Typically, your school will charge you one big fee near the start of every semester (or quarter). Make sure you budget for this; having a couple thousand dollars disappear in one flash can be a bit overwhelming.

Bottom line is this: You're going to have to take out student loans. I can't see any way around this. You should talk to your financial aid office to see if you qualify for subsidized federal direct student loans, since these have the lowest interest rates. Also, with this type of loan, you won't be charged interest and won't have to make any payments while you're in college. But you will have to pay it back eventually, so spend it wisely. Be very careful about what other kinds of student loans you take out. Not all loans are equal; don't make the mistake of thinking they are.

i wish i could do the loan. my parents said they would not co sign a loan with me so i dont know what to do.

idk what state you live in...but i'm almost positive that every single state has a loan program for students, meaning no co-signer is needed. if you are unable to receive a scholarship while under your parents, perhaps it will be necessary to claim yourself as independent so you don't look as financially stable to colleges. This is risky, however, because then you will no longer be on your parents insurance.

I go to a very expensive college but am lucky to have most of it paid for through grants and the like. I'll come out of college with less than a 10K debt. Considering my college is 45K a year, that's not too bad.

Definitely talk to the financial aid office and see what they can do. I think it's impossible to get through college without loans unless you're rich. I didn't need a co-signer on my loans.

there has got to be around a co-signer...if not is there anyone else who would be willing to sign for you...?

There are some types of loans that require co-signers, but you should be able to get student loans that don't. Federal student loans (the only kind I have right now) don't require any co-signer; I don't know the policies different banks have for their loans, though. Your financial aid office knows, so you can go talk to someone there (or email someone). But, I have to warn you: It's a bad idea to take out loans with whichever bank your school pushes on you; many schools get special deals with banks for talking kids into signing up, and these loans are not always the best you can get. Shop around before you commit.

go to the financial aid office, u never know u may be able to qualify for a grant. cosigning isnt a good thing because if u stopped goin to school, the payments reflect back on the parents and its very hard to get out of a cosign. i found these websites in a magazine called upscale and this editor wrote it one of them is called dollar-grants.gov and i forgot the others. these are 3rd party companies that will give u a grant, there is a lot of secrets about gov grants we dont know about.

most schools will do a payment plan where u pay a portion of the tuition.

As far as the person who mentioned her claiming as independent that is not possible unless she is over a certain age (and it is in the 20's), a military vet, in graduate school, married, emancipate, or a ward of the state.
In terms of the student loans I didnt' need a cosigner for any of my loans and I have a subsidized stafford, unsubsidized stafford, and a perkins. And trust me when I say that if they will give me a loan they will give anyone a loan!

i have also heard that they are not letting freshmen take out loans. is this true????!?!?! how can they do that?

Freshmen can definitely take out loans. My younger sister is a freshman, and she's taken out more than I have.

You need to fill out a FAFSA for this year (googled FAFSA and you will find the appication). Once you submit that to your university/college they will look at your "expected family contribution" which is the amount the government says you can afford to pay. They will then see if you are eligable for loans, work study, or federal grants.

i did fill out the fafsa and i got no help from them.

The best thing you can do is start doing prep that isn't involved in money. the more you think about it the more your will freak yourself out. Go to all the government scholarship websites and see if you qualify for some type of financial aid or scholarship. Just don't take out loans until you have NO other choice. One thing I do every summer is have a huge garage sale. It's amazing the things you accumulate over the course of the year. Stay low key, don't spend any money on advertising since garage sales are big in the summer and people drive around looking for them. A few signs made from old boxes placed on major streets can be enough. Then take the money you make and get a couple of nice outfits since you're going to need a few pieces of clothing and you can justify the cost. If you have anything left, put it in a high yield savings account. i have one thru ING Direct that is 3% interest and tends to go up thru the year. keep putting money in it, $20 here and there can really add up. Just don't touch it and anything you plan on putting toward school anyway, add it in.
I hope this helps a little!

I filled out my FAFSA online and they determined that I was independent. My school helped me with the loan process plus I'm receiving grants. This summer I will be eligible for work study so that should help with small expenses and I'm getting an off campus job.

Well I have ALL loans and I don't care. It is an education and no one can take that from you. My partents did not have to co sign my loans I was able to do them myself. Fill out a Stafford Loan and look into Sallie Mae loans. I go to a school that costs me about 10,000 a year as well and I do not regret getting loans. I will pay them until I die and that is okay. Once you graduate you can consolidate the loans for a much lower interest rate. Good luck and enjoy college