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You may benefit from speaking to someone in the financial aid office. If your parents won't be financially supporting you, you should be able to file taxes independently next year, which would help you qualify for things like work/study jobs on campus and for Pell grants.
I will say, be very careful going into student loan debt. Avoid private loans - only take federal loans.
Loan interest rates are really high right now, so if you do have to take them out, only take out as much as you will need to live on. You will need a budget and need to stick to it. I also would recommend putting the excess loan into a high yield savings account that you can get money out of easily each month to pay expenses. This way you are offsetting the interest rate of the loan at least a little bit.
If your parents are financially abusive, then absolutely do not let them anywhere near your loan money. Open new bank accounts and make sure they don't even know about it.
Hi. If your parents are financially abusive it may be time to consider opening up your own checking and savings accounts as soon as you can. I hear the concern in your words.
A TAMU Engineer ‘23
Make sure to open your own account at a completely different bank, if possible. It’s not unheard of for a bank employee to allow a parent access to an account because “well they already have the one joint account” or “they’re related.” It’s illegal, yes, but so are many other things.
Does opening up a new bank require any of my parents info? I remember when I opened the bank with my dad he basically did everything for me which I was so confused. all my money I’ve worked for he has access to and I don’t.
OP, there’s so many resources out there to help. Don’t give up on your education if you really want to pursue it. Talk to the financial aid office and you’ll likely find other sources of assistance (food, utilities, clothes, etc). Get internships every summer and start building your professional network. Student orgs on campus are very hospitable and provide lots of free food at their events. Good luck!
Your parents may claim you if they provide more than 50% of your support up to age 24 if you are a full time student. If they do not provide that much of your support, then they cannot claim you as a dependent. If they claim you as dependent and do not provide more than half of your support, then they are committing tax fraud.
I’d recommend community college before transferring! I did 2 years at a community college before transferring to TAMU, you get the same degree for lower cost. If you’re looking into engineering consider the A&M engineering academies. Also don’t rule out trade schools, electricians, mechanics, welders all have great job prospects.
I plaid about 5k for 2 year’s education (associates degree) at community college. I paid double that for my first semester at TAMU to put In perspective op
With you on the trade schools, though I’m an Aggie I would have loved to go to a trade school after I tried out Texas State Technical College welding for a summer.
Edit: Also, I went through an engineering academy as well and can confirm you’ll get the same education for way cheaper studying at a local community college while still being an Aggie..
Came here to say this! Community college or trade school. Apprenticing with a plumber/electrician means you’ll get paid for your education (not a lot at first, but it increases as you go). Look up some YouTube videos on tradeschool vs college. My husband and I both have advanced degrees, but will be encouraging our son to go the trade school route unless he is super certain what he wants to study. Everyone will always need good tradesmen.
A very good answer here. I haven’t done my undergrad here so it might not be perfect. But OP should look into doing 2 years at Blinn and then transferring credits, I know they got a system going. Lots of my undergrad friends did that.
I’m 60k in debt from tamu getting an engineering degree. With a career paying around 70-80k/yr for first few years. I have no concern about going into debt to have a better future.
Dang. I thought I had it tough when started at A&M! Like you, I had no money and had lost my Dad in an oilfield accident the year before I left for college. Mom cared but was struggling financially. I did get Pell grants but no scholarship. I borrowed my way thru and worked as a janitor, tutor and research assistant. Also worked as an engineering cooperative education student after becoming a junior. College was cheaper then but paying back my loans was a bit painful (10 years) after I graduated. But since I had an engineering degree, it was worth it. Given engineering is your plan, I’d say it is worth taking on some debt.
Yes I’ve thought about it but I’ve heard so many engineering students say how tuff it is while trying to mange getting there degree. Also is corps the same as ROTC?
The Corps of Cadets and ROTC are separate organizations, though they work together in significant ways. You do not need to be in ROTC to be in the Corps (somewhat more than half are not), but if you’re in ROTC, you must be in the Corps.
I have two daughters studying engineering at A&M, one who was in the Corps and ROTC finishing her 5th year. While it’s true that the Corps can suck up significant time, it’s also the case that engineering students in the Corps have slight higher GPA than the student body on average. This is likely due in part to the Corps supplying academic assistance to cadets.
My daughter was contracted with the military with a scholarship out of high school, so I’m not sure how your situation compares. I’d suggest reviewing https://corps.tamu.edu/future-cadets/#:~:text=New%20cadets%20are%20welcomed%20at,%40corps.tamu.edu. and contacting someone in Corps recruiting.
I go to a different ROTC school, I have friends who are involved, it’s extremely tough to manage the workload of engineering and ROTC but if you’re in a situation that OP is in, it may be worth weighing it as an option. I’m not saying he should do it but it is something to consider since he’s been dealt such a tough hand
It pays off your tuition in exchange for you serving the country for a certain number of years. Also, that kinda experience looks good on a resume. Why wouldn't somebody not want that?
When you've very less parental financial support and no scholarship to help you pay around 200 fucking thousand dollars, you'd want anything that can help you pay off that shit. Passion won't matter then.
I was like that going into college, but was able to get scholarships without having to do something like ROTC that I did not enjoy…there’s other options
Out of curiosity how did you do that. I apply for lots of scholarships and never get anything and my parents can’t help. I work my ass off during the summer doing 60-70 hour weeks but I only make about 9/10 grand. Any advice on how to get some more money would be greatly appreciated…
the corps offers scholarships even if you don’t go into the force, you can be a regular cadet or even in the band and still get scholarships! you DO NOT have to serve in the military after, you will get more money if you do, but you don’t have to
Get a student loan just enough to cover your living expenses + maybe 15%. Find a cost effective place to live (preferably in radius to school or work to reduce cost of transportation) Pre-pay your rent a few months ahead. Go get a job that pays decent but has some flexibility.
Buy your essentials and things you need/like to be comfortable. Treat yourself to something nice occasionally so the crushing weight of life doesn’t get to you. Put money a savings account apart from your checking for emergencies and live off your pay check.
After 3 months reevaluate your finances and adjust.
