College Loans / Side job while attending college in Japan?

[KanpaiQuigley]

Alright, so I'm applying to transfer to Sophia in March. I'll be blunt... I'm poor. I come from a broken home due to a semi-recent divorce, so I work to survive. Since we use a FAFSA application here in the U.S.A. to determine aid and grants, Sophia gave me a worksheet and asked me to write an essay explaining why I need aid. I'm hoping this will cover most of my costs (I graduated high school with high honors and I've got a 3.35 GPA at college... so I should be up for some academic shit). However... does anyone have ANY ideas about student loans if you are studying abroad (but on a full transfer, just not going over for a semester or a year, meaning it won't be covered by my current school). I don't give a damn about interest rates or anything, as long as I don't have to repay until after I've got my degree. Speaking of repayment... will I have to repay my American student loans right away or will I still be considered a full-time student, although overseas?

I'm working right now so that I can afford the airfare to Sophia to begin with and have enough money to keep me alive for at least a few weeks (food, beer... "massages"). Do any of you guys know of a side job an American could work while still saving enough time for class/drinking/sex? I know sukoshi (see, I don't think I can even spell it) Nihongo, so I can't do much, I guess. I work at French Connection (the British clothing store) here in the States, and I noticed that they have 3 stores in Shinjuku. My manager said he'd do the transfer paperwork if they'd take an American that isnt fluent in Japanese. Would this EVER work?

Please, dear God, someone help me out. I need out of this hellhole... But it just isn't gonna work if I end up homeless...

[Western All Stars]

Wow, this guy has a severe case of YBF. You'll fit right in here on FG

Seriously though, I know a few people who studied there and here is what they say. First they'll start you out at a lower level than you actually are to get more money out of you. A lot of you're classes are taught in English and your classmates are mostly English speakers. You get hearded around in the gaijin groups and most likely have to stay in gaijin dorms that lock the doors at 9:30 every night and don't allow visitors of the opposite sex.

Actually, thats pretty much how it is for most universities over there. If thats you're idea of experiencing another country then fine. My advice is enroll in a language school that caters to Koreans/Chinese (there's tons of them). You'll be the only English speaker in your class and will learn the language 10x faster. Plus it's a hellof a lot cheaper.

Now about earning money over there. Check out the forms they have some good posts about the details, but basically you can't even work in a convienence store if you're on an American student visa (which is f'ked up since Korean and Chinese students can). Private English tutoring is really the only way to go.

Really the route you take all depends on your goals and language level. I just hope Takechanpoo's sig. doesn't apply to you.

[KanpaiQuigley]

The main reason I'm not back at La Salle right now is because Sophia is only going to take half of my credits earned, and I just completed sophomore year last spring, so I'm exactly halfway through.

I'll be enrolling in the faculty of comparative culture. Since I'll be transferring and not starting from scratch, I'm hoping they won't start me at too low a level.

I'll make whatever sacrifices necessary to get out of my current situation here in Philly. Aside from La Salle, I have absolutely no reason to stick around. If it doesn't work out over there, I can always go somewhere else. I just want to figure out how loans work for international students if Sophia doesn't take me on full scholarship.

Oh, and as far as Takechanpoo's sig, I never even got any pussy while I was there... I was in military style hostel bunks with my classmates and two professors. I don't have a problem getting it here, and I'm sure I'll be getting a lot less in Japan if the Sophia dorms are like you say. I was filthy enough in high school that getting ass is my last concern. I'm more worried about just marrying a rich one.

[Kuang_Grade]

. Speaking of repayment... will I have to repay my American student loans right away or will I still be considered a full-time student, although overseas?

The regs seem to change every few years, so you need to be careful how and you ask about this...what may have been the case for some a few years back may or may not be the case NOW.

Simple answer: It depends.

Slightly less simple answer: It depends if loan issuer views it as an approved educational institution (to prevent people from setting up their own schools of "debt repayment avoidance" and staying enrolled for a few decades). If it is not, you may be viewed as as out of school and repayment would start six months after you left your current school. However, you might be able to defer (called deferment) payments due to economic hardship for a period of time (but interest still accrues and added to the principle)...you could just tell them you are unemployed and that would work for some period of time (maybe 2 years, although you would need to send a form every so often to say "yep, I'm still not making any money").

This may be a good starting point if you have direct federal loans
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DirectLoan/faq.html#11

If you have loans from private banks, you may or may not have similar options.

Overall, its a fairly complex issue and you really should be asking someone on your campus financial aid office...lots of people stop going to school or take a year or two off due to various issues, so your basic problem is not uncommon.