I filled out the FASFA and it says that my family contribution is almost 30k per year! Are they freaking high? Why they don't take debt, mortgages, etc into consideration is beyond me. I can't afford that!

One of the schools I am applying to is so expensive. If it's the only school I get into, I need to find a way to afford the tuition. How does one go about getting scholarships? I have a 3.8 GPA.

Thanks!

I'm in the same boat here but we don't carry any debt so I thought that was the problem. And yes "freaking high" was my first thought also! I'd check the college website because with your gpa there really should be something for you. Also check your state's website because some offer tuition grants if you agree to work in a hospital somewhere in that state for a set length of time. Best of luck to you, Jules

Thank you! I really only have this issue with one school. The others are affordable, but one is $15k a year for tuition and I can't swing that! I bet (knock on wood) that it will be the only program I get into!

Once I get some acceptance letters, I'm hitting those financial aid offices looking for the big money!

Yeah, my dh makes too much money to get any help, but we live paycheck to paycheck (and NOT extravagantly, we have 3 kids!). What I'm doing is applying for a scholarship without local hospital. They will pay everything if I will work there for two years after graduation. I think that's an awesome deal. Maybe check with your local hospitals, around here it's very common, and you do have a great GPA which will help!

Good luck!

Kelly

You can try some loan forgiveness programs. I am currently attending a nursing school that is very expensive, it's 10,100 per SEMESTER and my tuition is paid if I agree to work for one of their hospitals in their health care system for 3 years. It's a good deal for me because I can use my student loans for living expenses. I also qualified for scholarships, so I would start searching for them NOW if I were you. With your GPA, you shouldnt have a problem. Also, look for non-traditional student scholarships as well.

Good luck to you!

my dad's a single parent and my mom doesn't pay child support, so our expected contribution is only like $1900 so I guess the only way to get it lower is to be poor!

Hi...

My school starts this May. I found out last year I would be attending. Tuition is $36K total and I sure needed help. I won't qualify for any federal aid so I had to get on the ball.

Starting in August of last year I made a pledge to fill out at least 2 scholarship applications a week. I have exceeded that and filled out 203 applications.

Google has been the biggest help, as I have applied for some pretty obscure stuff. So far I've only gotten about $500, but I will find out about the big awards this March. I'm holding on in faith.

BTW, I used to live near Hasting in Kearney!

My school recommended Fastweb (http://www.fastweb.com) as a free source for scholarship information. I filled out a gazillion page questionnaire and get frequent emails letting me know about scholarships that work for me.