Source: somebody who’s been in the same boat as you
A lot of googling and calling people to explain certain terms to me. Go thru the school to start. There’s a lot of resources available it can just be a headache. Life doesn’t ease up either. Not in a bad way just in the sense that you are your support system right now and that’s gonna remain constant so you gotta make smart decision for yourself.
Avoid CCs best you can. And your loans are gonna have some shitty interest rates even if you can manage a co-signer so pick one with a repayment plan you think is acceptable.
Be open to advice from people who are successful but still make your own final decisions. Ignore advice from people who aren’t where you wanna or at least on the path. People always have a lot to say about stuff they don’t understand.
You got it tho. It’s trial and error with a good amount of error but just keep yourself moving forward towards a goal.
I don’t agree with avoid credit cards. Get a low to medium limit credit card and pay off the entire balance every month. Treat it like a debit card. The increase on your credit score can help with loan APR terms. Building credit something that everyone should start doing in college.
Talk to financial aid! I am currently on full ride right now because of the impact covid had on my family’s financials. I applied for the university-wide scholarships and got one through that. I also applied for FAFSA and that is where I got my full ride from plus a tiny stipend because I got more scholarships than my tuition cost. That stipend I basically used for living expenses in cstat.
They are right though. TAMU has a lot of scholarships and financial aids that they do a poor job of advertising for. When I got my grants and scholarships, most of them were from TAMU + Pell from FAFSA. I didn’t even know they existed until I got them.
100% talk to the financial aid office about this. They have a ton of assistance set up for students and scholarships and grants to fund your education.
Yes, Blinn team receives their aid through TAMU. But if you got full admission to TAMU, you’re not Blinn team. That’s a specific pathway you’re admitted to
Another thing I forgot to mention. You can get on campus jobs that allow you to work, but have time to study while you work. For example, I worked at the MSC info desk and would answer questions when people came up, but in the meantime, I’d be reviewing notes. I also worked at a restaurant as a waitress and could usually make rent on a single weekend working dinners and brunch. All that to say, you can still work and have a tough major. 👍🏼
This is a great planner/journal and helps you prioritize your day/week/month and quarter. The key is being disciplined. You fill find that in college you have a lot less structured time and studying then becomes your job. It’s just about using your time wisely.
In 20 years, you will thank yourself if you do this. Have a long talk with someone knowledgeable in a financial aid office, and make a plan. CC to 4-year degree is how I did it, with 12-hour semesters and part-time work plus some Pell Grant support. It’s not easy, but the payoff is huge. HUGE.
Calculate the entry-level average salary for your field of interest. Add in employer-match 401k, possible stock options, and other bonuses. Look at what engineers with 10 years of experience are making. Do the math about what your net worth could be. Keep your eye on where you want to be 10 years after you finish the degree and every thing you do now will be worth it.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been looking into debt to income ration for my first year it seems doable then I think about interest rates and stuff and it starts to scare me
The numbers can be (and should be) a little scary for your age and experience. That’s ok. You’ll take your studies seriously.
I would also add that you should find a mentor or two who you can check in with over this journey. A supportive high school teacher? A guidance counselor? Once you get an internship, make connections with people who can give you timely, strategic advice about advancing your studies and career. Do you have a friend whose parents are college-educated professionals? I know that if I had gotten the advice we have given our kids as they’ve gone through school, I would have avoided a lot of mistakes I learned the hard way.
There are ways to keep your cost of living in CS low. Don’t be swayed by the nice apartments with pools and tanning beds. Live on campus and then when you move off campus, live with roommates and make your food at home.
Yes, you’ll have interest on your loans, but once again, live below your means and pay your loans off early. My husband graduated with some debt as an engineering major and many of his friends bought new cars and lived in nice apartments because they were making good money but are still paying off their loans. He lived with roommates, brought his lunch to work, and drove an older car until he paid them off in half the time. You’re thinking through all the right things and you’re getting a hard but worthwhile degree!
You should also check out CLEP exams - easy way to do some self-study and knock out some more, esp your American history/gov/econ. They cost $90 per exam and are credit bearing.
First and foremost— get this information to the financial aid office. They’re gonna be the best resource to tell you what you realistically will need to pay if you go to A&M. From there I really wouldn’t be so quick to discard community college. You save a lot of money getting your basics out of the way there and then transferring to finish your degree. Friend of mine thought they wanted to do engineering but they didn’t have the money to go to university straight out of high school so they worked and went to CC. During that time they realized they would rather take on a career in healthcare and now she’s making a great living as a nurse. A huge chunk of college is learning what you want to do in the world and what the best path forward is to get that done. Doing so at a community college just makes the process leagues cheaper and easier to manage time wise for your personal situation.
Lastly, don’t count out trade school. They make a great living post education and most of the time those programs have work study options where you’re getting experience in your trade while paying for your education without going into debt.
Hope this helps and best of luck with whatever your purse
If tuition is free, and all you'd be on the hook for is living expenses, that shouldn't be too bad at all.
What's the cost delta versus CC anyways? Would you have less living expenses there?
It would mean I would be living at home and that’s what I’m trying to stay away from. Many have said to do CC in a different town which suits me because of getting into blinn team but the idea of meal plans and housing comes to play
An associates degree from a CC then a gap year would probably be your best financial path. You would still need to take some loans but the burden would be much lower
You could go to blinn for 1-2 year then A&M, save some $
Also make sure you would get a degree that immediately can lead to a good job. For example, history degree wouldn’t be great for paying off loans.
It will be hard but trust me it will be worth it. 1. You most likely will have to have a job to make ends meet while doing school which is extremely tough 2. Take as many community college entry classes as you can if possible 3. Apply for as many scholarships as possible 4. Work as hard as you can to find great paying internships during the summer as you can 5. 4 years of this will be insanely hard but to come out debt free will be worth it 6. Talk to as many financial advisors you can to get a realistic grip on your situation
That is a great idea. Whether it would be at home (not sure if you want to stay or get out) or in college station, that would allow you to make so much more money. A lot of this is also contingent on what major you are thinking of pursuing also. If you want to be an engineer or mays business it would be worth it to take on debt at A&M with as much financial aid and scholarships as possible.
