# Money for college



## Nervous Larry (Apr 20, 2006)

Does anyone know any places that'll give loans or anything of the sort (besides scholarships and joining the military) to people with bad. no credit, who don't own homes? I'm pretty desperate.


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## DomRicco (Apr 20, 2006)

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ is your best bet for your situation. Also look into parent plus loans:
http://www.parentplusloan.com/

or stafford loans:
http://www.staffordloan.com/

I dont know the details on those but I know they are good ones to choose. But in all reality any good school you wish to attend will walk you through all your financial needs step by step. It is important to use the resources they have available to you. More than likely they will give you these 3 forms first.


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## Nervous Larry (Apr 20, 2006)

Yes, I know, I couldnt go to college last year and I cant go this year, my parents cannot get the PLUS loan or any loan at all.


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## DomRicco (Apr 20, 2006)

Ah, well I guess it is a question of if you are a dependant of your parents or not. If so you have to file under their name and taxes. If not you can apply under your own financial status and more than likely you will get some money. But perhaps you knew that too....what have you done so far?


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## Nervous Larry (Apr 21, 2006)

I've tried everything. I didn't get into NYU last year because I couldn't pay for it. Basically my parents have bad credit and NO assets.


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## Arrenbas (May 5, 2006)

one of the best sources for free money is www.fastaid.com and spending a half hour there is like spending a week searching at the library

once your inbox is set up, they will send you all kinds of awards you qualify for - it takes a little while to do and asks some pretty obscure questions, but that's because some scholarships have some equally obscure criteria

i had a student who once found a $5,000 scholarship purely for students with amateur radio operator licenses, regardless of major!


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## Mark Denega (May 5, 2006)

I'll have to take a look into some of these as well. My parents really have no idea how they're going to pay for my BU education, and are telling me right now that i have to go through in three years.


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## karlaa (Mar 29, 2012)

> karla


i am facing the same issue, my parents have not decided on refinance


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## MarioAyala (Apr 24, 2012)

Man save your money from film schools and make them, you will save a lot of money, film school is not necessary when you have all the ibformation on the internet and books, just make films!


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## NGluck (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm facing the same issues. My parents can't take out any more loans, so I have to finance my own education. 
Does anyone know where to find out about the loans with the lowest interest rates? And why does FAFSA force you to declare yourself a dependent when you are an independent? (my parents have to paid/bought anything for me since fall 2011).


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## Trent Duncan (May 19, 2012)

Just like MarioAyala said,
SAVE YOUR MONEY! 
A film degree is not like a law degree or a medical degree. There are NO jobs out there are going to help you pay back your massive film school student loans.
THE HARD TRUTH...

Don't think a film degree is some how going to magically make you rich and famous.
It's all self motivation.

Everything you need to know is on the Internet!


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## Mike_V (May 23, 2012)

> Originally posted by Trent Duncan:
> Just like MarioAyala said,
> SAVE YOUR MONEY!
> A film degree is not like a law degree or a medical degree. There are NO jobs out there are going to help you pay back your massive film school student loans.
> ...



By saying that everything you need to know is on the internet, you can say the same about everything. Why go to school at all. Stay at home and learn online then.

and if you really think that getting a film degree will make your rich or famous or even get a job, then you're already deluding yourself to begin with. You go to film school to learn, not as a surefire "get a job". There is no such thing for ANY degree. You can get a PhD as a doctor and you still wont get a job if you're not good enough.

To believe the fallacies that everything is online and that's all you need. It depends on the person who learns.


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## titaniumdoughnut (May 23, 2012)

> Originally posted by Trent Duncan:
> Just like MarioAyala said,
> SAVE YOUR MONEY!
> A film degree is not like a law degree or a medical degree. There are NO jobs out there are going to help you pay back your massive film school student loans.



I know I'm not on these forums very often anymore, but I got an email alert for this thread for some reason.

I graduated Tisch Film at NYU in 2009.

It IS NOT TRUE that there are no jobs out there to help you pay back your loans. Are they easy to get? No. Does everyone get one? No.

But they exist. You need to be self-motivated, and start networking and building marketable skills before graduating. Your school will not help you with this.

I know DPs who make good money. I know a ton of kids from my year who have started production companies, who currently produce commercial and music video content for large brands and names, and who make good money.

I work as a freelance VFX artist, and while I don't want to disclose my exact income, I am comfortable saying that I made about $40K in the year I graduated, $60k the next, and that I would not be surprised to hit $100k in the next year or two. I'm not trying to brag. It's freaking hard work, but I love it, and I work hard because it allows me to stay in NYC, stay in the industry and continue paying off my quarter of a million dollars of student loan debt.

I am entirely freelance, and I find work by word of mouth only.

Did NYU or Tisch teach me ANYTHING that helps me do my current job? Not directly. I feel that I am a better VFX artist due to my storytelling abilities, sense of visual storytelling, and understanding of filmic language, but the nitty gritty tech stuff... no. They didn't teach me that. I taught myself how to do all of this stuff while working on student films at NYU, and my current client list is comprised of about 80% clients who I found through contacts that I made at school.

Some friends of mine from NYU '09 just directed and produced (respectively) the low budget $3m feature film ATM, distributed domestically through IFC and internationally through Lionsgate. I'd say they're doing alright.

Does this mean film school is definitely the way to go? Not at all! Everyone should make that decision for themselves.

But I think for anyone who is willing to take the risk, who is self-motivated, and who can think outside the box, and MAKE work for themselves and network, and get noticed and be bold... yes film school is a wonderful incubator for talent, and a wonderful career starter and network builder. And yeah, you learn some stuff too.

Essentially - film school is an option, and not at all a bad one.

(NYU on the other hand has been going downhill. Insurance issues and bureaucratic upheaval have made producing a good movie there considerably harder from what I hear.)


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## Mike_V (May 23, 2012)

^-------------------- exactly what he said.
It is up to you to find a job. Going to film school is not a guaranteed job opportunity. You go to school to learn, not for a guarantee to get a job.


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## brittanyr (Aug 30, 2012)

So I'm a bit late, but I went to BU. First off if you live with your parents, they consider you a dependent. If you don't, then file taxes for yourself, under an independent. That's whether they get your info. A friend had to do this. 
When you do fafsa it will let you know if you have any scholarship options or pell grants. Then any money from the gov. like Stafford loans are need based and have nothing to do with your credit. If your parents have bad credit they can apply for the plus loan, will be denied, and then you get 4000 in denial loan (Stafford). I did this at BU. You either get the plus loan or you get the denial. Each year you get a certain amount you can borrow up to in Stafford if you qualify. You can check their website for more info.
It's the private bank loans which require a credit report. On this, the only thing I can say is my parents had bad credit and I got loans under my name, with no co-signer. Interest isn't pretty but it pays the bill. Having a work history seems to go a long way, I had no credit at the time. 
And finally, pay a certain amount out of pocket in payments. Sophmore year I couldn't get any outside loans, hence the denial, and I got a 2nd summer job and w/work study, I did payments. At BU, if your bill is under $1000 you are considered in "good standing". Just tell them you will be making payments. But to move in 1st sem. it has to be under 1000, or they will have a fit and they won't want to give you your keys.
It's not easy but honestly payments are better because you have smaller debt, and interest. I did this to a lesser extent for the rest of college. 
I know it's long but I hope it helps. I hate to see anyone denied education because of finances.


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