I'm on my last year of high school and I've recentely received an offer from the University of Glasgow, my dream-uni. The problem is.. I'm from Italy and my parents won't be able to financially support me, since I come from a low-income household. We had a bad argument the other day, after they had found out my application for uni in Scotland. I tried to convince them I'd use my personal money at the beginning and then look for a part-time job, but they didn't wanna listen to me. They said it would just be a waste of time and money. I know they love and they don't want me to struggle like they have when they first came in Italy years ago, after the civil war in their native country, but still.. It's so hard to give up to your dreams and your future. They made me think about it and I'm now considering whether to accept my offer or not. I'm so confused and scared. If I turn it down, I already know I will regret it for the rest of my life. I don't want to grow up and then wonder how my life would have gone if I had been brave enough to leave my country against my parents' opinion and just start a new life. But they're right, too, because we don't have that much money to afford my uni accommodation and all the other expenses (while uni itself is free, that's why I want to catch this opportunity). And how can I be sure I'll be granted a job that will cover all my expenses? It might really turn out as a vain struggle and a waste of time (my parents said I'd come back home after a year crying and hungry) I seriously don't know what to do, what do you say? It's a big issue, because all my future depends on it (and that makes it even more frightening). :icon_sad:
You have until September to be able to sort out the issues around your finances. You could take on some part time work now and save and save everything and have a decent sum of money to buy you some time to find work. This is your dream. Don't let anyone get in the way of it. If you want it bad enough, you can achieve it. You will change your life. Yes, it could theoretically not work out well, but if you don't try you will only wonder what could have been achieved if you did. You will make it work, if you want it badly enough. Good luck!
Your college years can be some of the best of your life, and your choice of college can have a profound effect on your future. University of Glasgow is an excellent school, recognized worldwide, and potentially holding a degree from there can open many doors for you. I don't know enough about the financial aid and education systems in Europe to be able to give much advice on that front, but in the US, most nonprofit universities actively seek out and encourage applications from low-income people and then provide financial assistance to help them attend because they realize that a good education can transform people's lives and open opportunities that many low income people would otherwise never have. I would suggest calling the school's financial aid department and discussing your situation to see what options might exist. There may be grants (money they give you that you don't have to repay) or low-interest loans that can help cover your expenses, and they may have on-campus jobs that are reserved for low-income students. That's very common in the US. I think if there's a way you can reasonably make it work, and they encourage you, you should do it. Your parents' fears and concerns may be more about you moving away to another country than about the actual financial issues. It may be a struggle, but it's a short-term one, and the worst that happens is you go there for a semester or a year, decide it doesn't work for you, and move back home. I don't see anything horrible that could happen from giving it a try. I agree with you that if you don't take a gamble, it may be something you regret for the rest of your life. And I don't think that's worth it.
