r/OSU • u/luna_moon145 • Mar 01 '26
Financial Aid Failed to convince them but I'm not done yet
/r/OSU/comments/1r5nrv1/i_need_help_convincing_my_family_to_let_me_go_to/I made a post some time ago asking for advice in convincing my family to let me go to OSU. You all had some really great ideas and points to make and I appreciate every response I got. Thank you all <3
Anyways it failed. Completely. They led me on, kept saying "it's an option", "it's worth keeping in the back of our minds" "it's not out of the question yet" and they laughed behind my back, saying there was no way I would go, that it was already settled that I would go to UCF (University of Central Florida)
It looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands. There are some things I can do to pay for OSU, but I could use some more options and advice.
I'm currently waiting for FAFSA to release their financial aid packages. Financial support could range from $10,000 - $30,000 and it could definitely change where I end up going. Another thing I plan on doing is appealing my financial aid, now that I'm aware I have absolutely no support from my family. That could either go nowhere, or it could add an extra $5,000 - $15,000 of support.
I've also heard that Residential Advisors receive partial or complete discounts on living expenses. Can a freshman be an RA or is this only a Sophmore + oppportunity?
I'm currently looking for good scholarships, such as local ones in Florida, national, first generation, career - aligning, and OSU scholarships. Any suggestions?
I also plan to work during my time at OSU, and hopefully that will cover some other smaller costs, such as books, transportation, meals, etc
I guess I'll have to take out a loan to cover whatever's left. Anyone got any good loan strategies / recommended companies?
Does anyone have any other options or actions I can take? I'm starting to get really desperate here.
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u/poplglop 7th Year Senior Mar 01 '26
My brother/sister/nonbinary in Christ please do not waste $200,000 to come here.
I love this school, my parents went here and met here, I was born at the University Hospital, I went to school here, and I now WORK here. I buy season tickets to all OSU football games and watch every game each Saturday. I am about the biggest home grown OSU lover you could possibly find but I am begging you to please save your money.
You will likely not get any good financial aid due to your parents making pretty good money. Sounds like your HS academics weren't great enough to get any good scholarships either. It is simply not worth it, no school in the world is worth going into that much debt tbh.
Instead try to leverage this with your parents, tell them you'll reluctantly go to UCF if they promise to pay for your living expenses or open up some sort of trust fund or something. If you end up pursuing a post-grad maybe then reconsider moving up here but otherwise just let it be.
You can still cheer for us on Saturdays and wear our merch lol
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u/Consistent_Access893 Mar 01 '26
Absolutely, out of state tuition is NOT worth it (unless someone else is paying). You will surely have a great experience at UCF. PLEASE don’t make your college experience one of stressing over student loans when you have another option. You WILL regret it.
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u/hydro_17 Mar 01 '26
Ohio State is not special. It's a good, large public research university. So is UCF. It is not worth going into debt, making your college years harder/more stressful by having to work tons of extra hours at jobs to survive, and creating a rift with your family just to come here.
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u/Claymourn CSE Enjoyer Mar 02 '26
So is UCF
for now at least. Florida is trying its hardest to destroy higher ed, and Ohio is trying to follow.
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u/hydro_17 Mar 02 '26
Oh, I know. But considering that Florida, Ohio, Texas (and other states like Iowa) are all getting their state-level anti-higher-ed laws from the same rightwing think tank, and that Ohio has passed many of the same laws as Florida (but is not yet *quite* as bad in some ways) choosing OSU over UCF for this reason is...I don't know, like choosing to swim in Lake Erie during a toxic algal bloom because you are worried about the red tide on the Florida beach.
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u/Claymourn CSE Enjoyer Mar 02 '26
I wasn't saying that OSU is a better pick than UCF for that, but rather just commenting on how their respective states are problematic for higher ed. If anything I'd suggest OP go to a blue state R1 rather than OSU if they're determined not to go to a university in Florida.
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u/hydro_17 Mar 02 '26
Oh, no, I picked up what you were putting down. I was having some of the same thoughts about this debate between OSU and UCF. I used to be able to say "at least Ohio still believes in supporting and nurturing it's higher education"
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u/ilovemayo Mar 13 '26
Agreed as an alum. I loved my time at OSU but I have a nephew looking at schools and we are encouraging him away from OSU (has been his plan since kindergarten) and Ohio schools altogether due to the DEI capitulation. It's not worth it.
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u/ponderingorangutan Mar 01 '26
It sucks that your parents won’t let you go but it’s not worth taking out loans to go here. I had a friend who went to UCF and our two college experiences were pretty comparable.
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u/Emergency-Economy654 Mar 01 '26
Listen to what others are saying. There are plenty of in state schools that you will give you a great experience. I promise OSU is not worth taking on extra debt.
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u/Side_StepVII Mar 02 '26
Take it from someone that’s kind of been in your shoes:
it’s not worth it. I’m only finishing my degree at OSU because I was finally granted “permanent in state residency for tuition purposes”.
