College Financing

So i'm currently in college studying computer science.

i have gotten a little bored with the major and couldn't see myself enjoying it in the future.

So i did some research for a new major and i am now really interested in Dental.

I sent out my transcripts to 3 new Uni's and had gotten accepted to all 3.

One is 2 and a half hours away

One is 45 minutes away

And the 3rd is 4 hours away.

So out of those three i chose the 2 and a half hour away Uni, i did my research and now realized that it's TRIPLE my current college cost..

I am not sure what to do.

Should i take a break from school to work and get money, then go back..?

I pay for everything on my own, so i wont be able to get help..

Any info helps thanks.

 

Can you wait until the next school year and apply for AID using the FASFA/Grants etc?


I'm guessing your income is not very high as a college student, you should be able to get a reasonable amount of grants & aid I would think, I know the FASFA can award like up to $6,000 a semester & grants can be even more.

 

I suggest taking a year off. While saving up money, you can also put more thought into what you want to study. You might come across something else that interests you even more than dental.

Honestly, work as much as possible and do little side jobs. Everything adds up, and it will make being in school that much less stressful.

Good luck, with whatever you choose

 

Depending on your marks most of your tuition could be covered. I'm not sure about where you live but in Ontario we have something called OSAP which is like ontario students assistance plan or something of that sort. It aids students that receive little to no financial help from their parents.

 

Yeah we have the FASFA, but you can only receive so much.. You would then have to take out bank / private loans which have ridiculous interest.

 

Don't forget to consider scholarships as well. There are surprisingly loads of them available, you just need to take a look. Many of them might be small, but there's so many that you could potentially get that they would really add up. Plus, money you don't have to pay is money you don't have to pay

 

Make sure you file your FAFSA early, disregard what Bus said you can get the full amount covered if you fill your form out correctly (but DON'T falsify it). If you're lucky you'll get some grants which you won't have to pay back. Be wary of taking out too many unsubsidized loans, interest rates are typically pretty high (5-7%) and starts as soon as you take out the loan (although loan payments are deferred while you're in attendance). Subsidized loans are great, lower interest rates (typically 3-4%) and interest doesn't start until 6 months after graduation.

If necessary, pick up a job, do your best to sign up for classes as close together as possible. I worked part time all throughout my undergrad (did my best to schedule classes back to back starting early morning, so I could work in the afternoon/evening/weekend).

Also, make sure Dental is something you really want to do, it's an extremely tough field which is extremely competitive. I'd suggest perusing some pre-dental forums, and shadowing a local dentist.

 

Definitely make sure this is what you want to do before you start taking out loans to pursue it. Last place you want to end up is two years down the road paying off loans for classes that you won't end up using in life.