What is the best financial/tax situation for us? Kid on way, financial aid eligibility concerns. Me: grad student for 2 more years, on a teaching assistantship (this covers tuition, fees, health insurance, and gives me a $1600/mo. stipend) and with some student loans on top (less than $10k/year). I also work in the summers, but make less than $5k. I also receive research grants sometimes ($5k-$15k). In 2008, I will only have been in the country for 2 months and will have an income of less than $5k. In 2009 and 2010 I will be be back on the normal track with $1600/mo. and some loans with perhaps 2-3 months of a travel grant of ~$6k.

Help me help my friend convince college financial aid departments that her parents are not and never will be willing to provide any help for her, and get money to pay for living expenses. Posted, obviously, on behalf of a friend. My friend "Sarah" is 23, and has a modest full-time desk job - not an income she wants to keep for much longer, but enough to pay rent, food, etc, comfortably... if only just barely. She is not making enough to make any significant savings, but neither does she have any debt. She is currently taking occasional classes at a community college, and has a 4.0 average there. She wants/needs to transfer to a four-year public school full-time soon-ish and get her degree.

Help me help my friend convince college financial aid departments that her parents are not and never will be willing to provide any help for her, and get money to pay for living expenses. Posted, obviously, on behalf of a friend. My friend "Sarah" is 23, and has a modest full-time desk job - not an income she wants to keep for much longer, but enough to pay rent, food, etc, comfortably... if only just barely. She is not making enough to make any significant savings, but neither does she have any debt. She is currently taking occasional classes at a community college, and has a 4.0 average there. She wants/needs to transfer to a four-year public school full-time soon-ish and get her degree.

Please tell me, using layman's terms whenever possibly, everything you know about student loans. (backstory inside) Two years ago I graduated from high school, and proceeded to go to a college at a small, out-of-state school. My parents (at that point) were paying for my education. Earlier this summer, I decided to transfer to a bigger, in-state school. My parents are 100% not okay with this decision, and have effectively cut me off financially (or at least will stop paying tuition, housing, books, etc in the fall). I am more or less okay with this. I am willing to accept the financial responsibilities of this decision.

Please tell me, using layman's terms whenever possibly, everything you know about student loans. (backstory inside) Two years ago I graduated from high school, and proceeded to go to a college at a small, out-of-state school. My parents (at that point) were paying for my education. Earlier this summer, I decided to transfer to a bigger, in-state school. My parents are 100% not okay with this decision, and have effectively cut me off financially (or at least will stop paying tuition, housing, books, etc in the fall). I am more or less okay with this. I am willing to accept the financial responsibilities of this decision.

I've reached the end of the road for graduate school loans. Well, I was finally accepted to a master's program at my first choice school: Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Little did I know that funding my adventure in higher education would prove so ridiculously troublesome and depressing. My situation is easily summed up as follows: no one wants to give me a loan. In detail, it goes something like this: I cannot receive any kind of federal loan for graduate school, as my university doesn't admit many American students and as such has no relationship with the Department of Education here in the states--this means that Stafford loans are out of the question. Also, it is an impossibility for the university to get a FAFSA number through the DOE (thus allowing for federal funds) due to the length and intensity of the process and the relatively few American students at the school. I've talked with both the university, and the DOE on that one.

I've reached the end of the road for graduate school loans. Well, I was finally accepted to a master's program at my first choice school: Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Little did I know that funding my adventure in higher education would prove so ridiculously troublesome and depressing. My situation is easily summed up as follows: no one wants to give me a loan. In detail, it goes something like this: I cannot receive any kind of federal loan for graduate school, as my university doesn't admit many American students and as such has no relationship with the Department of Education here in the states--this means that Stafford loans are out of the question. Also, it is an impossibility for the university to get a FAFSA number through the DOE (thus allowing for federal funds) due to the length and intensity of the process and the relatively few American students at the school. I've talked with both the university, and the DOE on that one.