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I scored 22 on the ACT because I'm slow so I can't get academic scholarships and my dad makes too much money for me to get need based loans or grants (expected family contribution is the total sum) and my dad says he's not helping with any of it. What can I do and what should I do?

You might try going to a community college for the first two years to take your general education requirements. They are extremely affordable, when compared to 4 year universities. Work a part time job while in school, and work full time during the summers and on holidays to save up enough to attend your last two years at a four-year university.

Unless you are going into a field where you are sure you will earn a decent salary (enough to pay your living expenses and make loan payments) do not take out any student loans. You are stuck with student loans until they're paid off or you die - you can't discharge them in bankruptcy if things go badly.

Worst case, if you really want a university degree, go part time and work your way through school. That way, if you are able to find work in a field remotely related to your studies, you'll come out with a resume and a diploma. Hiring managers are very impressed if you have a resume.

Best of luck.

If you know exactly what you want to major in then that would work perfectly.

It is always much cheaper to go to a community college or go to a local college and commute for 2 years then go to a University.

This is basically what I did.

It was around $2,500-$3,000 per semester(I lived at home and had to put up for my parents for an extra year) but I still think it was well worth it.

This is coming from a guy who has gone to 4 different colleges(Well- Only one class at the community college) and has had to change high schools.

Meeting new people just gets repetitive I guess.

Do take notice that you will have to meet new people at the second University; I've gone to 6 different schools in 6 years so the process has gone bad some years. Especially trying to make new friends when I knew I was going to be moving somewhere else.

The only problem is that if you change your major; then all the classes you took at the community college or university close by might not even transfer over as credit in the University that you are sure you want to attend.

This can really screw you over because lets say hypothetically you want to major in something like Physics and then in one year through you decide to switch your major to Engineering(This is entirely hypothetical; I'm not trying to stereotype you or anyone else with AS).

The result will be that the 32 credit hours you took might only transfer over as 8 or 12 credit hours to the program in the University you want to transfer to.

Since you need an average of 120-128 credit hours to graduate(I am guessing this is the universal amount in America) this will put you behind by almost a year.

I'm probably thinking about this a little too hard now.....but make sure you know what you want to major in and are 100% certain if you plan to transfer into a University. You will also have to make sure all your classes transfer over as credit in the program in the University you want to go to...you can check this online or even call the department at the other university and simply ask how they handle transfer credits.

You can always take on loans also.....I wouldn't be too afraid of these as long as you know you will be making the money after you graduate.

Just this year I was introduced to a new $20,200 loan that I owe after I graduate .

I'm going to add don't be so afraid of the loans again.....most people who are in college have some type of loan. Just know that you can and WILL make the money after you graduate to pay them off. If you don't have the proper mindset or mentality to succeed in college and take on the first job with confidence then stay away from loans like the plague.

Saint Paul Community College is where I intend to go and the major is Electronics Technology. Not really planing on going to a 4-year after; a technician is what I want to become. If I were to go to a 4-year I'd want to keep studying electronics probably to become an engineer. I wonder how that would work out.

I want to have time to study; I really have difficulty multitasking. Working and studying is highly difficult to me because I feel like I need to focus on one item at a time: if this mean I may be in debt for a while, well maybe that's not so bad. I am afraid of debt, but I really cannot concentrate on both a job and school if they are unrelated. During 2nd year I could start working as a technician and that would be alright, but the whole "would you like fries with that?" deal really drives me crazy.

My advice is to not work during the school year unless you have to. I did it for one semester where I stupidly signed up for 17 credits and it was a nightmare.

You should have enough to worry about getting good grades and getting enough sleep(Especially as an Engineer; which is a time-consuming major).

Going to a Community College is perfectly cool but do notice that after you graduate you will(In the textbook situation) be beat by students who went to a higher ranked University and got the same GPA. Some companies can even be big snobs and take the students who got a 0.5-1.5 GPA lower but where in the high ranked school. Although the process itself is flawed because community college can be equally as rewarding as going to some bigshot school but I guess I cannot accurate predict the mind of the company recruiter.

I've known a situation in which a 2.0 GPA beat a 4.0 but that is rare. A student who got a 3.6-3.8 GPA can be beat by a student who gets a 3.0 at a higher ranked University though(Not as uncommon).

Although as long as the college will give you a good education you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. You will also save a lot of money.

PS- My dad is also the same way. I believe he makes around $150,000 a year(He will never tell me ) and he expects me to start from scratch the same way that he did. I guess it is good in a way- I don't want to be a rich kid who parents pay for everything.

I suppose an employer would look more favorably upon a graduate who went to a school that admits only 10% of applicants compared to a graduate who went to a school that accepts 100% of applicants? And what criteria do the schools base admittance on? SAT, ACT, high school GPA, money? So even if you work hard and are the top student knowing your field, employers would rather accept someone who almost flunked at an expensive school? That smells bad.

