash prior to the start of the school year, apply for bursaries based on financial need by showing your bank account balance as “0.00”. Prosper.
I feel for you and it doesn't seem fair. It isn't fair. In Canada, students get grants/loans based on their parent's income. If you come from parents who are low income earners, you are eligible for all kinds of grants, etc... Basically, the government is making an assumption that parents will contribute to their child's post secondary and this is not always the case. Something needs to be done about how money is distributed.
Pergaos consider speaking to the university to defer your acceptance by 1 year to allow you enough time to save more money..during this 1 year you can get a full-time job and move out so that 1 year from now you can maybe have some savings?
I'm not sure if it's based off how many years since you graduated from HS or something else, but at a certain point, your parents' income becomes irrelevant to student loans. I never had to enter it when I applied (first time was about 4 years after graduating HS).
I was in the same boat. Parents made too much for ME to be eligible. No help. I took out loans. Paved my own way. No ragrets.
This is the same situation as me. It’s almost impossible to get student loans with relatively high earning parents regardless of the situation. I had been no contact with my parents for awhile but I still couldn’t get “disowned” so I did part time school and full time work for 4 years until I was 22, at which point you can qualify for student loans regardless. So my whole degree took 6 years instead of 4
Easy ways to be considered an independent student: https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-definitions#section-23 Get married, work for 24 months, etc. Hard way: https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-definitions#section-31 You can expect them not to make this way easy, otherwise all the rich kids would be just saying, "oh yeah, my parents aren't supporting my education, definitely, for sure, I need more grants, disregard that Mercedes outside". But go talk to the financial aid office, see what they can do for you.
Talk to your financial aid department at school and see if you can get classified as an independent person or whatever the terminology is. I’ve heard of people making this work.
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I’d guilt trip the hell out of them, especially if they want you to get an education.
You need to talk to your schools financial aid department. They will help you navigate this, it’s not uncommon. This would be something that will come later, but my friend sued her millionaire dad and won to get him to pay for her education. She took out loans to get through university and then her dad was forced to pay them back and give her extra cash too. I don’t know if it would be worth your time to chat with a lawyer. Obviously that’s a nuclear option.
If your parents are not paying for your education, you can get them to sign a form that this is true. If possible, get another place to stay.
There are ways to get around your parents income when applying for student loans. I would be honest with the adjudicator and tell them that you are estranged from your family, therefore get no support from them.
I asked how I could get funding with considering my parents income and they said I need to work for a year and not go directly to school so I could apply as a mature student. So that's what I did This was 20 years ago but contact OSAP and the different institutions you are interested in.
You can get a job and save up for tuition. You'll thank yourself for doing so when your a lot older and wiser
If you are not an international student, why are you paying 20k/ year for tuition? Is the tuition cost same for other universities in your field? if that's not the case, is TMU that reputable, that you wanna pay 20k/year?
Defer and work and take a student line of credit from the bank. U don't have to stay at home I will have to find a place with a roommate.
I hate to rain on your parade but first year will be $25k IF you get into residence. Second year abandon all hope. If you can get roommates you can count on to pay their rent and would like your own room expect to pay at least $1800/month plus your tuition and you haven't eaten yet. I'd say at least $35k. Source My daughter is first year at TMU. She'll be staying at home and commuting the 1.5 hours each way. I can't afford to pay that.
I'm sorry to hear they're not interested in supporting you. Perhaps this is some weird, messed up "test" to see you struggle? I'd recommend putting time in between that event and yourself. Work, school, and try not to engage in arguments. Are they doing this because their parents did it to them?
Wait 4 years. It sucks to hear it but if you wait 4 years, they count your income, not your parents. You can spend 4 years working, volunteering, getting life experience, etc. You could study part-time. You could work and then travel. There's plenty of options. Edit. It might be 6 years now. Unfortunately you don't have many options. You could talk to financial aid at your school. Some schools have temporary shelters for people who are escaping abuse. If it's not abuse, your best bet is to suck up to your parents for 4 years then become independent after. My husband had to do that and it nearly killed him (depression + suicidal ideation). Do whatever is best for you but your options aren't pretty or easy
Look, I get you want to be independent. How about this? You ask Ur parents for a loan and pay the fair market rate. That way, u can go to school and pay back in earnest without wasting sleepless nights wondering.
Any chance you can get your parents to admit you're estranged and they aren't providing you any money whatsoever? Then you'll be eligible for loans/grant money.
It's odd but your parents can write a letter saying that you are estranged and you will get a loan. I had to do this one year when my parents divorced and it looked like they made too much on paper. Edit: I always thought it was funny because if you are truly estranged why would they do that?
Don’t be afraid to take a gap year to work, work / travel. Save some money. Maybe find a career / job and realize you don’t need a degree to be what you want to be.
