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Katmais_mommy

Katmais_mommy

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Location
, Massachusetts, USA
My dream school is Chapman University. I'd major in Screenwriting.

Dilemma:

I'm 21. My dad won't file for FAFSA. Tuition is $54K, including housing.

My dad said I can only go if I get at least $25k in grants but I can't get grants unless I have a FAFSA which I don't because he won't file one. He doesn't understand that because he's old.

He gave me 2 options:
A: I can find a job/backup profession and make enough money to prove to him that I can pay back any hypothetical loans.
B: Find a job/backup profession. Move to California, get a job, and go to school on my own.

I'd like to choose B. I'm sick of trying to prove myself to him. My current plan is to get my Computer Science Certificate and move out to California as soon as possible. Then, I can pay for Chapman on my own. I also plan on taking photography classes at my community college, make a portfolio, and try to get gigs around Boston. So, hopefully, I'll have computer science and photography skills to help me pay my way through college.

What do you think?
 
Do it yourself. Then when you succeed, you will have proven it to yourself. And not have something hanging over your head from your father. I think if you do something yourself, it's so much more worthwhile and you really appreciate your accomplishments more because you did it.

Know what you mean about trying to prove yourself to parents. I've found no matter what you do, if its your way of doing it, they will never be happy.

Stand on your own two feet. It's your life now. Wishing you all the luck in your future endeavors.

K :)
 
There already are lots of screenwriters who can't find enough work to support them, what with "reality" tv etc. Many of them probably are saddled with debt & wishing there were some way to go back in time & be in the position you're in.

In the meantime, companies can't fill positions because there aren't enough technically-minded people. Find out what some of those fields are & identify one that you'd be ok with. Once you got established you could pursue screenwriting part-time until it became more. It seems like the kind of profession that a person needs to have a knack for. A degree in it wouldn't help much & not having a degree wouldn't hurt much.
 
Well the Screenwriting major also teaches the students how to work cameras and audio equipment. This way, you know how to do a lot of the jobs in the film industry, not just writing scripts.
 
A little on that last statement I actually learned how to use audio and visual equipment through my church. We were a part of a big church getting bigger in Houston and our IT department allowed youth members to help film the services. People also learned how to use sound and light boards I never got big into it but there are other free or less expensive ways to get experience other than college.

Don't get me wrong I'm also in college but holy cow is $54 thousand alot for school. Good luck to you and don't lose sight in your goals
 
Thank you very much :) I'm very goal oriented, always have been. My parents seem to think that I change my mind too much about my future, but that's not true. I've always known what I want to do and where I want to go.

I want to work in the film industry. I don't care what job as long as I can do screenwriting on the side. After working for a few years, I want to move to the English countryside (weird, I know). And from there, I'll just go with the flow. If I need more money, I can move back to LA for a few years and then move back to England.

My parents like structure and so do I, but I'm more lenient than them and I like flexibility. I adapt well to any environment, whether it be the city (LA) or the countryside (Somerset, England).
 
You could always try and file as an independent student, but just because he gives you his information, does NOT mean that you will get a loan in his name. I'm a dependent student (I rely on my parents,) and I still get pretty much anything I need in aid.
For example, right now I'm living with my parents, but I'm going to be moving in April to an apartment close to the college I'm transferring to. We live 1.5 hours away, so it's unreasonable for me to commute. Anyway, I'm getting aid to cover all of my living costs, including rent. Now, I'll be in debt for a while, but I'm going to a college that has significantly lower tuition rates, so I break about even comparing universities where I live.
The point is that all of my loans are in MY name. I just didn't file for a parent plus loan, which is where he would have to cosign. I still had my parent's information on my FAFSA, but I didn't file for a parent plus loan at the school in which I'm attending.
It sounds like he's worried that you'll ruin his credit or something.
Proving something by getting a certificate that you aren't planning on pursing seems like a waste of money to me. Just my opinion. You're old enough to have an idea of what you want to do, and you obviously know what you love, so just go for that.

I think he needs to sit down with an adviser at your local community college. Having him put his info into the FAFSA doesn't mean that he will have his name on the loan; it just helps the government decide how much loan you get. My dad has a full time job, he makes around $50-80,000 a year, and I get all the aid I need. Now, if your dad was making six figures, you'd get significantly less or even none.

