How can I get money for college?

How can I get money for college?

• So I'm in the second semester of my junior year, and I plan on doing pretty well. My first semester was a little rough though. I passed all my classes at least. This semester I'm starting out pretty strong. I plan on keeping my GPA above a 3.4. I really want to go to a university. But I have no money. Neither do my parents. I plan on becoming an officer in the marines. But I can't get a NROTC scholarship. How do I get enough money from financial aid, and stuff like that? I want to go to University of Washington. But I doubt I'll be able to get enough money. So I am thinking of going to Western Washington University. I saw it costs $20,446 a year. How could I come up with that? I don't care about being in debt. I know I can pay it off once I'm set in my career. I see average middle class kids posting on facebook that they just got accepted there. I don't know if their parents are paying or what? But is it possible to get all the money from financial aid?

• Answer:

  Let me suggest you sit down with your high school college/academic adviser and discuss the situation with him/her. It appears from your question that you have a few misconceptions about college. The University of Washington is an academically rigorous school with fairly high standards for admission. In addition to your high school GPA, UW will look at your ECs, SAT/ACT scores and any other factors that would make you the ideal candidate. Again, your adviser can set your straight on what UW is looking for. Additionally, WWU has admission standards that you should explore with your adviser. Financial aid is available through the colleges, chiefly, through scholarships that they offer for outstanding academic achievements. Also, learn about the FAFSA--Free Application for Federal Student Aid--and how to complete it once you begin applying to colleges. Where do you live? If you reside in one of the 15 states that are part of the WUE consortium (Western Undergraduate Exchange), look at the 120 or colleges that participate. You'll see that these schools offer tuition to out-of-state students at 150% of in-state tuition rates. Western Washington is a WUE school. Becoming a Marine officer? Good luck with your pursuit of this goal. Speak to a USMC recruiter at your first, soonest opportunity to learn about the requirements. Good luck.