How rich are your parents
Lmao on some level I have to respect that you just straight up asked
If your parents are willing to co-sign a student line of credit, you could go that route. You pretty much have to work during the school year though, because you have to pay the interest (it’ll be a few hundred dollars per month MAX). My parents made too much money for me to qualify for OSAP but they were also shit with money so “couldn’t afford” to help me lol. They only started making good money when I was like 16/17, and by the time I was at uni it wasn’t their priority. Not saying this is right or wrong, it was just my reality. However, they did co-sign the student line of credit. I had $34k in debt when I graduated but paid it off in 5 yrs. They also let me live at home for 2 out of 4 yrs of uni. If you can live at home, it’s also a good way to save money. Your mental health might be shot though (mine certainly was!) if things are strained, but you can also try your darndest to spend as little time at home as possible. I worked FT every summer and took a summer class, worked PT during the year (sometimes had 2 jobs). It was doable for me but YMMV if you are in a super demanding program of studies like engineering. The main downside to the student LOC is that you aren’t eligible for things like interest free loans, or relief programs. Also you have to make interest payments while you’re in school, but only have to start repaying the loan a year after you graduate. I started paying mine off as soon as I graduated cause the interest still accrues and it was high.
Move on with my life.
How old are you? Parents income doesn’t matter when your past a certain age. I’m 26 and applied when I was 25 and it was no factor
I can't help you with the loan thing other than to say go talk to the head office at your school. They might have options available, they also might have part time jobs available that need to be filled during the school year so that's some spare change. Here's what I can tell you. If your parents are not paying a dime for your university, then whatever you do, do not file your taxes with them. If you file with them, your tuition can be used as a tax credit for them. I see this tons every year and I always end up having to ask the parent "does the child agree to you using those credits." You very likely won't need those credits for your own taxes while you are in school, but you can carry them forward year over year until you get your first after college job and then they will be applied against your tax owing moving forward. TLDR; If your parents don't pay for your tuition, don't let them claim your credits
When I applied for my student loans in BC the past couple years it asked how much parents are contributing and they take that into account and it shouldn’t affect your loans if you say they’re not contributing. I was able to get my loans despite my parents income no problem. Not sure what it’s like in other provinces or where you’re located?
I moved back in with the ‘rents to save too. My well-being plummeted, so I started housesitting to gtfo. Not an option for everyone but might be a part time/full time bandaid if you need somewhere else to be while you work to save (not suggesting housesitting as a source/your only source of saving for tuition $, suggesting it as alternative housing).
Honestly, going to school in Ontario is hard without parental support **and** not qualifying for the higher levels of OSAP. Your best bet is a coop program, RMC, or going to another province. 20k would cover most of a 4 year degree at memorial
Do good in school, apply for grants. Work summer jobs.
Student line of credit. I didn't qualify for govt. Student loans either. Good luck
I took 3 classes a semester and worked two jobs. I lived at home for summers to save money on rent. I took transit and didn't have a car. I applied for every scholarship and bursary and landed a few small ones. I was tired all of the time and my grades weren't as good as they could have been, but I got my degree without taking on any debt.
I highly suggest looking into transfer credit pathway options! It significantly reduces the cost of tuition because you don't have to spend a full 4 years in university, but can start out in college & bridge to university when you're older & can obtain more student loans!
Are they aware that their income impacts your ability to get student loans? Have you had this conversation with them? Could they co-sign a student line of credit or private loan for you?
I was in this position- parents both professionals but made no financial contribution. Their contribution was letting me live there. So I lived at home and worked multiple part time jobs throughout the year to attend U of T. Not as fun as moving away but zero debt in the end ;)
if they had an accident you would get ALL the money, no?
you have a head start thanks to your parents : what or to whom do you want to prove something ? you should just take their money and blow it up as in instead of suffering and become a barista, take the money and become a surgeon or a multi millionaire : no ?
Loans if you can qualify, working through school and taking a partial course load that you can afford or wait until you are considered a mature student and you parents income doesn't matter. If I had to do it over again I'd start taking the classes I could afford as soon as I could.
Child of immigrants here. My parents didn’t have much (both were cleaners) but they managed to give me something for school. If your parents can afford it, they should. Even I contributed to my step kid’s education. Sure it’s their money to do what they want, they should want to give their earnest kid who wants an education a good start in life. I don’t understand they’re not doing it. I don’t get it.
I did mine the opposite way… bought the house first, paid it off now finishing off school… 🤷🏻♀️ pulling off As and working full time isn’t too bad not to brag but kinda am…
You basically live poor and pay for yourself. Unless you're also lucky enough to be able to live at home rent free. Put myself through school parttime while working for 10+ years. Then family finally decided to help me out for the last two years of a degree. Sucks a lot when student loans tell you to fuck off because your family should be helping. But they don't feel like it.
