About student loans!

[watrix]

Hello,
I want a career in graphic desing. I have checked some schools, like the Art Institute and GIBBS, althought I have heard good things about their programs in design, their tuitions are far way from what I can afford at this moment. I also have the option to attend community college, and have a very affordable tuition, but as some people have told me, the programs at community college are not so "hands on", like other private institutions.
Now I wonder if it is a good idea to apply for financial aid. What do you think about financial aids? and the choice for schools? What about learning well desing applications on my own?

Thanks,
I appreciate!

[morea]

Please take a look over our "frequently discussed topics" thread - there are a lot of discussions there dealing with education and choosing a school, etc.

You can find the thread here:
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7892

[watrix]

a lot of information.
thanks

[morea]

glad to help some. :)

[PrintDriver]

Are you still in High School?
If so, you should be applying for every scholarship you can get your hands on. The monetary award ones can add up and the awards based on keeping grades are good too. Financial aid will start your career in a hole. It rather surprised me what even a state school costs if you actually live on campus for the year. Crazy. With a 5-year apprenticeship in GD just to get past 'entry level designer' you will be broke for a long time on FA. Sometimes FA is the only way, but go in with your eyes open.

[jessicam]

If you are in the process of applying for financial aid, definitely fill out the FAFSA and apply for the broadest range of aid that you can. There are grants (free money!) you can get from the federal government, and often individual colleges award grants based on the FAFSA, so even if you plan on turning down the loans, it's worth it to fill it out and see what you are awarded.

[budafist]

Are you still in High School?
If so, you should be applying for every scholarship you can get your hands on. The monetary award ones can add up and the awards based on keeping grades are good too. Financial aid will start your career in a hole. It rather surprised me what even a state school costs if you actually live on campus for the year. Crazy. With a 5-year apprenticeship in GD just to get past 'entry level designer' you will be broke for a long time on FA. Sometimes FA is the only way, but go in with your eyes open.

I agree with PD about applying for scholarships. Not just the full tuition ones, but the partial smaller sum ones too. Look locally as you may stand a better chance with local scholarships than with national ones. I was lucky enough to get a full scholarship for my course fees so I ended up getting a $7000 loan for course materials. It is a lot different in my country though - you don't have to pay interest on your student loan if you stay in the country when you graduate.