How do I plan for a huge expensive trip?

How do i plan this trip before college without jeapordizing anything?

• I am miserable at home, and i have no other option but to leave. I have been accepted in the American Musical and Dramatics Academy in New York City and i plan to attend on Oct. 17, 2012. I turn 18 on April 16 and i graduate from high school on May 21. My friends and i want to plan this trip to travel around the US, first going from Fairhope, AL to the west, then the north west and swoop back east through the north east all the way back up to New York, where they plan to stay with me. However, i'm a little worried about doing this without having my financial situation set in stone with college. Tuition is 32,000 a year, and i'm only going for two years. I have $10,200 in grant and scholarship money so far, annually. I plan to pay for the rest through student loans. How do i get all of this set in stone as soon as possible so i can take my trip? I really want to take this trip so i can become more independent and prepare myself for living in New York. Please help! Thanks!

• Answer:

  First of all you need to fill out a FAFSA application. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This will determine your eligibility for Stafford Loans, Pell grants and work study programs. Follow the link below and it will take you to the site where you can file the FAFSA online. You will need information from your parents tax return or your own if you filed and were not a dependent. You will need to put your school's code on the form, it will provide a page to find it, so the report will go directly to their financial aid office. They will determine the amount of assistance you require and how much funding you will be eligible to receive. You can also contact the financial aid or bursar's office and speak with a counselor who can assist you. It takes about an hour to fill out the forms. Once they have the information you will be notified how much you can borrow and what lenders are available. The process is easier the following year.