Why don't you apply for Financial Aid? That transfers from school to school and you don't have to start paying it back until 6 months after you graduate (or 2 months after you don't re-enroll for school before you graduate, and if you re-register after those 2 months you can re-apply for your loan and they will add anything you didn't start paying back into your new loan).
My tuition is close to $64k for 4 years and I haven't had to shell out a dime since I started 2 years ago. And when I do finally graduate my payments will be under $100/mo.
You can fill out an application out at your school or do it here:
FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
And you can apply for a Pell Grant here: http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html
I also qualified for a pell grant worth $5k, although I think the guy pulled a few strings lol .. because he said I just "barely" squeaked under the pay scale required lol. He was worried I made too much to get a grant. You don't have a job at all .. so you should be a shoe in for the full grant, usually they range from $5-7k.
As far as getting a car with no, bad, or little credit .. it sucks. There are so many people out there stiffing people for money these days that companies are afraid to take a risk on someone who isn't well established. But it's hard to get established (or re-established when no one will take a chance on you). You are basically gonna have to do one of 3 things:
- 1. get someone to co-sign. And if you have bad credit, most people do not want to do it. They are either A). afraid you won't pay on time and end up messing their credit up too, or B). that it will tie up their avaliable credit line. You can only have so much credit avaliable to you at a time based on your credit score.
If whoever you are trying to get to co-sign with you happen to be mulling over purchasing something substantial for themselves in the near future they'd have to pay off several of their own things in order to be able to buy whatever it is they are looking in to. Co-signing a car is a large chunk out of your avaliable credit limiit, and it could put them close to their limit.
Co-signing isn't really all that popular/utilized anymore, except with married couples.
- 2. You can go with a higher interest rate loan company. Smaller loan companies (instead of trying to get a loan from a bank) are usually more willing to work with people who have little, no, or bad credit. They deal with what is referred to as "High Risk Buyers". You can expect to pay anywhere from a 5-20% higher interest rate though, depending on your credit rating, but it will help build up your credit score (if you pay on time everytime .. that is SO important!!).
The smaller car lots usually deal with these type buyers. If you have a car lot that deals in repo'd cars, that would be your best bet. They sell cars for what is owed on them, not for what the car is worth. These are usually cars that are 1-3 yrs old, usually no older (as you normally can't get a high risk loan on a car that is more than 3 years old). They will also offer to finance you extended warranties .. TAKE THEM!
Sad but true fact, these lenders do lend money to high riskers under the assumption that they will not end up paying for their car. Then the lender gets the down payment, whatever payments the buyer did make, and then they send the car back to the same dealership and re-sell it again (or offer to re-finance the car to the same buyer again .. with a new down payment,ect).
They end up making their money and then some, which is why they are out there lending money to High Risk Buyers in the first place. But, if you plan to pay for your car .. you get a relatively new car and help build up your credit rating. But you have to pay to play, and that comes across in higher interest rates.
You can look for an interest rate of 18-20% at a small loan company.
- 3. You can go to a Kia dealership. Most of them deal with people who have bad or no credit. They 9 times out of 10 will finance you on the spot.
Now, I know what you're thinking, but it is a car. And despite popular belief they are actually nice, dependable little cars. (My mom has had one for 2 years now and she absolutely loves it. She had a 2001 Pontiac GrandAm before and she says she likes the Spectra better.) They get great gas mileage and come with a super, Full, bumper to bumper warranty on them (10 yrs or 100,000 miles). For the price you pay for them (take a Spectra for instance @ $9-10k before financing, usually around $14k after financing) you really can't beat them.
Suzuki also has the same type of deals as Kia does sometimes, or at least they do around here. I hear radio ads all the time for both Kia and Suzuki for $99/$150 down for people with little, bad, or no credit.
You just have to look at it this way, it's a brand new vehicle, with a full warranty, and great gas mileage.
You really can't beat that when you are desperate.