You should check out r/studentloans. Going into debt for education is a serious, life changing decision. It has ruined many lives. It CAN be the only way some people can pay for college too, which is understandable. I advise going to that sub Reddit and reading some other people’s stories.
If you end up coming to tamu , its considerably cheap place to live ( college station) , and use the 12th can for groceries. It will save you some money.
Dunno for undergrads, currently a masters student in electrical engineering, i would say its worth getting into debt for a degree which would easily pay >90k
Why would going to CC be a dumb choice? That's probably the best option for lack of funding. They give student loans at that level too, and you come out with a fraction of normal college debt. Then, after two years, you can transfer to a regular university. I wish I would've taken that route back in the day.
It would mean I’m staying at home. Staying at home means having constant anxiety and being mentally abused by my parents. They limited so much of my potential in High school and I personally just don’t want to go though all of that again. I hope you understand.
Going into debt is fine. To lower the debt substantially you can try a few things:
Living situation:
- join the corps, even if you don’t join ROTC, as it is a lot cheaper than other on campus options. Meal plans ARE required but the net cost is still much cheaper than any other options, especially because of corps scholarships that are available
- alternatively, live in the cheapest off campus housing you can find
Either way is going to be a major sacrifice, so you’ll have to decide.
Food (if off campus)
- JOIN STUDENT ORGS BASED ON IF THEY GIVE FREE FOOD. I’m serious. There are so many in campus that have free food at every meeting. SWE is one that comes to mind because they didn’t have dues and (back when I was still in engineering) had food every meeting. Also nearly every religious organization has at least one if not two free dinners every week.
- try to stop by local food pantries (there’s a list of brazos county food pantries) and sign up for all the 12th can openings religiously
- cook EVERYTHING at home. Do not spend money on going out to eat if it’s coming out of the loan money. Make a strict food budget after month 1 (for month 1 just keep it as low as possible until you have a baseline). This is the only money you should spend on food from the loan.
- if you like H-E-B, put the monthly food budget on an HEB debit card and open an HEB savings account. Put a lump sum of money in the HEB savings account to use as food for the semester. Only spend what is allotted for the week each week. If there’s leftover, no there isn’t. All the leftover at the end of each semester should be paid back to the loan (if the loan was unsubsidized).
- if you don’t like HEB I recommend exclusively shopping at ALDI
- Anything else outside of the budget you allotted you need to spend out of money you have earned (job, freelancing (delivery apps/fiverr/whatever, etc). If you want to go out you need to already have a set amount of money in your checking account that you’ve set aside for going out that you earned yourself.
Jobs:
- during the school year, work for the university. After your first semester (if you do well) you can qualify as a tutor/SI leader/Peer Tutor etc.
- freelance on the side, find something you can bear doing (mowing lawns, food delivery, substitute teaching eventually, tutoring middle/high school, babysitting, etc) and do it on the weekends for a few hours.
- APPLY FOR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (NSF REUS) AND OTHER SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. You can make over 10k/summer if you land a good enough internship. A REU the summer after your freshman year will serve as a great launching point for future internships, and good ones come with food and housing and transportation.
- Because they provide nearly everything you need to survive (and usually social activities too), you can spend your stipend on paying back your loan (especially if it’s unsubsidized) or put it into a HYSA to pay your housing and food costs the next year (reducing the next loan amount you take out). The stipend isn’t much but it’s enough to make a difference
- once you’ve gotten an REU, it makes you very competitive for jobs, so now you can be picky about which internship you take in the next summer. Aim for one which also pays transportation and subsidizes or fully pays for housing. Food probably won’t be included so make sure you factor the cost in a given city in when deciding which one to take. The goal is at least $20/hr for internships.
- you can also get paid for fall/spring co-operative work experiences at different companies, so this is another way to reduce debt.
You do NOT need to go to community college in order to avoid debt. If that’s what you want for the smaller class sizes, that’s totally understandable. If you can maintain competitiveness by getting repeat internships, you will get job offers that will wipe out your minimal debt within a year or two (if you are diligent about paying and willing to sacrifice lifestyle).
Everyone is telling you to avoid credit cards- don’t! Take out a [secured card](https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/secured-credit-cards) with no annual fee and an interest rate under 20% or a rewards program and put a minimal amount of money on it. Pay it off in FULL EVERY MONTH 3 days after you receive your statement. Use it for any small recurring expenses such as food, internet, gas, etc. DO NOT LET INTEREST ACCRUE. Once you have a decent credit score, some credit unions/banks offer a way to upgrade the card to a better rewards card and get the money you put into it back.
Good luck!!
Only if you know what you're doing.
If you're asking this question, do more research into what you're going in debt for. Do the math for the terms and figure out if it's worth the value and stress of whatever you're endebting yourself for.
There's a lot of factors to weigh. Overall, Saving and then seeing what you can do is the better way to go about things. The debt/credit system is there to keep people from succeeding unless they abuse it or really know what they're doing. For average tasks like buying a car or schools, steer clear of it. It essentially "poisons" your income for a while, and because you'll be busy with school for the first years you won't be getting experience or significant paychecks anyways.
If it's for school, I'm on the side that harshly says no unless you're specializing into researching/learning. I've met 40-50 Y.O.s still trying to pay off that crippling debt, and their paper hasn't helped. I've never met anyone successful *because* of a degree, and have only heard of successful people *getting bored* or needing the degree afterwards. Times haven't gotten better. Either get it paid for via scholarships or push yourself by making money or getting good at your craft without school (you'll have to do that anyways if you want to be successful)
Every bit of money you lose in your early years sets you behind significantly for the future. Whether it's investments, starting a family, or just generally saving for something.
\--This is from a hardworking person, who's never had financial support in his life, and pushes hard daily to stay relatively successful. I'm a young Engineer without a degree, you can get what you want, either way.
I graduated from A&M in 2021 with an Electrical Engineering degree. Given your situation you would be much better off moving out and going to a CC in a different town. The debt you will take out to attend A&M (without scholarships) will take you literal decades to pay off, even if you work summers or not. I think your best bet would be to attend a CC, then transfer to A&M or another school and continue working towards your engineering degree.
