Bad credit, about to enroll in graduate school. Need advice?

Hey, I am a 5th year senior at a florida university.
I am not slow, I am 5th year because I am doing dual degrees. I was not delayed. I will graduate with 180 hours in the spring of my 5th year, and I had 133 hours (13+) in the spring of my 4th year. So I was 13 hours over where I was supposed to be.

My first two years, most of my tuition was covered by Florida Prepaid. (This will become a common theme in my situation, but my mother didn’t think I would be able to go to a university (so she went 2 year community college plan)).

So my first two years, tuition was mostly covered.

My father then had me take out loans, then forged my name and deposited all my loans in his account. Gave me very little of it (he covered my rent, usually after I wrote bounced checks after he said he put it in). Pretty much, he took my loans (and grant/scholarship money), banked it all in his business and I saw very little of it. All I could pay for (without getting bitched at and threatened with “I canceled your credit card, and am taking my car back, so drop out and go get a job because I am not supporting you anymore”) was rent (with a lot of problems, utilities, tuition and food).

I have gotten around 30 grand (over the last 2 years in college (4th and 5th year)). My father took it all, and deposited it all in his accounts (BTW it was all gone like a week after he got the checks, because i got a call saying “don’t spend any money, I cant cover it”.)
He also had me apply for loans over my last 3 years, claiming the above quote “I canceled your credit card, and am taking my car back, so drop out and go get a job because I am not supporting you anymore” type thing if i didn’t do it.) So i have like 60 grand I owe the loan places (he took that too).

My last semester, I couldn’t get a loan because i have horrible credit now. Some how, I also have like 30k of his debt from one of his credit cards on my account too.

I was going to go to medical school, but advisers seriously advised me to not apply, for two reasons, one being I couldn’t pay for applications and travels (although I most likely could get in). And more importantly, because of my credit, I would either be declined for admission, or after admission i wouldn’t be able to pay for medical school without joining the military in the HPSP program.

I have scrounged up enough money to apply, and I have applied to graduate school (mostly PHD programs and one MPH program), but I am worried about how I will pay for it. I am going to try and stay in Florida, and all programs offer a stipend.

My father is threatening me with the “”I canceled your credit card, and am taking my car back, so drop out and go get a job because I am not supporting you anymore” thing if i continue to try and apply. He is trying to force me to get a job to give him more money,

I am at the point where I want to be done with him.

Can I be considered a Florida resident if I have been a “dependent” this entire time. I have lived here all my life. I have also lived in my apartment for 3 years alone.

Will I be required to get a loan to get through graduate school, or will the stipends be sufficient?

Any advice?

As sad as it is, my father has basically got me with all this stuff claiming, “ill support you through college”, and now uses the fact that everything is in his name, including any money the schools give me, or i get in loans, as a way of controlling me.

“I want to go to new york for graduate school” “NO, I am taking your car, and not putting money in your account, DROP OUT” = “Fine i am not going to new york for graduate school”

Will I be required to get a loan to get through graduate school, or will the stipends be sufficient?

Any advice?

Can I receive a NROTC scholarship if I have already graduated high school?

I graduated from HS this past spring 2009, I have almost finished my first semester at a community college. I plan on transferring to a 4-year college with a NROTC program. Would I be able to receive a NROTC scholarship still? I’ve heard mixed answers. Thanks.

Could I graduate high school, join the reserves, get in the ECS program for two years, and then do SMP?

I’m thinking about what my options are if I don’t get an ROTC scholarship initially.
Oops, this is for the Army

What are good scholarships for English and Philosophy major? Also, does anyone know that if I get loan from a

bank (chase), for my undergraduate studies, well, do I have to repay it after i get my bachelors, even if I decide to go to graduate school right after words?
Jesse, are you an English major??? Is your school good for such?
stenen, thank you, but those scholarships are only for high school students. I am a junior in college…

Leave graduate school ?

