Question by Kayla: How can I pay for college?
I am a freshman in high school and I have started looking for universities I may want to attend, (I am doing this so early so I can make sure I fit all academic requirements for when the time comes).
However, the problem I have been noticing is that these colleges are extremely expensive. Ive been interested in NYU except the yearly price is $ 50,000 a year and for a four-year plan, that’s $ 200,000 my family or I do not have. I heard from somewhere financial Aid will not cover much because Private Universities are considered a “luxury”, and so I would be paying for most of it out of pocket as well as my parents. So, what are some things I can be doing now to help raise some of the money I nescholarshipsshipss I can apply for?
Thank you! And feel free to message me and I will tell you more about the situation.
Best answer:
Answer by RoofingPrincess
I don’t know where you heard that “financial Aid will not cover much because Private Universities are considered a “luxury”, and so I would be paying for most of it out of pocket as well as my parents”.
There is a standard financial aid form known as the FAFSA. Your parents need to fill it out. Based on this, colleges will determine what your family is capable of contributing toward your education. Of the remaining amount, they *may* offer a financial aid package to cover some or all of that amount. This package can consist of loans, grants, and employment.
Look up the tuition, room & board, and fees at Wellesley College. Trust me when I tell you that there is no way my parents could have afforded to pay the late-70s version of those fees. We were as poor as you could get and still be considered middle-class. 
Thankfully, the amount that they determined my family could pay was exactly the amount a young woman my age could earn in a summer. The rest was covered by a grant, a loan (from an alumna organization, to be paid back within 5 years of graduation), and on-campus employment (which basically kept me in pocket money). No, I couldn’t take extravagant trips during breaks from school like some of my classmates could. No, I couldn’t have a car. But I got one heck of an education.
Do, however, look into scholarships. Your high school guidance counselor should know of places to look. I know there was an online site when my son was nearing graduation that we looked at as well. Never, however, pay any money in hopes of winning a scholarship, or to get information on available scholarships.
Good luck!
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