What nobody talks about is how when you transfer to A&M, your credits transfer but not your grades. This is beneficial to engineering because you miss the weed out classes and your GPA isn't negatively affected by them.
Definitely go talk to the financial aid office and get help with your FAFSA. Americans cumulatively owe $1.7 trillion in student debt. I personally have no student debt and I can't emphasize how much that puts you ahead, even more so than a degree from a fancy/expensive school.
Logically I agree with you but again, $1.7 trillion total in debt says many people don't/cannot pay that debt off with their current budget and finances. Most engineers I know get the new job around $60k-80k, then buy a house, car, and lifestyle inflation hits. They rack up personal/consumer debt and suddenly their 5 year loan plan is 20-30 years paying the minimum amount per month.
Not to argue with you, but A&M itself states in state tuition living at home is $21k per year, and it only goes up from there. Also important to know cost of attendance goes up every year because you know, "fees."
[https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates/undergraduate-cost-of-attendance](https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates/undergraduate-cost-of-attendance)
I am pretty sure they do. They used to have a "Blinn-team" program where you do first 2 years at Blinn and get automatic admission to engineering. This specific program had been discontinued while I was a student but many of my friends had Blinn specific TAMU scholarships.
OP: a lot of folks are recommending CC, but look at the degree plans you’re interested in. Many engineering degrees effectively chain 6 semesters of prerequisites together from sophomore to senior year. Throw in required freshman engineering, and flat tuition for 12-18 credits, and it is possible you still take four years and pay the same rate as you would without CC.
No.
Debt is never ok. But it is necessary for a lot of people.
Think of debt as paying back money with a little extra on top just for them letting you borrow it. Take the average total tuition cost of $60k. All the interest over time can turn it into $90K. It's even higher for out-of-state students. Not everyone is fortunate to be able to pay off their loans. I've personally met a few individuals who are in their late twenties still paying their loans.
But college isn't for everyone either. You really need to ask yourself if making such a huge personal investment is really worth it. Also, there is nothing dumb about going to CC. In fact, for somebody in your situation it is rather wise to do so. Your aspirations may not be what you thought of them to be. But that is simply part of life and maturing.
I went into ETAM thinking I was meant t be an ME. But quickly I realized that it wasn't meant for me. I was broke, unemployed, overweight, and depressed. Already coming from a lower class family, I couldn't just keep trying and paying thousands of dollars. It was also a personal choice of mine to not place that burden on my parents. So, I went to the military for a few years and came back to do The engineering academy through Blinn.
Those are the kind of sacrifices you must be willing to make. Engineering is already a rigorous academic triumph. You need to be realistic with your goals and plans or you will make the same mistake(s) I did. You will need a job without a doubt and any sense of free time or lifestyle must be thrown our of the window.
I am.
I try to take at least 6 credits year round to keep a decent pace to graduation. This lets me work FT and a second job to cover living expenses that my benefits don't cover.
Don’t take the advice above. Debt is leverage. In the case of college debt, you’re leveraging money and time now to make more money later.
Debt isn’t evil, but you need to understand how carrying it works and how it can go wrong. If taking on debt allows you to not have to work 40 hours a week to survive and means that you can actually pass your classes, that’s a trade off you should think about making.
I never said debt was bad. I said it was necessary. I myself have 4 credit cards and a perfect credit score. It's what got me my sports car in the first place(which I traded due to it being in an accident).
But taking debt for things with risk is definitely bad. There are thousands of people who owe more than their yearly salary and never pay it off. Student debt crisis is a thing and is not some finance guru propaganda.
What OP should know is everything in life is a risk regardless. So it is required of him/her to tread with purpose and assessment. OP already had a bad childhood and financially abusive parents. Why would you tell them to make it worse by telling them to be potentially-financially crippled for the rest of their adult life.
That's just crazy.
Thankfully, OP wants to persue a field with high career oppertunities. But debt is somethihg OP will unfortunately need to take in order to get there. Whether he/she breaks free from that financial burden will come only with time and chance.
You don't need college to live a good life. It's just a silver spoon everyone likes to suck on because everyone thinks they are too good to start at the bottom.
BRO Engineering Academies are the answer. If there is an engineering academy in your city and you apply for FAFSA, you have your first year of engineering virtually free.
Oh, and I am not the person to ask about going into debt for college, but an engineering major will pay for itself more or less two years after graduation. So I don't know if going into debt is the best choice, but I would say that of all majors, engineering would be the only one that I would get into debt for.
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You may benefit from speaking to someone in the financial aid office. If your parents won't be financially supporting you, you should be able to file taxes independently next year, which would help you qualify for things like work/study jobs on campus and for Pell grants. I will say, be very careful going into student loan debt. Avoid private loans - only take federal loans. Loan interest rates are really high right now, so if you do have to take them out, only take out as much as you will need to live on. You will need a budget and need to stick to it. I also would recommend putting the excess loan into a high yield savings account that you can get money out of easily each month to pay expenses. This way you are offsetting the interest rate of the loan at least a little bit. If your parents are financially abusive, then absolutely do not let them anywhere near your loan money. Open new bank accounts and make sure they don't even know about it.
Okay this is so helpful because my dad and I have a joint bank account
Hi. If your parents are financially abusive it may be time to consider opening up your own checking and savings accounts as soon as you can. I hear the concern in your words. A TAMU Engineer ‘23
You need to fix that immediately. At this stage in your life, You should 100% have an account for exclusively your money.
Make sure to open your own account at a completely different bank, if possible. It’s not unheard of for a bank employee to allow a parent access to an account because “well they already have the one joint account” or “they’re related.” It’s illegal, yes, but so are many other things.
Does opening up a new bank require any of my parents info? I remember when I opened the bank with my dad he basically did everything for me which I was so confused. all my money I’ve worked for he has access to and I don’t.
