Something you need to consider is textbooks. Textbook costs are hell - set aside around $1000 per year for them to be on the safe side, although you should have quite a bit left of that.
"You fail to grasp the basic principles of mad science. Common sense would be cheating." - Narbonic
Is that cake frosting?
Seek for scholarships. Do it a lot.
I do not know the U.S. college system very much, so I am not sure how much this suggestion can help you; but if you can keep your grades high enough and if you take the time to look around and send applications, you might be able to find out something nice.
But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
Textbooks and shop materials are included in tuition, but there's no scholarships available because it's a small trade school and small profession, and thus unacredited, with no wealthy individual backers for scholarships.
The financial policies of the school itself are actually a big part of why I'm ok with going there at all. Everything they do screams of confidence in their program. For example, if you drop out, they'll give you a refund that's pro-rated based on how far you are into the semester.
edited 5th Mar '12 1:09:49 PM by CDRW
Is that cake frosting?
You know what you're doing. To be honest, this kind of setup would worry me a little; but I don't know the details, and I do not really know how higher education works in your country.
Just please don't tell me that it is a school for game programmers or something dubious like that... 
This said — and keeping in mind that I am no finance expert, and I do not know how your loan works — I'd suggest you to contact people who have been in that school for one year, and ask them about their expenses and about general advice: they certainly know better than us what this is going to cost you, especially since living expenses tend vary quite a lot.
edited 5th Mar '12 11:11:26 PM by Carciofus
But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.
No, it's not a school like that. It's the oldest and most well-respected of it's kind in the U.S., and fairly well-known internationally, it's just a competitive profession that doesn't support large numbers of people.
Don't get a variable rate loan. Seriously. Especially with that amount. You could wind up paying exorbitantly more than you borrowed, and going to school is not a guarantee that you're going to get a job afterwards.
Try to find a fixed rate loan, or multiple fixed rate loans if you have to borrow.
edited 5th Mar '12 4:52:02 PM by DrunkGirlfriend
"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
There is literally no one else who will give me a loan, trust me I've looked, because the school isn't accredited. I did forget to mention that the interest rate locks in place after I start making payments on the principal.
edited 5th Mar '12 4:51:41 PM by CDRW
Okay, why are you going to a non-accredited school? They're generally bad news, because you can't transfer credits and there's no guarantee that other schools will recognize your diploma if you decide to pursue a Master's.
Also, I've never heard of a loan whose interest rate is variable until you start paying.
edited 5th Mar '12 4:54:22 PM by DrunkGirlfriend
"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
It's not accredited because it's a trade school for violin making. Nothing I learn there will transfer to anywhere else anyways, prospective employers already know who they are, and getting accredited would double tuition.
I dunno, that setup still seems really shady. $27,000 at the standard interest rate (6.8%) is $150ish a month to cover just the interest. After you get out of school, you'll have to pay more than that a month to even start attacking the principal.
"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
So, I have a dilemma, and I was wondering what wisdom the intelligent personages here at Tvtropes have to offer.
I start school in a couple of weeks. School is $27,000 dollars. The only loan available is a $25,000 line of credit, and is variable interest. I have to make payments on the interest but not the principal while I'm in school. During school, I have to live off of savings and whatever jobs I can get in summer because it is more than full-time.
I have $4,000 (ish) dollars in savings, and my parents can contribute $10,000 dollars. What is the best way to structure payments to the school to minimize drawing on the loan while still ensuring I have enough to live on?