I am currently enrolled in a graduate program in a university in Europe. I have a scholarship for a year which renewable on the basis of the performance for the first year. The thing is, I realized that this program is not for me. They are giving me really good money, but I am no longer happy with what I am doing. I am not motivated to go to school anymore and I can’t force myself to study. I feel really bad about coming to the university and attend classes. Thus, I start to fail the exams. Now, I am certain that doing an MBA in Hospitality Management is better for me than finishing this Master’s in Economics. The semester is going to end after two weeks and I am thinking to leave and not taking the final exams anymore because I don’t want to leave a bad record at the university. I am scared that the universities where I will be transferring to might investigate about my grades so its better not to finish the semester here. Once I leave the graduate school, I am thinking of just working in a hotel as a waitress while waiting for the admission results of the other universities. However, my classmates were telling me to just stay at the university because even if we fail all the exams, we still get the money every year. But the thing is, I feel bad about wasting my time here when I know I’m not going to finish the program anyway. Moreover, I can’t even pass my problem sets because I can’t do them. I don’t want to copy from my classmates because I feel guilty about it. Do you think I should be practical by staying here until next year for the money or should I leave, start working as a waitress in a hotel (to give me an idea how it is to work for a hotel)? I have a residence visa with work permit here, but I am not sure if they’re going to cancel if I leave the program. Please help!

How to start looking for a medical school scholarship? (If its possible).?

Hey guys. I’m from the Philippines and I’m doing a premedical course here and I’m going to graduate in two years. I want to study medicine abroad. I’d actually prefer it in the U.S. (or any english speaking country). I just wanna ask if there are any ways to get scholarships for med school in the states for students like me who are not American. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks very much :D

Recent college graduate looking to go to law school with no experience and low GPA and paralegal possibility?

I am a recent graduate from Rutgers University with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology looking into Law School in the future…i do not have any extracurriculars and a low GPA (3.04). I was considering taking classes to become a paralegal. If I tried finding work as a paralegal first and then tried applying to law school and taking the LSAT after some experience in the legal field, is that better than applying to law school and LSAT now? I just don’t know if I would get in or not if I applied now.

Also, I’m still in debt from taking loans out to pay for college and i know that i would have to pay for law school using loans also…would it be better to gain exp as a paralegal while making some money to pay for law school OR could i take out loans again and also try to pay by working on the side and possibly try to get scholarships?
to make it clear, i was thinking about becoming a paralegal first, just to gain experience in the legal field, maybe for higher possibility for acceptance in law school?

Which school best suits an African student seeking scholarship to study IT at graduate level in the US?

Iam an African with a Bachelor of Business in Management Information Systems I seek scholarship to read an IT related course at graduate level in the United States. Iam open to suggestions if there is any other country willing to offer me such opportunity, I’ll take it.

Is Worcester polytecnics institute (WPI) in Mass a bad school?

I got accepted to this school with 50% scholarship but I don’t know much about this school. Actually I considered it as a safe choice since it is not famous. Now I have to end up there and I feel really disappointed about myself. Anyone know anything about WPI? Do I have chance to get into top graduate schools if I attend WPI? And between WPI and Trinity University in Texas, which one is better? I appreciate all your advice.

Attend your top school and graduate in debt or get a free ride for college?

I have a big dilemma.

I applied to two universities. George Mason University (Top pick school) and Norfolk State University (last resort/fall back school) and got accepted at both. My top school I really want to attend is George Mason, but the total sum of all my grants and scholarships will not cover my tuition for the year. However, if settle for my fall back school and attend Norfolk State I’ll have basically a free-ride for college meaning I’ll pay no money out of my pocket because I have financial aid.

My main goal with college was to graduate with absolutely no debt/loans. I do not want to spend a large portion of my life paying student loan bills. And for so long I was deadest on not borrowing any money. But now that I know I won’t have enough money for George Mason, I’m wondering if I should suck it up and borrow the money. Or should I give in and attend the lesser school and graduate debt-free.

{My Question for everyone:} If given the choose of earning a college degree debt-free or with debt, which path would you choose? Would you borrow all the loans needed to attend your top/dream school – no matter how much it is. Or would you go with the “free-ride” – the school in which your grants and scholarships would cover everything?

As for me, I’m leaning towards the free-ride school, because I really don’t want debt, especially with how the economy and the future is looking as of now. It will be hard to give up money every month for 10 -20 years for student loans.

Thanks for any feedback.
Namaste
QUOTE: “A lot depends on what you are studying in college.”

That’s is true. I figured for something like medical or law degrees, the school attended really matters. However, I plan to major in (Tourism and Hospitality Management), so I hoping that career area won’t focus on what school I attend.
I calculated some numbers, and on estimate I could end up with $80,000 plus in loans. Way too much right?
I’ll be out-of-state for both schools. And for so odd reason schools charge out-of-state residents far more than in-state. Why? Everyone is getting the same education at the same school, same programs… but that’s life I guess

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