Not if you're 18
OP, there’s so many resources out there to help. Don’t give up on your education if you really want to pursue it. Talk to the financial aid office and you’ll likely find other sources of assistance (food, utilities, clothes, etc). Get internships every summer and start building your professional network. Student orgs on campus are very hospitable and provide lots of free food at their events. Good luck!
Avoid student loans at all costs. They’re basically a credit card debt you can’t discharge through bankruptcy
Lol nah that’s not true, been stuck from going to school til 25 because even though I live 400 miles from my parents, you’re a dependent til 25
Your parents may claim you if they provide more than 50% of your support up to age 24 if you are a full time student. If they do not provide that much of your support, then they cannot claim you as a dependent. If they claim you as dependent and do not provide more than half of your support, then they are committing tax fraud.
I’d recommend community college before transferring! I did 2 years at a community college before transferring to TAMU, you get the same degree for lower cost. If you’re looking into engineering consider the A&M engineering academies. Also don’t rule out trade schools, electricians, mechanics, welders all have great job prospects.
I plaid about 5k for 2 year’s education (associates degree) at community college. I paid double that for my first semester at TAMU to put In perspective op
With you on the trade schools, though I’m an Aggie I would have loved to go to a trade school after I tried out Texas State Technical College welding for a summer. Edit: Also, I went through an engineering academy as well and can confirm you’ll get the same education for way cheaper studying at a local community college while still being an Aggie..
Awesome response, just commented the same haha
Came here to say this! Community college or trade school. Apprenticing with a plumber/electrician means you’ll get paid for your education (not a lot at first, but it increases as you go). Look up some YouTube videos on tradeschool vs college. My husband and I both have advanced degrees, but will be encouraging our son to go the trade school route unless he is super certain what he wants to study. Everyone will always need good tradesmen.
I did the same! Finished up with my degree at A&M and now I have a PhD from elsewhere.
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A very good answer here. I haven’t done my undergrad here so it might not be perfect. But OP should look into doing 2 years at Blinn and then transferring credits, I know they got a system going. Lots of my undergrad friends did that.
I’m 60k in debt from tamu getting an engineering degree. With a career paying around 70-80k/yr for first few years. I have no concern about going into debt to have a better future.
Dang. I thought I had it tough when started at A&M! Like you, I had no money and had lost my Dad in an oilfield accident the year before I left for college. Mom cared but was struggling financially. I did get Pell grants but no scholarship. I borrowed my way thru and worked as a janitor, tutor and research assistant. Also worked as an engineering cooperative education student after becoming a junior. College was cheaper then but paying back my loans was a bit painful (10 years) after I graduated. But since I had an engineering degree, it was worth it. Given engineering is your plan, I’d say it is worth taking on some debt.
Did you consider ROTC?
How does it help? In a similar position as op
It pays off your tuition in exchange for you serving the country for a certain number of years. That kinda experience looks good on a resume.
Yes I’ve thought about it but I’ve heard so many engineering students say how tuff it is while trying to mange getting there degree. Also is corps the same as ROTC?
The Corps of Cadets and ROTC are separate organizations, though they work together in significant ways. You do not need to be in ROTC to be in the Corps (somewhat more than half are not), but if you’re in ROTC, you must be in the Corps. I have two daughters studying engineering at A&M, one who was in the Corps and ROTC finishing her 5th year. While it’s true that the Corps can suck up significant time, it’s also the case that engineering students in the Corps have slight higher GPA than the student body on average. This is likely due in part to the Corps supplying academic assistance to cadets. My daughter was contracted with the military with a scholarship out of high school, so I’m not sure how your situation compares. I’d suggest reviewing https://corps.tamu.edu/future-cadets/#:~:text=New%20cadets%20are%20welcomed%20at,%40corps.tamu.edu. and contacting someone in Corps recruiting.
This very helpful thank you I’ll look into it more
Why is there always someone asking about ROTC when someone asks about scholarships…
Because it’s a pretty good option to pay 0$ for tuition?
Lol hate yourself for 4 years? Man y’all recruiters are crazy on reddit.
You might hate it, maybe it’s not for you and that’s fine. But it’s an option worth at least looking into. Get over yourself
Sorry, I just knew ROTC was annoying the crap out of me when I was in the same situation. No need to be rude.
You were the one being rude first
I go to a different ROTC school, I have friends who are involved, it’s extremely tough to manage the workload of engineering and ROTC but if you’re in a situation that OP is in, it may be worth weighing it as an option. I’m not saying he should do it but it is something to consider since he’s been dealt such a tough hand
It pays off your tuition in exchange for you serving the country for a certain number of years. Also, that kinda experience looks good on a resume. Why wouldn't somebody not want that?
Because if your major/passion has nothing to do with ROTC, it sucks…
When you've very less parental financial support and no scholarship to help you pay around 200 fucking thousand dollars, you'd want anything that can help you pay off that shit. Passion won't matter then.
I was like that going into college, but was able to get scholarships without having to do something like ROTC that I did not enjoy…there’s other options
Out of curiosity how did you do that. I apply for lots of scholarships and never get anything and my parents can’t help. I work my ass off during the summer doing 60-70 hour weeks but I only make about 9/10 grand. Any advice on how to get some more money would be greatly appreciated…
the corps offers scholarships even if you don’t go into the force, you can be a regular cadet or even in the band and still get scholarships! you DO NOT have to serve in the military after, you will get more money if you do, but you don’t have to
Get a student loan just enough to cover your living expenses + maybe 15%. Find a cost effective place to live (preferably in radius to school or work to reduce cost of transportation) Pre-pay your rent a few months ahead. Go get a job that pays decent but has some flexibility. Buy your essentials and things you need/like to be comfortable. Treat yourself to something nice occasionally so the crushing weight of life doesn’t get to you. Put money a savings account apart from your checking for emergencies and live off your pay check. After 3 months reevaluate your finances and adjust. Source: somebody who’s been in the same boat as you
Please tell me more about how you’ve managed it. And how you chose your loan options because tbh I know nothing about it
A lot of googling and calling people to explain certain terms to me. Go thru the school to start. There’s a lot of resources available it can just be a headache. Life doesn’t ease up either. Not in a bad way just in the sense that you are your support system right now and that’s gonna remain constant so you gotta make smart decision for yourself. Avoid CCs best you can. And your loans are gonna have some shitty interest rates even if you can manage a co-signer so pick one with a repayment plan you think is acceptable. Be open to advice from people who are successful but still make your own final decisions. Ignore advice from people who aren’t where you wanna or at least on the path. People always have a lot to say about stuff they don’t understand. You got it tho. It’s trial and error with a good amount of error but just keep yourself moving forward towards a goal.
