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...