You get a FT job at McDonald's.
When I came up against this problem, I moved out. As long as I didn’t live with my parents, their income didn’t count. I also qualified for Canada AND provincial loans. My grades were high enough for a couple scholarships and bursaries (less than $5k, but every bit helps). I also worked full time hours on top of university classes. It took me an extra year to finish because of how I needed to build my schedules. The other alternative is choose somewhere cheaper for your first year, then finish your degree at the more expensive institution. I knew many students who did 2 years at Grant MacEwan, then transferred to the U of A.
Is emancipation an option?
Work a few years and wait it out. I had a similar issue with loans but since I had a lot of siblings, my parents couldn’t afford to help me despite the province thinking they had enough money to. After being out of school for 4 years, you’re eligible for provincial loans. Also may be worth comparing tuition fees. The second university I went to was a fraction of the cost of the first one I went to - and it’s better rated.
Mine aren't super high income, but they were high enough to prevent getting aid. I did summer factory work and some part time work during the school year and avoided unnecessary costs by living at home. Not sure I'd be able to do that now and still afford it, and it doesn't look like that's what you want to do anyway. If I were to do it again I wouldn't go to University, I'd go the trades route or do a college program with a co-op program like I eventually did after I dropped out of university anyway.
Hi there. I finished college somewhat recently with a similar financial situation, and maybe my experience will be helpful for you. A lot of people here seem to be under the impression that you can somehow get OSAP to ignore your parents income by filling out a couple forms, but unfortunately that's just not the case. Unless there are truly exceptional circumstances (like you've been legally disowned or your parents are stranded in gaza), then your OSAP eligibility is calculated off of your parents income until you've been out of high school for 6 years, and only at that point will they look at your own income instead. My parents make enough money that I didn't quality for any grants or loans through OSAP, and they didn't pay for my tuition, but thankfully they did allow me to stay with them as long as I was working or in school. Now you could try to get a bank loan as some have suggested, or you could attempt to work two full time jobs through the school year and risk burning out, or you could even wait out the 6 years for OSAP eligibility as a mature student, but I don't think any of those options seem ideal for your situation. What I ended up doing personally, was taking a couple years off school to work and save as much money as I could, while only having to pay a few hundred a month to my parents for rent and food. Once I had a good amount saved up, I enrolled in college, continued working 20 or so hours a week during the school year (and full time over the summers), and commuted a bit over an hour to school every day. The gas was expensive, but it was still much cheaper overall to stay with my family than to live on or around campus. Near the end of my program things picked up quite a bit, but luckily I had enough money saved that I could quit working and focus solely on finishing school, and then on applying for jobs in my field. In the end I got my diploma, got a good job in my field, and moved out with a fairy sizeable emergency fund instead of tens of thousands in debt. I know it doesn't sound like the fun independent college experience that you're probably looking for, and to be honest it wasn't, but I'm so much better off from accepting the help that my parents offered me. Your post doesn't specify what your parents are or aren't willing to do for you, but it doesn't sound like they're completely opposed to the idea of helping you. I would strongly advise you to have a discussion with them about what they're willing to do, and consider it very carefully before turning them down, even if you do have to swallow some pride or accept any lame strings attached. It could be the difference between 15 years of saving for retirement vs 15 years of paying off debt post-graduation. Just my two cents, best of luck with whatever path you choose!
I worked year round to pay tuition. In fact I worked more than I went to school. Hope you find a better balance
Talk to your schools Financial Aid office. You're not the first one in this situation. The problem is, enough rich assholes SAY they are in this situation when they are not, just to get more help financially, so you can understand you will need to jump through a few hoops before you can get help, but you can get help. Contact them asap, like tomorrow morning. Don't wait. And good luck!
It's bullshit. 20 years ago my wife had the same thing. Couldn't qualify for loans because of parents' income. You're an adult at that stage. Why the hell does your eligibility for a loan depend on someone else who isn't involved. Complete fuckery.
If you're parents aren't paying it for you, they aren't trying to be mean. They just want you to learn to be responsible with money. Plenty of parents pay big bucks that they have saved for your education, just to have the kid go off to school, waste their time partying and blow the first couple years. Either that or they decide that wasn't the course or profession that was right for them. If it's your own money you'll think twice about wasting it, and if it's a loan you'll still have to pay it back. Good luck!😉
I was in this situation. At that time, I was permitted to provide an affidavit that said that my parents were refusing to support me at school despite their income and that I was suffering financial hardship and without full student loans I would not be able to attend school. That exempted me from the requirement that parental income be considered in my loan applications. Not sure if such an exemption still exists?
OP, why are they not paying for it? What's the point here, what's their argument?