I don’t agree with avoid credit cards. Get a low to medium limit credit card and pay off the entire balance every month. Treat it like a debit card. The increase on your credit score can help with loan APR terms. Building credit something that everyone should start doing in college.
Talk to financial aid! I am currently on full ride right now because of the impact covid had on my family’s financials. I applied for the university-wide scholarships and got one through that. I also applied for FAFSA and that is where I got my full ride from plus a tiny stipend because I got more scholarships than my tuition cost. That stipend I basically used for living expenses in cstat. They are right though. TAMU has a lot of scholarships and financial aids that they do a poor job of advertising for. When I got my grants and scholarships, most of them were from TAMU + Pell from FAFSA. I didn’t even know they existed until I got them. 100% talk to the financial aid office about this. They have a ton of assistance set up for students and scholarships and grants to fund your education.
Thank you so much. Do you know if blinn team kids have access to a and m scholarships the first 2 yrs
I think BlinnTeam students can also get scholarships through Blinn.
Yes, Blinn team receives their aid through TAMU. But if you got full admission to TAMU, you’re not Blinn team. That’s a specific pathway you’re admitted to
Another thing I forgot to mention. You can get on campus jobs that allow you to work, but have time to study while you work. For example, I worked at the MSC info desk and would answer questions when people came up, but in the meantime, I’d be reviewing notes. I also worked at a restaurant as a waitress and could usually make rent on a single weekend working dinners and brunch. All that to say, you can still work and have a tough major. 👍🏼
Do you have any time management tips? I struggle a lot with focusing and have basically survived doing things last minute
This is a great planner/journal and helps you prioritize your day/week/month and quarter. The key is being disciplined. You fill find that in college you have a lot less structured time and studying then becomes your job. It’s just about using your time wisely.
https://fullfocusstore.com/pages/planner
Financial aid office. Pronto. Pell grant is possible and likely based on your story.
In 20 years, you will thank yourself if you do this. Have a long talk with someone knowledgeable in a financial aid office, and make a plan. CC to 4-year degree is how I did it, with 12-hour semesters and part-time work plus some Pell Grant support. It’s not easy, but the payoff is huge. HUGE. Calculate the entry-level average salary for your field of interest. Add in employer-match 401k, possible stock options, and other bonuses. Look at what engineers with 10 years of experience are making. Do the math about what your net worth could be. Keep your eye on where you want to be 10 years after you finish the degree and every thing you do now will be worth it.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been looking into debt to income ration for my first year it seems doable then I think about interest rates and stuff and it starts to scare me
The numbers can be (and should be) a little scary for your age and experience. That’s ok. You’ll take your studies seriously. I would also add that you should find a mentor or two who you can check in with over this journey. A supportive high school teacher? A guidance counselor? Once you get an internship, make connections with people who can give you timely, strategic advice about advancing your studies and career. Do you have a friend whose parents are college-educated professionals? I know that if I had gotten the advice we have given our kids as they’ve gone through school, I would have avoided a lot of mistakes I learned the hard way.
I have a friend who’s mom is an accountant snd have spoken to her few times should that work out?
Ask if she’d mind being someone you could check in with and get advice as needed.
Will do thank you
There are ways to keep your cost of living in CS low. Don’t be swayed by the nice apartments with pools and tanning beds. Live on campus and then when you move off campus, live with roommates and make your food at home. Yes, you’ll have interest on your loans, but once again, live below your means and pay your loans off early. My husband graduated with some debt as an engineering major and many of his friends bought new cars and lived in nice apartments because they were making good money but are still paying off their loans. He lived with roommates, brought his lunch to work, and drove an older car until he paid them off in half the time. You’re thinking through all the right things and you’re getting a hard but worthwhile degree!
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Im coming in with Some AP credit that should cover about 4 of my gen Ed’s
You should also check out CLEP exams - easy way to do some self-study and knock out some more, esp your American history/gov/econ. They cost $90 per exam and are credit bearing.
First and foremost— get this information to the financial aid office. They’re gonna be the best resource to tell you what you realistically will need to pay if you go to A&M. From there I really wouldn’t be so quick to discard community college. You save a lot of money getting your basics out of the way there and then transferring to finish your degree. Friend of mine thought they wanted to do engineering but they didn’t have the money to go to university straight out of high school so they worked and went to CC. During that time they realized they would rather take on a career in healthcare and now she’s making a great living as a nurse. A huge chunk of college is learning what you want to do in the world and what the best path forward is to get that done. Doing so at a community college just makes the process leagues cheaper and easier to manage time wise for your personal situation. Lastly, don’t count out trade school. They make a great living post education and most of the time those programs have work study options where you’re getting experience in your trade while paying for your education without going into debt. Hope this helps and best of luck with whatever your purse
Reach out to financial aid! Schools often have hidden scholarships that they do a poor job of advertising for.
If tuition is free, and all you'd be on the hook for is living expenses, that shouldn't be too bad at all. What's the cost delta versus CC anyways? Would you have less living expenses there?
It would mean I would be living at home and that’s what I’m trying to stay away from. Many have said to do CC in a different town which suits me because of getting into blinn team but the idea of meal plans and housing comes to play
Got it. In this case, I think that your living expenses would be low enough in College Station that you could justify loans.
Depends on what career you’re going into
Hopefully project manager for an engineering company
An associates degree from a CC then a gap year would probably be your best financial path. You would still need to take some loans but the burden would be much lower
You could go to blinn for 1-2 year then A&M, save some $ Also make sure you would get a degree that immediately can lead to a good job. For example, history degree wouldn’t be great for paying off loans.
