It was my experience that every dollar I made came out of any potential financial assistance package I could get. So making $15k in an entire year, they expect

It was my experience that every dollar I made came out of any potential financial assistance package I could get. So making $15k in an entire year, they expected that I could apply all $15k toward the school, which wouldn't have covered tuition. There was zero incentive to work as far as paying for school went, unless I could make substantially more than required for school. I ended up just paying for school out of savings (I had worked 4 years before my junior year). Another thing about savings is that they expected I could spend 100% of my savings immediately. They don't even pro rate savings across the multiple years required for a degree. Financial aid is for them, not for the student.