Question

College tuition? Advice? Info is below.

Answer 1

I'm turning 16 in February & I thought this summer would be the time to get a job. I'm planning on working at a dog boarding facility & after taxes, as a minor, I'm expecting around $120 a week, maybe less. Anyways, for college, I'm planning on going to The Los Angeles Film School and I'm moving from Florida, but obviously I have to be accepted, but tuition is around $50,000. It's really high, and I don't know, unless I get a scholarship, how I'm going to do that. Once I get my job, I will probably be expected to pay for my cell phone bill, and car insurance. I just don't really see how it's possible to pay it. You will probably all say that my parents will help, my they're not too supportive with me moving to California. Anyways, how should I go about saving up?

Is taking out loans really that big of a deal, because honestly, I don't mind doing that. It would take a while to pay off, of course, but if it means me being successful, I'll do it. :D

Answer 2

You got a bunch of advice in the OS Feedback forum, but here is a little more.

Loans are, and always will be, a risk. However, it may be impossible to avoid them. Do not let a loan stop you. Just do what you can to minimize the loan.

Large, expensive schools generally have the best financial aid packages. Many times people who put in effort can get out of a name school with less loans. Even though the school charges more, their aid packages can be so good that your end is less.

Another good tool is every $100 to $1000 scholarship you can find. The $10,000+ scholarships get thousands to tens of thousands of applicants every year. Many of the smaller ones get a handful of applicants. It is very rare for a scholarship to have no applicants, but several of the smaller ones only have a few. It is far easier to stand out in a crowd of 5 or even 100 than it is in a crowd of 1000 to 10,000. This means your chances of getting small awards are better. So never leave the small ones out! Even $100 means less loans, less interest, etc. so go for it!

As I said before in OS Feedback, look into internships. They may or may not pay. Even if they do not, they can get you job experience. That way when you graduate you have both the degree and the experience. That means you can get into a job faster because you will have more things people are looking for! And having a job sooner means being able to pay things off sooner. So even if an internship is unpaid it is a huge help on your resume!