Never Lived On My Own

[Jomaark]

Maybe you can transfer to a job at Verizon here so you don't lose your seniority and it will be easier having a job waiting. Verizon may offer tuition reimbursement.

[2dc]

Well my cousin did the same thing. She moved from DC to Atlanta and became a legal resident of Georgia and now she's attending Georgia State as an instate student. Pretty good deal if you ask me. I'm thinking about doing the same thing but my credit stinks so I may have to stay in my hometown for 2-3 more years. Alot of people move to Georgia and establish residency to attend the state schools. The tuition is REALLY cheap for GA students.

[American Patriot]

Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, and Clayton State University all have great reputations. Georgia State's campus is in downtown Atlanta and the student body is very diverse. Kennesaw State is near the town of Kennesaw in Cobb County. Kennesaw State has in excess of 20,000 students. Clayton State has what many believe is the most beautiful college campus in the state of Georgia. It is in the town of Morrow south of Atlanta. Clayton State's student body exceeds 10,000 and a little over half of the students are African-American. You can't go wrong with any of these three Universities.

So move to Georgia. Live in Georgia over one year to establish residency so you can pay IN-STATE tuition and and establishing that residency in Georgia will make you eligible for the Georgia Hope Scholarship program.

Good luck to ya!

[American Patriot]

If you decide to attend Georgia State University then it would be a good idea to live in the City of Atlanta in close walking distance to a MARTA bus route. Having to park a car near Georgia State U can be a challenge and it gets old after doing that day after day.

Again ... Good luck to ya!

[American Patriot]

Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, and Clayton State University all have great reputations. Georgia State U is in downtown Atlanta and has in excess of 20,000 students. If you choose GSU then you need to live in the City of Atlanta within close walking distance of a MARTA bus stop. Parking at GSU is slightly difficult and this gets old if done day after day. Kennesaw state is near the town of Kennesaw as well as Kennesaw Mountain and has in excess of 20,000 students. Clayton State U is in the town of Morrow south of Atlanta, has in excess of 10,000 students and over half of those are of African-American descent. Clayton State's campus is considered by many people to be the most beautiful campus in Georgia - some say it's like having a college in a really nice park. You should take at look at it.

Good luck to ya!

[Love Cobb]

Unfortunatley unless you get a scholarship or take out a lot of loans private schools such as Spelman and Clark will be very expensive for a young person like youself. I would suggest you go to a state school like Georgia State, Univ of West GA , Clayton State or Kennesaw. There are so many great advantages to continuing your education in the state of GA, the Hope Scholarship will be there and you may not even have to fulfill the residency requirement since your mother is a resident and you are her dependent. I would go to one of the financial aid/registrars offices to see what my options were. I just don't think you should go in to so much debt taking out all those loans for private school with the way the economy is going you will be paying those loans back over your entire adult life. Not a good way to start out. Just my opinion. Best of luck to you and please continue your education.

[Kuya]

Kendra, what you are doing is admirable. You are taking responsibility by declaring your independence given the circumstances, and you're smart enough to seek advice while weighing your decisions. All the schools (Spelman, GSU, Kennesaw, etc.) listed are very fine schools and will provide you with a great education. I think what many of the posters are saying, and what they don't teach you in school, is to minimized any potential debt as much as possible. State schools, GA residency, tuition reimbursement and scholarships are great suggestions to help curve those costs.

In addition, you mentioned this is your first time out on your own. Have you ever lived with any of your GA family members? Did you work full-time while acquiring your Associates? If not, I'll just throw it out there --you may want to consider taking things slow at first. If you're in a position to pay for school the first or second semester, try going part-time only. This will give you an idea of how to balance school, work and your family. I was never a coffee drinker until I began working full-time and night school. It was the only way I could stay awake after working 8-9hrs, then having to sit in a class until 9 or 10pm. As far as family, a friend of mine moved in with his grandmother while attending school. What he found out later, after being enrolled for a few weeks, is that his grandmother did not like anyone coming in after 9pm --including him. She was very adamant about it. Obviously, that move didn't work out for him. Hopefully, this is something you won't have to experience.

I wish you luck and much success!

[lipglasshoney]

I'm in a similar dilemma but am determined to work this out. i'm moving to Atlanta next summer to attend CAU and will be renting a place. I am looking for a roommate. I do have a young child. Do you plan on staying with relatives? That will cut costs. Can't you get other types of loans?