Money for College

[rduell]

Does anyone know of any loans that college students can get that don't require a cosigner? Our daugter is in her first year of college and doesn't have enough money for the 2nd semester. She worked last summer and saved $2,000 but all of that went to pay what she owed for the first semester after loans and grants.

Here is the financial aid package that she received:

PHEAA
Stafford Subsidized Loan
Pell Grant
Work Study (didn't get a job though, because all the jobs were taken)

She has no car so can't get a job off campus to make money. She has been to financial aid but all they gave her was a pamphlet for loans and they all appear to need a cosigner, which we are not willing to do.

[JanH]

Is the FASFA application part of those she received in the package? I know that DIL and DS both got loans and grants without co-signers, but I don't know which they received. I do think they filled out the FASFA--I believe this is the one? This may include the ones she has already gotten.

[Gruntina]

If older than age 25 can get all kinds of loans.. but I am unsure for those prior to that age.

[greedy4chips]

How about being a tutor? Does she have the grades or the desire to be a tutor? My school pays me $7.50 per hour to tutor (for her it would be essentially tax free). It won't make me rich, but it does keep me relearning my computer programming languages.

[shengmei]

The fastest way to get grants and loans worth thousands of dollars without a cosigner is to declare yourself independent. You can do it with two different routes.

1. Three letters from three different psychologists saying that the child has no contact with the parents after the age of 18.

2. If the child gets married.

In my case, I found it much easier for me to do the second thing on the list. Of course, she will have to find a decent guy first.

Other than that, she could become a RA (residential advisor) for her dorm or a SI (supplemental instructor) for her class, provided that she has a good GPR (usually above 3.4). Both of those options would pay her approximately $400 a month in Texas. I am not so sure about other states.

[pjmama]

I got a loan from Sallie Mae without a cosigner, but it has 14.25% interest. I'm in school, though, so it's worth it. There are ways, they just may not be the cheapest options.

[tinapbeana]

where i went to school the jobs in the computer lab and w/ the IT department in general were *not* work study, so perhaps she could try there.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Does she not get student loan offers in the mail? My stusent gets them, a couple per month.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Next time one of those loan offers comes here, if I see it and it is a non-co-signer loan, I will come back and post the contact info for you.

[rduell]

Originally Posted by JanH

Is the FASFA application part of those she received in the package? I know that DIL and DS both got loans and grants without co-signers, but I don't know which they received. I do think they filled out the FASFA--I believe this is the one? This may include the ones she has already gotten.

Yes, all of these grants and loans were from filling out the FAFSA. She also has 2 scholarships that have helped a bit.

[rduell]

Originally Posted by Gruntina

If older than age 25 can get all kinds of loans.. but I am unsure for those prior to that age.

She's only 18 so I don't know if that affects the issue of needing a cosigner or not.

[rduell]

Originally Posted by shengmei

The fastest way to get grants and loans worth thousands of dollars without a cosigner is to declare yourself independent. You can do it with two different routes.

1. Three letters from three different psychologists saying that the child has no contact with the parents after the age of 18.

2. If the child gets married.

In my case, I found it much easier for me to do the second thing on the list. Of course, she will have to find a decent guy first.

Other than that, she could become a RA (residential advisor) for her dorm or a SI (supplemental instructor) for her class, provided that she has a good GPR (usually above 3.4). Both of those options would pay her approximately $400 a month in Texas. I am not so sure about other states.

I doubt she can declare herself independent. LOL! She's home almost every weekend (college is only 50 miles away) and is not interested in having a boyfriend at this point, let alone a husband.

[rduell]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

where i went to school the jobs in the computer lab and w/ the IT department in general were *not* work study, so perhaps she could try there.

She's checked the computer lab but all the jobs are taken, unfortunately.

[rduell]

No, her mail comes here and she hasn't gotten anything about student loans at all.

[rduell]

Sorry about all the separate replies. Haven't figured out yet how to do more than one in a post!

[Squantum]

What about a Perkins loan? See here:

http://www.salliemae.com/get_student...perkins_loans/

Perkins money is lent out by the school. Basically, she should appeal her financial aid package, saying she needs more money and inquiring about a Perkins. Interest rate is 5% and it does not require a co-signer.

She should also keep looking for jobs. Sometimes students quit as the semester goes on and they realize they have less free time than they need/want.

[rduell]

Originally Posted by Squantum

What about a Perkins loan? See here:

http://www.salliemae.com/get_student...perkins_loans/

Perkins money is lent out by the school. Basically, she should appeal her financial aid package, saying she needs more money and inquiring about a Perkins. Interest rate is 5% and it does not require a co-signer.

She should also keep looking for jobs. Sometimes students quit as the semester goes on and they realize they have less free time than they need/want.

Thank you, Squantum. I passed that link on to her this morning and also a link to MSN Money about loans for college. Hopefully something will work out for her.

[boefixepa]

I was able to get loans at 22-23 without a cosigner. They were subsidized Stafford Loans and I did have to fill out all kinds of financial papers and parents income did have to be under a certain amount. The best resource would probably be to talk to a higher financail aid officer at her school and ask her what your options are.

[Squantum]

Her daughter already has subsidized Stafford loans. She could try to get unsubsidized Stafford loans, too. But interest on those starts to accumualte right away. Interest on subsidized Stafford loans and Perkins loans are on hold while you're in school, and for a few month (6-9 mo) grace period afterward.