I sleep in my car at night. The Publix parking lot is my neighborhood. A large suitcase is my closet, the back seat is my bed.

Like many students at the University of Georgia, even higher tuition and today’s lousy economy have altered my lifestyle. I make enormous sacrifices to attend this fine school, but I wonder if this uncomfortable living situation – this sleeping in parking lots and on the couches of friends – is necessary.

My problems started when my HOPE scholarship maxed out one semester away from graduation. My parents, laid-off and pinching pennies, can’t offer any aid. My sorry excuse of a savings account was not much help, either, even though I work full-time during summers.

While taking classes, I wait tables part-time. After paying for food and other necessities, and trying to pay off my long list of bills, there’s not much left.

Work full-time all year? Well, despite my circumstances, I have a life, and I’d like to enjoy it sometimes. A full-time job while taking a 15-hour course load isn’t realistic, although I know some students manage to pull it off. For those who do, I imagine your only free time is spent catching up on sleep, right?

Yes, I tried the obvious option – the University’s Financial Aid Office.

Each semester, I receive a small-unsubsidized student loan from the Financial Aid Office. That, combined with savings and earnings from work, helps pay for the necessities, cover tuition and keep the harassing bill collectors at bay.

But housing isn’t covered, so at bedtime it’s on to the Publix parking lot I drive.

Ask the FAO to increase my loan? I tried that. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I thought they would be happy to give more aid, maybe even be obligated to.

After all, isn’t that their purpose – to make it financially possible for students to attend?

No, you can’t just walk in and increase your loan, however broke you may be. But it’s not like I’m asking for free money.

In fact, with the interest rate, I’ll be the one paying them free money in the end. So what’s the problem?

I needed to convince the FAO that the aid they’ve given me is, in fact, not the “maximum” they could give.

My pathetic pleas were no match for the policy and procedures all twisted and wrapped in the red tape of the FAO. After requesting additional aid, I was asked to provide a list of documents, some of which I didn’t even know existed, let alone where to find them.

Then came the convenient waiting period – and even if approved, it would’ve been too late for me, since the tuition payment deadline would have long since passed.

So there I was, with my same old laughable (but still appreciated) student loan, the amount of which didn’t come close to what I would need to afford college and all its expenses.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s my own fault for waiting until the last minute. And yes, you would be right. But I know I’m not the only one who has been caught off guard.

This is where the incoming freshmen (or just ignorant upperclassmen like me) can benefit from my mistakes.

Explore the FOA now!

It was too late for me to learn that, no, not just anybody can get financial aid. Too late for me to learn of all the various scholarships and grants. There’s tons of free money out there for college.

But don’t rely on the FAO or the University to fix things when you hit a bind. The system is flawed. It takes too long.

And it’ll shrug its shoulders when you’re moving out of your apartment and into your car.

- Max Marceau is a senior from Hollywood, Fla. majoring in journalism.