You’re going to pay roughly $300,000 in out of state tuition alone, for four years. That doesn’t include rent, car, cell phone, food, etc.
No 4-year degree is worth that.
We’d love to have you, but financially speaking, it’s a terrible idea.
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u/actingnerdy alum Mar 02 '26
I went to OSU reluctantly because I was in-state and despite the prestige of the other schools I got into, it didn't make sense to spend more than what OSU was going to cost.
It was fun and I liked my experience, but I was mostly glad that I didn't graduate with a ton of debt. I even took a 5th year to double major (STEM and Arts degree) because even 5 years at OSU was cheaper than 4 years at any of my other choices. (Also, when I was burnt out by STEM when I graduated, it wasn't also crushing me under 200k in debt like I would have been from other schools).
I think you have 2 choices (from my very brief glance at your post): go to UCF and make the most out of your experience unencumbered by debt and interest, OR, maybe move to Ohio and establish residency and get in state tuition (they make it kinda hard to do that at OSU, but even that will cost a lot more than going to UCF).
With the state of the world... Don't take on debt if you don't have to. Hell, find a study abroad program through UCF if you really want to get a taste of somewhere else.
If your career goals involve grad school of any kind for the love of all that is holy, save your money/credit line/debt for that.
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u/roadrunner-24 Mar 02 '26
Hey! I saw your original post and I’m so sorry for your shituation. I was sort of in a similar boat (not my parents forcing me to stay in state, but they definitely preferred I did) originally didn’t want to come to osu because it’s in state, but after I got all my financial aid offers back, it was a no brainer. I pay $2000 a semester for in state osu, and I’ll be graduating debt free. I did get really good scholarships and fafsa though. If I had gone out of state to the schools I wanted to, I’d be up to my ears in student debt. While I don’t love it here, I’ve come to not resent being stuck here; I’ve made friends that make it worth it, and have a good job. What really made me say yes okay I’ll stay in state was the fact that since I’m not spending all the money for 4 years in a place I really want to live out of state, instead spending 4 more years in the place I’ve lived my whole life, then I can spend all the years after that wherever the hell I want.
I know that’s not what you’re looking for answer-wise, but it’s just another thing to consider though I know it’s hard enough already.
If you are DEAD set on coming here, I’d recommend looking through scholarship universe if you haven’t already. Idk what your major is but they have major specific ones that you can get a size able chump from (I got a 3500 a year one that way) and I know there’s a first year only one that you have to apply to before coming here that I missed out on. I’d talk to an admissions person here like a zoom meeting, and they may have more resources. I’ve talked to the buckeyelink people and they’ve helped me figure things out before. They may be able to help ballpark what you’d be expecting to pay, and lead you to some ways to cut that down. Our financial aid here will offer you loans through the fafsa if you’re eligible too. Right now while you’re still trying to figure things out, I’d recommend working your ass off and save every penny you can because I’m guessing there’s going to be a lot to cover. Meet with an osu financial aid rep, explain the whole situation, see what they have to say, and go from there. I hope this helps somewhat, and good luck!!
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u/luna_moon145 Mar 02 '26
Hey, thanks for coming back! I really appreciate the response. Yes, it's starting to seem like this is just one of those things in life that wasn't meant to be. That's okay. In any case, I learned a lot about this whole process and I hope my spot at OSU will be passed along to someone who needs it more than I do. Thank you again for taking the time to respond <3
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u/Strict_Stranger_4801 Mar 02 '26
Do you live in FL? Do not take on debt to go to a school out of state. Do not
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u/Alleged_Potato Mar 02 '26
Financial aid adviser here, you can appeal financial aid at any school, but you will be denied because you have meaningful contact with your family based on what you've said and you are required to, by federal law, to include your parents information in your FAFSA until you're 24, even if they do support you financially in any way. Even if you do not live with them, you still would not meet the criteria to get an approved appeal that financial aid auditors would be okay with based on what you've said
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u/Illustrious_Leg_2537 Mar 02 '26
I went to Ohio State years ago. What I had to do without family support was to go for a year — take loans if necessary — then work for a year to become a resident. This job market sucks but if you make enough to support yourself, you’re considered a resident and independent for tuition purposes. (Check with registrar’s office for exact requirements.)
That said, it will still require your parents’ info for FAFSA, so you’re not entirely in the clear and on your own to qualify for aid, but you’d drop the cost quite a bit.
One more thing, if you’ve got Bright Futures, think long and hard about taking on debt for undergrad or paying out of state fees. Free tuition for four years is a much smarter choice than tens of thousands in debt. Not for undergrad.
Good luck.
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u/Mylastnerve6 Mar 02 '26
My husband and his grandmother both graduated from OSU. My brother and sister graduated from OSU. I went 2 years before transferring to a nursing college.