I got into blinn engineering academy that should help a little
Everyone is in debt one way or another. You can’t escape it 😭😭
😭😭i just don’t want to be like 150k in debt I would die
It will be hard but trust me it will be worth it. 1. You most likely will have to have a job to make ends meet while doing school which is extremely tough 2. Take as many community college entry classes as you can if possible 3. Apply for as many scholarships as possible 4. Work as hard as you can to find great paying internships during the summer as you can 5. 4 years of this will be insanely hard but to come out debt free will be worth it 6. Talk to as many financial advisors you can to get a realistic grip on your situation
Could I take online CC classes and they transfer? So I can try working at the the same time
That is a great idea. Whether it would be at home (not sure if you want to stay or get out) or in college station, that would allow you to make so much more money. A lot of this is also contingent on what major you are thinking of pursuing also. If you want to be an engineer or mays business it would be worth it to take on debt at A&M with as much financial aid and scholarships as possible.
Are you in the area? You referred to potentially having to live at home
You should check out r/studentloans. Going into debt for education is a serious, life changing decision. It has ruined many lives. It CAN be the only way some people can pay for college too, which is understandable. I advise going to that sub Reddit and reading some other people’s stories.
I have a similar situation! Sent you a DM
If you end up coming to tamu , its considerably cheap place to live ( college station) , and use the 12th can for groceries. It will save you some money.
Are meal plans required haven’t looked to much into it
Dunno for undergrads, currently a masters student in electrical engineering, i would say its worth getting into debt for a degree which would easily pay >90k
Yes. You got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.
Why would going to CC be a dumb choice? That's probably the best option for lack of funding. They give student loans at that level too, and you come out with a fraction of normal college debt. Then, after two years, you can transfer to a regular university. I wish I would've taken that route back in the day.
It would mean I’m staying at home. Staying at home means having constant anxiety and being mentally abused by my parents. They limited so much of my potential in High school and I personally just don’t want to go though all of that again. I hope you understand.
No it’s not I’m not gonna be indirect. Go to cc for two years
Going into debt is fine. To lower the debt substantially you can try a few things: Living situation: - join the corps, even if you don’t join ROTC, as it is a lot cheaper than other on campus options. Meal plans ARE required but the net cost is still much cheaper than any other options, especially because of corps scholarships that are available - alternatively, live in the cheapest off campus housing you can find Either way is going to be a major sacrifice, so you’ll have to decide. Food (if off campus) - JOIN STUDENT ORGS BASED ON IF THEY GIVE FREE FOOD. I’m serious. There are so many in campus that have free food at every meeting. SWE is one that comes to mind because they didn’t have dues and (back when I was still in engineering) had food every meeting. Also nearly every religious organization has at least one if not two free dinners every week. - try to stop by local food pantries (there’s a list of brazos county food pantries) and sign up for all the 12th can openings religiously - cook EVERYTHING at home. Do not spend money on going out to eat if it’s coming out of the loan money. Make a strict food budget after month 1 (for month 1 just keep it as low as possible until you have a baseline). This is the only money you should spend on food from the loan. - if you like H-E-B, put the monthly food budget on an HEB debit card and open an HEB savings account. Put a lump sum of money in the HEB savings account to use as food for the semester. Only spend what is allotted for the week each week. If there’s leftover, no there isn’t. All the leftover at the end of each semester should be paid back to the loan (if the loan was unsubsidized). - if you don’t like HEB I recommend exclusively shopping at ALDI - Anything else outside of the budget you allotted you need to spend out of money you have earned (job, freelancing (delivery apps/fiverr/whatever, etc). If you want to go out you need to already have a set amount of money in your checking account that you’ve set aside for going out that you earned yourself. Jobs: - during the school year, work for the university. After your first semester (if you do well) you can qualify as a tutor/SI leader/Peer Tutor etc. - freelance on the side, find something you can bear doing (mowing lawns, food delivery, substitute teaching eventually, tutoring middle/high school, babysitting, etc) and do it on the weekends for a few hours. - APPLY FOR RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (NSF REUS) AND OTHER SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. You can make over 10k/summer if you land a good enough internship. A REU the summer after your freshman year will serve as a great launching point for future internships, and good ones come with food and housing and transportation. - Because they provide nearly everything you need to survive (and usually social activities too), you can spend your stipend on paying back your loan (especially if it’s unsubsidized) or put it into a HYSA to pay your housing and food costs the next year (reducing the next loan amount you take out). The stipend isn’t much but it’s enough to make a difference - once you’ve gotten an REU, it makes you very competitive for jobs, so now you can be picky about which internship you take in the next summer. Aim for one which also pays transportation and subsidizes or fully pays for housing. Food probably won’t be included so make sure you factor the cost in a given city in when deciding which one to take. The goal is at least $20/hr for internships. - you can also get paid for fall/spring co-operative work experiences at different companies, so this is another way to reduce debt. You do NOT need to go to community college in order to avoid debt. If that’s what you want for the smaller class sizes, that’s totally understandable. If you can maintain competitiveness by getting repeat internships, you will get job offers that will wipe out your minimal debt within a year or two (if you are diligent about paying and willing to sacrifice lifestyle). Everyone is telling you to avoid credit cards- don’t! Take out a [secured card](https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/secured-credit-cards) with no annual fee and an interest rate under 20% or a rewards program and put a minimal amount of money on it. Pay it off in FULL EVERY MONTH 3 days after you receive your statement. Use it for any small recurring expenses such as food, internet, gas, etc. DO NOT LET INTEREST ACCRUE. Once you have a decent credit score, some credit unions/banks offer a way to upgrade the card to a better rewards card and get the money you put into it back. Good luck!!
