I need loans! for education!

[dice]

Alright, I'm applying to some very prestigious *undergrad* art/film/theatre schools (SAIC, USC, Pratt, UCLA) in the US (I live in Canada) which are guarunteed to:

- put me 70K in debt
- make me unable to pay off that debt for a few years (it's art school)
- make it possible for me to be filthy rich in the very distant future
- make me unbelievably happy

Artsy stuff is like my head. I don't like to be without it, I've been scribbling shniz since I was 10 months old (we have footage). I have rather unparralled work ethic when I get into it...so I think in the long term it's a good desicion to get a boost and a good education.

But I have no money. I'm really worried about getting loans/scholarships with the economy in the toilet (and no US citizenship) . How are you guys faring? Whats the reality here? The newspapers seem to look at times like these from one angle and blow it out of proportion. How bad is it exactly?

Will I be able to maintain at least my dignity/hygiene under these circumstances? I'm good at living on bare minimum (A medium sized bedroom and a can of beans is fine with me.) ...I just don't want to get sick and die.

[Lauxa]

Have you thought further ahead than getting the education, like what kind of productive work you can actually perform with that education?

First ask yourself what do YOU want to do that will provide VALUE to others? Then figure out if you need a degree to do it. Maybe you could talk to a few people that are doing the type of work you want to do and find out how they got into it. While you are at it, research how that specific industry is doing.

My hunch is that artsy stuff will be cut back during a major recession as people focus more on necessities, but if you are good enough it won't matter.

[funchy]

Talk to the schools' financial aid officers NOW. File your federal student aid paperwork.

You do have lots of options.

$70k isn't affordable to most people, so there's got to be scholarships out there. Check with the school's financial aid office but do some research of your own. If you're a member of an honor society (eg Alpha Alpha Theta), there is scholarship money. In the arts, check with the endowment funds to see if there is any money for talented students.

In the US, there are Stafford and Plus loans. Some are deferred so you're not paying on them until after you graduate and begin working.

Look to see which colleges offer work-study or something similar.

Seriously think about less affordable schools if you absolutely can't find the money. You can always transfer in to the big-name school later. And just because a school isn't big-name doesn't mean it can't give you a good education. Tour campuses and talk to faculty. Sometimes a smaller, lesser-known school will give you all the resources you need plus be able to offer personal attention.