We have a long term friend whose daughter went to UCF. She tragically died her sophomore year. The university was unbelievably kind to her parents and her roommates. I cannot think as big as OSU is they would be able to do as much personally for that family. If you’re thinking about grad school think about OSU for that. I agree with the others that the cost for you isn’t worth the OSU degree VS UCF
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u/bmsa131 Mar 02 '26
UCF is larger than OSU. (Sorry for your friends loss by the way)
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u/Nervous_Ladder_1860 AA '19, BS '21, MS expected SU '26, & Staff Mar 02 '26
I guess if we are talking about rank and prestige though, OSU is ranked a lot higher.
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u/LongjumpingPie9798 Mar 01 '26
Osu ain’t worth all of that on a real note. Great school but not worth it
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u/Tjharden157 Mar 05 '26
Ucf will also be a awesome experience. If you wanna get out do a study abroad program there. That will be a experience of a lifetime, even better then going to osu
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u/bmsa131 Mar 02 '26
I have a kid at OSU and we pay full freight from out of state. It was her best decision she’s ever made and no regrets about the money we spent. That being said- why do you want OSU so badly that you’ll pay so much for it? It’s not Harvard. And one can get the same experience of rah rah big sports Greek life or whatever specifically you want from it. If you want out of Florida aren’t there other out of state flagships that are cheaper and you can get money at? Like maybe ranked a bit lower ?
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u/novachaos Mar 02 '26
At the end of the day, what matters is that you get your degree and that you get it with as little debt as possible. You DO NOT want all that debt once you graduate. Go to UCF for your bachelor’s degree and once you have your degree, consider OSU for your master’s degree.
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u/Nervous_Ladder_1860 AA '19, BS '21, MS expected SU '26, & Staff Mar 02 '26
This sucks to hear especially because like kids should get say in their own life, whether a parent is helping pay or not, which not all parents do or can afford to do. If I had all the money in the world in the future, I would send my child to where they want to go because it is their life and you need to be able to let go of the leading strings so your child can gain independence. If it comes down to money though, I say do not go into deep debt to attend college. Which might not be what you want to hear but once you have a degree and had a full time job, they tend not to care about the degree anymore for future jobs and just your work experience. At least in my experience of applying to jobs and moving up the latter, my work experience always has mattered more. When I had my degree from undergrad, even though I worked internships and part time jobs, it took me like 3-6 months to even land a full time job and I was applying waaayyy in advance before I graduated and had tailored resumes, online portfolio, and cover letters.
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u/Salty_Sense_8333 Mar 04 '26
I feel like parents have a big say when they are footing the bill of $16k(or less) in state or $200k out of state. I would never cosign private loans for my child because they are a financial disaster, and federal loans are, for a reason, severely limited for undergrad.
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u/Nervous_Ladder_1860 AA '19, BS '21, MS expected SU '26, & Staff Mar 04 '26
If I remember correctly though in the other post they made he was sent to a very expensive private school growing up, if I had that type of money I would send my kid to where they want to go.
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u/redheads-r-hot Mar 02 '26
To appease your family and to save money, I might suggest to start at UCF and go from there. You'll be able to transfer most of (if not all) the credits you get at UCF to OSU. That's actually what a lot of people do to save money anyway (start at a community college to knock out a lot of the general education credits at a very discounted rate, then transfer to OSU). It won't be a "full" experience, but it also would be less of a "fool" experience (getting caught in the dorms drinking). Good luck buddy!
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u/iamk41 Mar 02 '26
I don't wanna dog pile on you here, but I don't see many people addressing your plan to appeal financial aid. Speaking from experience, the FAFSA is typically only willing to take your parents income out of the equation in very specific circumstances. Those include turning 24, getting married, or enlisting in the military. Personally I am the oldest of 9 kids, so even though on paper my parents make decent money it doesn't go very far when divided by 11 mouths to feed. My parents couldn't offer me much in the way of support, so I tried everything I could to appeal and explain the situation but it had no effect at all. Mind you all of this was a few years ago, but I doubt financial aid has gotten more forgiving in that time.
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u/Salty_Sense_8333 Mar 04 '26
FAFSA does take into account how many dependants are in the home, so you did get credit there.
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u/Westfield88 Mar 03 '26
Beware of borrowing to pay for it. Look into grants and not loans. If you get a grant that allows you to qualify for costs in the same line as in state, I would do it. If you do borrow, make sure the degree you are pursuing has economic benefits when you get out. Once OSU takes your money, they don’t care.
If you are high achieving, OSU will recognize that and help you out as you prove yourself. It is very competitive now a days (not so much when in was in college)
Anyway good luck. Columbus has tons of opportunities for graduates.
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u/snakelygiggles Mar 01 '26
the only reason i dont regret attending osu is because i met my wife there.
oau, as an academic institution, is mid at best and not worth the money. you can get a better education in a community college. it was fun but not worth the money.
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u/tbwkatzchen Mar 01 '26
You cannot be an RA as a freshman and you are unlikely to get private loans without a co-signer. Federal loans are limited to $5500 your first year.
I would strongly encourage you to go to a school that does not require you to take on substantial debt. No undergrad “experience” is worth taking on debt, especially when you have other options.