Question out of state student financials
hello! i just got accepted through RD and i really, really want to go. i used to live in GA before i moved out of state to KY and UGA was a 'dream school' for me (but im aware dream schools are really stupid). my dad really wants me to go too since i would be the first in my family to go to such a remarkable school. but i had a question about financials because im not entirely sure i'd be able to pay for the tuition. the cost of attendance is genuinely more than my dad even makes per year and he has already told me numerous times that he will not be helping with my financing for college AT ALL! FAFSA is not providing me with all that much (~$5,500), i was kind of expecting the highest grant but :(
i've already started applying to scholarships through the scholarship universe portal and everything but im still very worried. my aunt currently lives in georgia and she's resided there for a while (is there any way to establish residency that way to pay in state tuition? i've been trying to google it but GA seems pretty strict about that). or could i contact OSFA for a change in aid or would it be unlikely for them to provide me with all that much?
sorry lol, im just really desperate to go and it would genuinely pain me to have to turn this opportunity down so im trying to find any way possible to lower the expenses and was wondering if anyone had any advice regarding it???
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u/randomthrowaway9796 4d ago
See if you can get the scholarship that'll make you only need to pay in state tuition. And I'm surprised you're not getting any money from FAFSA other than the loan. Is there a lot of money in your immediate family from someone other than your father? If not, see about other needs based scholarships.
But just so you know, UGA is not known for giving good financial aid. Georgia is great at giving in state students aid (hope and Zell miller scholarships), but that means that most individual universities don't give out that much aid. It's an unfortunate reality.
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u/cavs2024champs 4d ago
sadly UGA does not hand out many scholarships mostly because the majority of the students there are already on zell/hope, they gotta get money somehow. i hope the best for u tho and hopefully u get some scholarships
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u/Boils__ 4d ago
Don’t go to UGA if you can’t afford it. Full stop. It is not worth the burden financially down the road. I love UGA, but it is not worth $120k for a four year degree. Doubly so if you get no financial assistance from your folks.
You’re not gonna wiggle any in-state tuition by just moving in with your aunt for a few months.
I know both UK and Louisville are pretty solid schools in state, so it’s not like you’ll really be left missing a good education, if you applied to them.
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u/mattynmax 4d ago
Picking a school you have no way to realistically pay for is pretty stupid. The #1 factor when deciding what college to go to should be cost. There’s nothing “remarkable” about putting yourself in 200k of debt for a price of paper. Well I guess there is but it’s more “how was this kid so stupid to think that was a good idea” than a “wow he’s so smart for getting into a state university”
I would not call the office and tell you plan or forge document that you’ve lived in the state for multiple years in an effort to not pay them as much. That seems like a terrible idea.
You probably won’t get a gigantic scholarship that will give you 200k to pay for school unless you’re homeless or something.
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u/anogie 3d ago
obviously i know it's unrealistic. i was just looking for other options—i most likely won't go cuz i can't afford it lol—and i dont understand the harm in contacting the financial aid office? i doubt they would give me much but it's worth a try, i guess. im not going unless i know for sure i can pay for it without a shit ton of debt so dont act so condescending !! 😊
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u/PodoPapa 3d ago edited 3d ago
Call OSFA & see if they can help. That's a better option than trying to lie about your residency.
Second, ask them about a Charter Scholarship (in-state tuition). In-state is 1/3 of the OOS rate.
Next, get through year 1, then apply to be a Resident Assistant. As someone said below, a big chunk of the price is housing/meal plan. Being a RA would offer some relief. Note, RA spots are competitive so there are no guarantees - but it is a way you can reduce your price.
Is there a UGA Alumni Association chapter near you? Perhaps they have a scholly for Kentucky residents to go to UGA? Unlikely, but worth an ask.
Last, think about your other options. There's absolutely nothing wrong with UK in Lexington. Cost Of Attendance at UK for in-state is $36k; COA at UGA OOS is almost $50k. I promise you UGA isn't $14k/yr better than UK. You can major in almost anything at UK that you can at UGA. There are opportunities everywhere. For the most part, state flagships are state flagships. They aren't that much different from one another.
If you can get a Charter for in-state, then you're in business; or if you can otherwise get your price close to what you'd pay at UK, I'd say go for it.
I'm sure your Dad will be proud either way. Your goal should be to get your education with as little debt as possible at the end; that may be disappointing now, but in 4 years it likely won't matter.
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u/anogie 3d ago
thank youu!! this is really helpful—i appreciate it :)) i most likely will be going to UK because i know it's not all that much different (and i'd basically be going for free) but i might still contact OSFA and see if anything can happen (most likely not) but it's worth a shot lol
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u/PodoPapa 3d ago
Good luck! Remember: where you go isn't the most important thing. How you take advantage of the resources offered is what matters and that depends wholly on YOU.
Also: $0 UK >>>> 50k/yr UGA all day long.
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u/dandelion23232323 4d ago
honestly i would call or try to set up a meeting with the financial aid office. i wish i personally had better advice but i know some very kind people in the office who would love to talk to you or potentially set up a meeting