Emily's right, they say live like a student now and you can live like a professional later. Live like a professional now and you'll have to live like a student later.
That being said, Emily is in-state, and while the initial difference doesn't seem that substantial, all in-state people are given a general grant every year (about 4200?) so it makes it actually cheaper than it looks. I am out-of-state (from NJ, which doesn't even have contract seats after McGreevy ruined the state financially), so my stafford loans leave me very little money after tuition. My parents are helping me out this year, but I think I'm going to have to take out more loans for next year. There are of course scholarships you can get, like the sweet one Emily got ($3000/yr for all 4 years) so keep on top of that stuff. There's also the Perkins loan ($6000) and another loan (I forgot the name of it, I think it's $3000) that you apply for with your stafford loan, but there are limited funds for it so it's given to students with high need. And by high need, I mean you have to give them all of your parents' financial information since they are "expected" to contribute a certain amount based on their financial status. I'm pretty sure that you have to give them your parents' information regardless of your age, but someone else has to fill in the gaps here.
