Funding the move?

[Gneiss1]

I begin a research assistantship position this summer which involves me travelling across the country. I originally thought my pay would begin in June, but now it appears it won't begin until July which poses a bit of a problem for me. I have some money saved, but my current job is about to end and it isn't very reasonable for me to try to find a job I will have to permenantly leave after a month. I have signed a lease to begin July 1st, but I am going to need to buy out my current lease and then pay all initial costs at the new place and moving costs in general. All in all the move is going to cost a couple thousand dollars. I know student loans allow you to put some of the funds towards living expenses, but since classes won't have actually started until Fall I didn't know if I could get one in June to cover my moving costs. Anyone have any experience with this? or other alternatives?

Thanks:)

[Rachel B]

My federal loan isn't going to be applied until August and it will have to cover all my fee costs first. You might want to call VaTech and ask if you can get it disbursed early, but I'm not entirely sure if this is possible. I also noticed your school has temporary short term loans available for student-related expenses (including rent). Although it only goes up to $600, it might be worth looking into: http://www.finaid.vt.edu/types_of_aid/loans/short-term/index.html

[msafiri]

When does your current lease end? Could you potentially find someone to sublet the place rather than buying out your lease?

Otherwise, for short-term work, look into temp agencies. You may be able to get a couple of weeks of (low paid) work that way. Every little bit helps.

[kaguyahime]

Sorry to say this, but it is very unlikely that you will be able to get an "advance" from your university.

They usually have their disbursement systems set up in a way that prevents this.

You might investigate the possibility of a short term loan from family, since you know you have money coming to pay them back.

Or you might consider a short stint of living on a credit card. I realize that this isn't a pleasant thought, but you know you have money coming and would be able to pay the card debt off soon.

Personally, it doesn't seem realistic to work part time if you will also be in the process of preparing to move and actually moving. Especially as you are unlikely to make enough money in a few weeks to finance your moving and startup costs.

[comp12]

Some schools, such as the Univ. of California, do have loans for this exact purpose. I know at my school, first paychecks don't come until Nov. 1st so there is a fee-less "TA Loan Fund" that grads can apply for in increments of $100 to borrow, which they can pay back in subsequent months. It may he worthwhile to check if your school offers similar programs.