[protomyth]

Not OP, but I too got Pell and OTHER grants (Pell isn't the only one). Many schools (UND in my case), have institutional and national grants that are tapped into for students.

Your final paragraph is pretty low class. colkassad did not say his/her only grant was Pell, only that it was hefty.

[droithomme]

There's nothing low class in my post, I resent the implication.

The phenomenon of oppressive student debt in the US is well documented. Articles about the problems with this situation often have posters claiming that the problem does not exist, but with few particulars. I would like to know more about the specifics of both your situations. Sharing such information could help other students. Posting claims with no details helps no one.

Being able to afford college on $2250 per six months is a remarkable achievement and he should be proud of it, and willing to share exactly how he did it with others so they can benefit as well.

[protomyth]

"do you go to a community college and live at home with your parents who feed you?" and "since you seem to have brilliant financial management skills that others could benefit from learning"

Those aren't exactly phrases that scream, "I want to learn". They do tend to be read sarcastically and indicate a lack of belief.

The solution for me was to go to a state school with a good program and work with a financial aide officer that knew what grants were available. I took out some loans, but they were minimum and easy to pay back (more because I traded work-study money for a loan). Many institutions have grants with their price only being a thank you letter to the organization giving the grant.

I should also point out, I received no help from my high school counselor on applying for financial aide or scholarships. He even cost me a $2,000 per year scholarship . With that, I would have had no loans or work-study. So, if your high school is not actually a hinderance, there are multiple sources of income they can help you with.