There's a pretty high demand for workers in your intended field. You could get your two-year degree and then work part-time while completing a 4-year degree part-time. Since your job and schoolwork would be directly related, maybe it would help you avoid difficulties with multi-tasking. Alternately, you could try to work something out with your employer so that you could take time off at intervals to work towards your next degree. I know that it's fairly common for companies to give engineers time off to continue their education further, they will often even pay for it. My dad is an engineer and could have had his company pay for him to get his Master's degree or even PhD any time he wanted.
Best of luck.

The following is a very broad response to what I've read above, as your situation depends on an awful lot more than what you posted.

Again, it depends on what you intend to do when you graduate. You appear to be pursuing a trades degree. This is a good option, if what you want to do is get out in two years and into a tech job in the workforce. If you do, you may find that your employer will reimburse the cost of further education. (I know companies like Texas Instruments, etc., do so.)

You may not need or want a 4 year degree. If you do (and this is general advice for anyone contemplating a 4 year degree):

I've been working at a major research institution for the last 12 years, and at minor ones before that. I've seen a lot of students leaving after four years with a BA degree and over $30,000 in debt. BIG, BIG, HUGE mistake unless you are going into a high demand field that pays well. If you're not sure what your field pays, go to the placement center on your campus (or most campuses) and check the numbers. If you're going to be living in, say, Los Angeles and your expected starting salary is going to be $30K a year (not all that unusual for a BA degree), when you figure in the cost of living in a city like LA, transportation, etc., you can't afford the loan payments on a $30K loan. If you're going to be doing the same in a city like, oh, say... Oklahoma City (and you're pretty sure you can find work there) where the pay is also about $30K for that degree but housing is half what you'd pay in LA, it's doable. Plan ahead and be aware of the constraints you'll face when you leave.

If you go into a field like teaching, there are some programs that will assume some of some specific types of loan debt in return for your agreeing to teach in a shortage area or in an under-served (read inner city) community. You might check those out as well. I seem to remember there being something in public health....

Your university diploma will generally count as an entry document into the workforce only in selected careers. That is, if you're going into something high tech, or a professional career, etc., the diploma carries more weight if from a "better" school - better meaning one that has a good reputation in that field. There are some high profile schools that you would think had great reputations across all majors, but they do not. If you come out with a degree in mass communications, or english, or education, the school at which you earn your diploma really doesn't matter that much.

Quite frankly, some of the state schools here in California, where I live, are cranking out 10,000 diplomas per year each. The more people with basic diplomas, the less valuable they are. I would strongly advise any potential student to check out a university's placement office and their placement rates (they should be tracking where their grads go after degree and what salaries they are offered) before deciding on a school.

There are a few select employers who will be recruiting only from the upper-crust schools. Just remember that a vast majority of jobs in this country are not going to be with those employers.

Also, I don't have the stats at my fingertips, but the last time I checked (about a half-dozen years ago) I think they were something to the effect that only 30% of college graduates ended up working in their fields of study after graduation. With those odds, you'd better love what you study, because you may not end up working in it unless you really do love it and are willing to sacrifice to stay in the field.

Five years down the road, your diploma doesn't really count for much (again, unless you've gone to professional school, etc.). A BA or basic BS degree is an entry level credential. My advice remains to get as much work experience - build your resume - while in school as you can. That way you leave with your piece of paper AND proof that you are functional in a workplace setting. If you can afford unpaid internships, by all means do them. But do plan to leave with more than your sheepskin. Or you're going to be in for a really, really nasty shock. I know an awful lot of people with masters degrees who are working as secretaries and administrative assistants because those are the only jobs available to them.

If you go to a community college, you'll need to do your legwork up front. If you know the school to which you'll transfer, check with them to see what you can take at community college that will transfer. Some will allow you a written contract that insures they will accept the coursework. Generally, your "general ed" credits will transfer over - english, history, government, basic math, art, etc. - as either specific equivalents or as general elective courses.

My daughter just finished 2 years at a California CC and we have not had to pay a cent towards the costs. (The fees are normally about $20 a credit hour here, with a class being 3 credits.) In fact, for her first year she was given a Pell grant that gave her $80 a month to pay for gas, etc., to get to the school. She did live at home and did have a work-study job on campus for both years. Of all the courses she took in those two years, only a very few (three, I think) will not transfer as either general electives or equivalent to freshman/sophomore classes in english, science, etc., at the 4 year schools of her choice.

She will be taking a full year off and working full time to save money for her final two years. She is hoping to have a job during that time in a field related to the degree she plans to earn. When she does go off to her last two years, she will make sure to not overload her schedule. Once she's settled in and is comfortable with the workload, if there are internships available, she will pursue them. It's not a race, and none of the schools she chose require that she finish in four years (a few do, so check carefully). Given that the field she seems to be ready to move into will require at least one advanced degree, it's best that she not take out loans at the undergraduate level. There will be plenty of them at the grad level.

{She's an aspie, by the way. If that matters at all. Which, really, I don't think it does.}

The very best of luck to you! Just remember, the "traditional" way of attending college is not the only way available to you.

I ended up going to a community college because of the high costs of attending a 4-year university. After getting my Associate's degree, I decided to work full-time for a while, and go to school part-time, to save some money. Then when it was again feasible to attend college full-time, I did it. I have a my parents and a scholarship helping me right now.

Tim