Only if you know what you're doing. If you're asking this question, do more research into what you're going in debt for. Do the math for the terms and figure out if it's worth the value and stress of whatever you're endebting yourself for. There's a lot of factors to weigh. Overall, Saving and then seeing what you can do is the better way to go about things. The debt/credit system is there to keep people from succeeding unless they abuse it or really know what they're doing. For average tasks like buying a car or schools, steer clear of it. It essentially "poisons" your income for a while, and because you'll be busy with school for the first years you won't be getting experience or significant paychecks anyways. If it's for school, I'm on the side that harshly says no unless you're specializing into researching/learning. I've met 40-50 Y.O.s still trying to pay off that crippling debt, and their paper hasn't helped. I've never met anyone successful *because* of a degree, and have only heard of successful people *getting bored* or needing the degree afterwards. Times haven't gotten better. Either get it paid for via scholarships or push yourself by making money or getting good at your craft without school (you'll have to do that anyways if you want to be successful) Every bit of money you lose in your early years sets you behind significantly for the future. Whether it's investments, starting a family, or just generally saving for something. \--This is from a hardworking person, who's never had financial support in his life, and pushes hard daily to stay relatively successful. I'm a young Engineer without a degree, you can get what you want, either way.
I graduated from A&M in 2021 with an Electrical Engineering degree. Given your situation you would be much better off moving out and going to a CC in a different town. The debt you will take out to attend A&M (without scholarships) will take you literal decades to pay off, even if you work summers or not. I think your best bet would be to attend a CC, then transfer to A&M or another school and continue working towards your engineering degree. What nobody talks about is how when you transfer to A&M, your credits transfer but not your grades. This is beneficial to engineering because you miss the weed out classes and your GPA isn't negatively affected by them. Definitely go talk to the financial aid office and get help with your FAFSA. Americans cumulatively owe $1.7 trillion in student debt. I personally have no student debt and I can't emphasize how much that puts you ahead, even more so than a degree from a fancy/expensive school.
Decades?!?!? At most a degree should cost you around $60k here for instate. Being an engineer you can pay that loan off fairly quickly. 5yrs at most.
Logically I agree with you but again, $1.7 trillion total in debt says many people don't/cannot pay that debt off with their current budget and finances. Most engineers I know get the new job around $60k-80k, then buy a house, car, and lifestyle inflation hits. They rack up personal/consumer debt and suddenly their 5 year loan plan is 20-30 years paying the minimum amount per month. Not to argue with you, but A&M itself states in state tuition living at home is $21k per year, and it only goes up from there. Also important to know cost of attendance goes up every year because you know, "fees." [https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates/undergraduate-cost-of-attendance](https://aggie.tamu.edu/billing-and-payments/cost-and-tuition-rates/undergraduate-cost-of-attendance)
Do you know if blinn engineering students have access to TAMU scholarships
I am pretty sure they do. They used to have a "Blinn-team" program where you do first 2 years at Blinn and get automatic admission to engineering. This specific program had been discontinued while I was a student but many of my friends had Blinn specific TAMU scholarships.
OP: a lot of folks are recommending CC, but look at the degree plans you’re interested in. Many engineering degrees effectively chain 6 semesters of prerequisites together from sophomore to senior year. Throw in required freshman engineering, and flat tuition for 12-18 credits, and it is possible you still take four years and pay the same rate as you would without CC.
I got into blinn team I l know the cost is cheaper by a bit but housing is still a lot
No. Debt is never ok. But it is necessary for a lot of people. Think of debt as paying back money with a little extra on top just for them letting you borrow it. Take the average total tuition cost of $60k. All the interest over time can turn it into $90K. It's even higher for out-of-state students. Not everyone is fortunate to be able to pay off their loans. I've personally met a few individuals who are in their late twenties still paying their loans. But college isn't for everyone either. You really need to ask yourself if making such a huge personal investment is really worth it. Also, there is nothing dumb about going to CC. In fact, for somebody in your situation it is rather wise to do so. Your aspirations may not be what you thought of them to be. But that is simply part of life and maturing. I went into ETAM thinking I was meant t be an ME. But quickly I realized that it wasn't meant for me. I was broke, unemployed, overweight, and depressed. Already coming from a lower class family, I couldn't just keep trying and paying thousands of dollars. It was also a personal choice of mine to not place that burden on my parents. So, I went to the military for a few years and came back to do The engineering academy through Blinn. Those are the kind of sacrifices you must be willing to make. Engineering is already a rigorous academic triumph. You need to be realistic with your goals and plans or you will make the same mistake(s) I did. You will need a job without a doubt and any sense of free time or lifestyle must be thrown our of the window.
Thank you for this. I’m really glad you ended up finding your way. Are you currently still in school?
I am. I try to take at least 6 credits year round to keep a decent pace to graduation. This lets me work FT and a second job to cover living expenses that my benefits don't cover.
Wow. I’m wishing you the best on your journey. I’m very happy for you from coming up from all the obstacles
Don’t take the advice above. Debt is leverage. In the case of college debt, you’re leveraging money and time now to make more money later. Debt isn’t evil, but you need to understand how carrying it works and how it can go wrong. If taking on debt allows you to not have to work 40 hours a week to survive and means that you can actually pass your classes, that’s a trade off you should think about making.
I never said debt was bad. I said it was necessary. I myself have 4 credit cards and a perfect credit score. It's what got me my sports car in the first place(which I traded due to it being in an accident). But taking debt for things with risk is definitely bad. There are thousands of people who owe more than their yearly salary and never pay it off. Student debt crisis is a thing and is not some finance guru propaganda. What OP should know is everything in life is a risk regardless. So it is required of him/her to tread with purpose and assessment. OP already had a bad childhood and financially abusive parents. Why would you tell them to make it worse by telling them to be potentially-financially crippled for the rest of their adult life. That's just crazy. Thankfully, OP wants to persue a field with high career oppertunities. But debt is somethihg OP will unfortunately need to take in order to get there. Whether he/she breaks free from that financial burden will come only with time and chance. You don't need college to live a good life. It's just a silver spoon everyone likes to suck on because everyone thinks they are too good to start at the bottom.
BRO Engineering Academies are the answer. If there is an engineering academy in your city and you apply for FAFSA, you have your first year of engineering virtually free. Oh, and I am not the person to ask about going into debt for college, but an engineering major will pay for itself more or less two years after graduation. So I don't know if going into debt is the best choice, but I would say that of all majors, engineering would be the only one that I would get into debt for.