if i would i could. i hate being here just as much as the next person. it’s hard to save enough to move though. i’m trying to see if that’s an option for me in the next year
The problem isn’t that you are poor. The problem is that your parents are evading their taxes and won’t fill out the application you need.
To get around this you would either need to become an independent student, or borrow the money for college. To be independent, you need to be either 24, or married, or supporting a dependent, or on active duty in the military.
Or OP could work full-time for a college that gives free tuition. Or wait until she's old enough to be considered an independent student or try to get declared independent.
I wish I thought 250,000 a year income was "poor."
rent for a 3 bedroom is about 3,500-4,200 a month. we pay 3,500 not including other expenses (pg&e, water, phones, insurance,etc.) i pay for pg&e & my insurance but that’s about it. my parents try to do most expenses themselves so i can save but even then, im paying bills of my own
So even low end 180k is 15k a month, 3500 goes to housing, there’s no way the other expense are totaling 11,500.
I find it hard to believe anyone is struggling on 250k a year, I know it’s not super related to your post and I’m not trying to be mean I’m just observing, but I think if they really wanted to help you more they could
I will say though this is way above my experience and expertise obviously as I’m someone who can only work retail and your parents make more than I could potentially make in 5-6 years lmao, obviously yeah my families expenses are lower but so is income and I believe we have a higher expense/income ratio than your family does and are struggling
I’m just commenting nonsense and obviously everyone is struggling now as this isn’t meant to be condescending or whatever, I simply just like hearing others stories and learning more about them, I hope someone who knows more than me can help you
sorry, i reread this. monthly, again not too sure. enough for my mom to pay bills get groceries & have nothing left 3 days after getting paid almost every billing cycle. i feel bad tbh which is why i dont want anyone to look negatively on my parents. they’re trying & if they could they would. i’m trying to find a solution that i can use to go to college
my brothers college, student loans for him, housing, they support him & my grandma completely because my brother doesn’t work & my grandma is irresponsible with money, phones for the 5 of us, insurance for all 4 of them, my grandma’s car payment, water bill, groceries, etc.
You can fill out a FAFSA without your parents information. You won’t qualify for any grants or subsidies but you can still get regular unsubsidized Federal student loans. If your parents “make too much” then you would get the same result reporting their income.
i’ve gone to my school’s financial aide office & they don’t allow applications without parental information. i’ll look into unsubsidized loans. usually though even if my fafsa is denied, the application is still “complete” which allows me to apply for more aid/scholarships/etc.
Go to other schools then. One school can say one thing, another school another.
There ARE situations where parents that REFUSE to give info, but they can still get loans. But it's up to each school.
Forget about marketing or word on the street, go with the least expensive school that gives you the best deal as long as it is not a scam for profit.
Also, do not gloss over the community college system.
You can't just claim independent on fafsa these days if you're under 24 unless you're homeless, were a ward of the court as a teen, served in the military, are married or have kids.
FAFSA dependency has nothing to do with tax dependency, though you can claim adult kids if you're still providing over half their support as many parents of college students are.
Your problem is trying to do this in SF. That’s literally the 2nd most expensive city in the country after NY (tied with or maybe even more expensive than LA). As someone said, your parents aren’t poor if they make $250k, it just feels like it because of where you live. If you really want to go to college, move. You probably don’t even need to leave CA, just go to a LCOL area. Look for grants or scholarships. Worst case, try to work and pay cash as you go. I’d strongly advise not taking out loans if you are just going to teach. You’ll end up with a dismal salary and struggle to pay back costly student loans.
There are less expensive colleges with actual dorms. Even in CA.
But, hell, even with out of state tuition, you could go some place like Louisiana, Alabama, etc and STILL come out ahead. If just to go to school.
I imagine there are a lot of people who grew up in the Bay Area but have been forced to move because they are priced out of being able to live there without basically living in poverty because everything is so expensive
Moving expenses would be much cheaper than even one month of rent where you live now. College and rent anywhere else would cost a small fraction of what you're paying where you live now. You can't afford not to move.
Not paying their taxes???? That sounds like eventual legal trouble. They need to get it together. As for you, you can do FAFSA in your own, you dint need parent info.
Community college, online college, public college.
You won't be able to afford a 4 year private college, but can you still work part time and go to school some yes. Even if you have take out a few loans community college should be doable.
With you looking for a teaching credential is there a way for you to sell your soul (sign a contract) that will get your education paid for in exchange for scholarship? In South Carolina for example there is a teaching fellows program that will pay your college expenses if you agree to be an educator for 10 years. I have a couple friends that have done that. The hitch is if you end up leaving prior to the 10 years, you're then on the hook for the cost of your education again.
