Well, the first thing you need to do is apply at a few colleges that you are interested in. By applying, you will gain access to all of the recourses available at the college for new students, like financial aid, academic advising, etc. If you have an academic record as good as you say, I wouldn't see why you wouldn't be accepted, at least at UWP :)

If finances are a problem for you, remember that a student can always receive some kind of aid, either government loans, grants, scholarships, or you can get a loan from just about any bank for your education (you'll probably need a co-signer) Once you are accepted at a college, you can apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will determine what sort of financial aid you are eligible for. Speaking from my own experience, my parents are fairly well off, and I have held fairly good paying jobs (for a student) and I am still eligible for a government loan for about $5000 per year (note that the amount is based on my need, tuition for me is about $3500 per year, if you had a higher need, the amount of you loan is usually higher). I would suggest that you visit UWP's Financial Aid Office website and look around, perhaps give them a call or write them an email, I'm sure they'd be more than willing to answer your questions. With the knowledge that you can somehow get your education covered by either loans, grants, or scholarships, you should realize that your education is more important than money. Once you graduate and have a job in your field, you shouldn't have problems paying off any debt related to your education, provided you are responsible with your finances (I'm not making a judgement on anyone about responsible financial management, I'm horrible at it :)

No matter where you decide to go, the most important thing you can do is call or write an admissions officer at that university, and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Their purpose is to help you make informed decisions about your education, and have many resources at their disposal to help with that goal. At UWP, they have an Admission Calendar that should give you some idea about when and what you should be doing to get into college.

I hope this helps you, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Arashi

In reply to Re: Re: College suggestions for possible programming career by arashi
in thread College suggestions for possible programming career by Stamp_Guy

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