Your future is important! Before dismissing your dreams, just have him look at all the info. I'm pretty sure you can try filing as an independent student, but I'd shoot an email to the FAFSA people.
Good luck =)

ps: you can still work this debt off as you're going!!
 
Can't speak for you. I put myself thru school, working full time and going to college was not an easy thing, but I managed to get 4 degrees. Look over all your options and choose a course that will be best for you. Remember too, you can go to a Junior College and then on to a 4 year college for your last 2 providing all your course work is transferable.
 
I agree, learn a technical trade to put food on your table - then, pursue the creative side.

That will make a transition into writing financially easier, and you will also be able to get in easier and network (the the entertainment industry is built on contacts... my sister is in dramatic arts, and its the same everywhere)

My sister did the technical side of productions while going after the creative power, and it has really improved her creative output, in her opinion :)

You may also be able to get into the technical without a degree...
 
Thank you. Unfortunately, my dad won't budge on the topic of the FAFSA, so I really am on my own for this one.

I actually am planning on working on the technical side of the industry at first to get my foot in the door and my name passed around.

Also, my first and second choice schools don't accept credits from my community college, so a certificate is my best bet in this situation, not a 2-year degree. That would be a waste of two years.

With this degree, I'll have learned how to use various equipment, photography, web design, and java/C++ programming. So, it's a bit of everything. I know major companies won't hire me with just a certificate, so I plan on getting gigs around Boston for a few months to save up money, and then go to CA to do the same thing for about a year while I attend college.
 
I had to fill out the FAFSA on my own and just asked a few questions of him on it. It was a pain to fill out but he said since I needed it, I'd have to do the form myself.

Good luck getting a job!
 
Katmais_mommy wrote:
Also, my first and second choice schools don't accept credits from my community college, so a certificate is my best bet in this situation, not a 2-year degree. That would be a waste of two years.
Click to expand...
What's their reason for not accepting credits? It seems strange for the basic 101 classes.
 
My mom filled out my FAFSA but all loans were in my name. It has been almost 15 years and I'm still paying off my degrees. They were worth every penny! Best of luck.

Hopefully if you can find out why your dad is so set against the forms you can help him feel better about it. The grants can be very helpful in making this dream a reality. Really look around for scholarships. I had a couple strange ones that worked out well (first generation going to college, local community group, from my church etc.)
 
old thread, but wow.

When someone says the tuition + board is $54K, is that for the whole degree or for one year? Speaking as someone with a student loan, consider this:

When you graduate with a loan and your friends are buying houses, but you have a student loan precluding you from getting a mortgage, is the opportunity accorded by the education worth it? In my case I think it is, but that is a decision that cannot be taken lightly. Also, you may be able to get good scholarships. If you are doing a professional degree or have exceptional grades, you can probably get a full four year funding package that covers tuition + a modest living allowance.
 
I'm in no way trying to discourage you from pursuing your dream, but I have a friend who has a Masters degree in film making (I'm not sure what it's called) and is also a MCSE and she has not been able to get a job.
 
Okay, since this has been brought back up...my two cents (you'll need a lot more than two to pay for school)

You're over 18 and no longer need to be claimed as a dependent on your parent's taxes. If your dad won't file a FAFSA for you, he shouldn't be able to claim you on his taxes and get tax breaks for you. Tell him that.

If he says "fine, then I won't get tax breaks for you", file as independent, do your own FAFSA. You tend to get more financial aid that way.

Be careful with student loans. They're nasty little F'ers. They pile up and then you have to pay interest on them and you end up paying a lot more for them than when you started....they're evil.

Working through undergrad is possible. It's not easy, but it's possible. It won't pay your tuition. Think about it. You work 40 hours a week (SO hard in undergrad) at 10 an hour (who will hire you for that as a student? no one), you get 400 a week (before they take out taxes). That isn't enough to pay for school.

Doing it on your own is possible. It's not easy, but it's possible. I know many people who put themselves through college. Some have over 100k in loans. But if you file independent, it's done on need based financial aid, so you'd have more luck at getting money.

Also, you can apply for scholarships and grants. If your grades are good, some schools give merit based scholarships. I've been in your shoes...just be careful with loans.
 
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