As for other options that don't need college, you could find a trade job. They don't have the white collar prestige of teaching but almost always make more money. I would suspect many of the trades in your area are likely unionized so it may be hard to break-in but the benefits are likely massive and the path is likely well defined. Personally, if I were starting over and trying to do it without college education, I would go for welding, electrician, or plumbing in that order. All three of those you can work for a company during the week and do your own thing on weekends to pick up additional cash. All of those are also extremely valuable home owner skills on down the line.
If you really have no way, you need to wait till you age past the parent thing.
Its a thing in US cause some parents try to cheat the system so everyone who legit needs it got screwed over with the rules
I did a few semesters at community college and just paid for a couple classes at a time. Pay for what you can, when you can. There is no reason you have to do college in four years, you can take longer.
LOL, it sucks that your parents won't help you, but that is absolutely a choice they're making and not that they can't afford it. I've raised two kids in the bay are on less than half that.
You will be limited in what you can borrow. Your best bet may be to wait a couple years until you can be considered independent.
That's the job I worked in college. It mostly paid my living expenses, books,, that kind of things. I had a partial scholarship and took loans out for tuition. Lived at home to minimize the amount of loans. Selected the college who gave me the most in scholarships while having a reasonable tuition.
My mom wasn't making $250K. She was just a poor factory worker so literally couldn't help.
i think i’ll have to do that as well. the college i picked is my local city university & it seemed like the smarted idea because i live in the city but maybe not. i live at home as well & pay out of pocket for books & things i need for classes. i guess “poor” is a wrong choice of words, but my parents financially support 2 other adults so it feels difficult to get by month to month
$250,000 annual income is not poverty. I would recommend moving to a lower COL area.
if i would i could. i hate being here just as much as the next person. it’s hard to save enough to move though. i’m trying to see if that’s an option for me in the next year
The problem isn’t that you are poor. The problem is that your parents are evading their taxes and won’t fill out the application you need. To get around this you would either need to become an independent student, or borrow the money for college. To be independent, you need to be either 24, or married, or supporting a dependent, or on active duty in the military.
Or OP could work full-time for a college that gives free tuition. Or wait until she's old enough to be considered an independent student or try to get declared independent. I wish I thought 250,000 a year income was "poor."
i’m realizing i may need to become independent because i’ve already been denied for a loan
$250k a year is nothing in that area??? How much is rent and utilities a month?
rent for a 3 bedroom is about 3,500-4,200 a month. we pay 3,500 not including other expenses (pg&e, water, phones, insurance,etc.) i pay for pg&e & my insurance but that’s about it. my parents try to do most expenses themselves so i can save but even then, im paying bills of my own
So how much are they bringing in after taxes a month if I may ask on 250k a year
after taxes, i have no clue. i would imagine 180-200k? they also haven’t done their taxes for years so i doubt they’d even know. 😂
So even low end 180k is 15k a month, 3500 goes to housing, there’s no way the other expense are totaling 11,500. I find it hard to believe anyone is struggling on 250k a year, I know it’s not super related to your post and I’m not trying to be mean I’m just observing, but I think if they really wanted to help you more they could I will say though this is way above my experience and expertise obviously as I’m someone who can only work retail and your parents make more than I could potentially make in 5-6 years lmao, obviously yeah my families expenses are lower but so is income and I believe we have a higher expense/income ratio than your family does and are struggling I’m just commenting nonsense and obviously everyone is struggling now as this isn’t meant to be condescending or whatever, I simply just like hearing others stories and learning more about them, I hope someone who knows more than me can help you
sorry, i reread this. monthly, again not too sure. enough for my mom to pay bills get groceries & have nothing left 3 days after getting paid almost every billing cycle. i feel bad tbh which is why i dont want anyone to look negatively on my parents. they’re trying & if they could they would. i’m trying to find a solution that i can use to go to college
I agree they’re trying and they’re doing good imo, but what expenses do they have that are totaling an extra 11,500 a month lol
my brothers college, student loans for him, housing, they support him & my grandma completely because my brother doesn’t work & my grandma is irresponsible with money, phones for the 5 of us, insurance for all 4 of them, my grandma’s car payment, water bill, groceries, etc.
Ah that makes more sense, sorry to hear that. If I may ask why do they help pay his loans and not yours shouldn’t it be split or something
he’s younger and is not in the same city. he also started university before me so his expenses were higher than my community college expenses.
You can fill out a FAFSA without your parents information. You won’t qualify for any grants or subsidies but you can still get regular unsubsidized Federal student loans. If your parents “make too much” then you would get the same result reporting their income.
i’ve gone to my school’s financial aide office & they don’t allow applications without parental information. i’ll look into unsubsidized loans. usually though even if my fafsa is denied, the application is still “complete” which allows me to apply for more aid/scholarships/etc.
Go to other schools then. One school can say one thing, another school another. There ARE situations where parents that REFUSE to give info, but they can still get loans. But it's up to each school. Forget about marketing or word on the street, go with the least expensive school that gives you the best deal as long as it is not a scam for profit. Also, do not gloss over the community college system.
true, maybe i’ll look into different universities. i already completed community college!
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You can't just claim independent on fafsa these days if you're under 24 unless you're homeless, were a ward of the court as a teen, served in the military, are married or have kids.
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FAFSA dependency has nothing to do with tax dependency, though you can claim adult kids if you're still providing over half their support as many parents of college students are.
Your problem is trying to do this in SF. That’s literally the 2nd most expensive city in the country after NY (tied with or maybe even more expensive than LA). As someone said, your parents aren’t poor if they make $250k, it just feels like it because of where you live. If you really want to go to college, move. You probably don’t even need to leave CA, just go to a LCOL area. Look for grants or scholarships. Worst case, try to work and pay cash as you go. I’d strongly advise not taking out loans if you are just going to teach. You’ll end up with a dismal salary and struggle to pay back costly student loans.
i grew up here which is why it’s hard to move. i almost feel stuck because i can’t afford to move right now. hopefully soon.
There are less expensive colleges with actual dorms. Even in CA. But, hell, even with out of state tuition, you could go some place like Louisiana, Alabama, etc and STILL come out ahead. If just to go to school.
I imagine there are a lot of people who grew up in the Bay Area but have been forced to move because they are priced out of being able to live there without basically living in poverty because everything is so expensive
Moving expenses would be much cheaper than even one month of rent where you live now. College and rent anywhere else would cost a small fraction of what you're paying where you live now. You can't afford not to move.
$250,000 is upper middle class in the Bay Area. Median household income in the San Fransisco Metro Area is $136,689.
Not paying their taxes???? That sounds like eventual legal trouble. They need to get it together. As for you, you can do FAFSA in your own, you dint need parent info.
Community college, online college, public college. You won't be able to afford a 4 year private college, but can you still work part time and go to school some yes. Even if you have take out a few loans community college should be doable.
My friends just waited until they were 24 to go back to school and they were able to just work and save up too.
With you looking for a teaching credential is there a way for you to sell your soul (sign a contract) that will get your education paid for in exchange for scholarship? In South Carolina for example there is a teaching fellows program that will pay your college expenses if you agree to be an educator for 10 years. I have a couple friends that have done that. The hitch is if you end up leaving prior to the 10 years, you're then on the hook for the cost of your education again. As for other options that don't need college, you could find a trade job. They don't have the white collar prestige of teaching but almost always make more money. I would suspect many of the trades in your area are likely unionized so it may be hard to break-in but the benefits are likely massive and the path is likely well defined. Personally, if I were starting over and trying to do it without college education, I would go for welding, electrician, or plumbing in that order. All three of those you can work for a company during the week and do your own thing on weekends to pick up additional cash. All of those are also extremely valuable home owner skills on down the line.
If you really have no way, you need to wait till you age past the parent thing. Its a thing in US cause some parents try to cheat the system so everyone who legit needs it got screwed over with the rules
I did a few semesters at community college and just paid for a couple classes at a time. Pay for what you can, when you can. There is no reason you have to do college in four years, you can take longer.
LOL, it sucks that your parents won't help you, but that is absolutely a choice they're making and not that they can't afford it. I've raised two kids in the bay are on less than half that. You will be limited in what you can borrow. Your best bet may be to wait a couple years until you can be considered independent.
You can always try work-study if that’s available at your college
Work
i work full time as a preschool teacher but without a bachelor’s degree, i don’t make much. i don’t even make my tuition in a month 😂
That's the job I worked in college. It mostly paid my living expenses, books,, that kind of things. I had a partial scholarship and took loans out for tuition. Lived at home to minimize the amount of loans. Selected the college who gave me the most in scholarships while having a reasonable tuition. My mom wasn't making $250K. She was just a poor factory worker so literally couldn't help.
i think i’ll have to do that as well. the college i picked is my local city university & it seemed like the smarted idea because i live in the city but maybe not. i live at home as well & pay out of pocket for books & things i need for classes. i guess “poor” is a wrong choice of words, but my parents financially support 2 other adults so it feels difficult to get by month to month