I understood all that, but I was wondering if there was a way to get a larger loan so that I could still afford rent, food, books, etc. and also make car payments.
yes you can take out a larger loan- you write the school and tell them that you need a cost of living increase
Schools are usually very stingy about raising the student budget. Some have one budget regardless of familial status that they refuse to raise for any reason. Others have separate budgets for students with families and may give budget increases for other sorts of non-voluntary payments like healthcare costs. Making a car payment is not something they will see as necessary and will likely be rejected by the school.
You cannot just write the school and tell them that you need a cost of living increase. This is absolutely false! As QC said, some financial aid offices will increase your budget if you have EXTREME extenuating circumstances - but often you have to show proof/receipts of why you need this extra loan.
Most schools do allow a one time computer allowance. At my school you have to turn in your receipt after you buy your laptop.
Schools do this to HELP students - they don't want students going out into the real world with an extra 20K in debt just because they didnt budget properly.
One final note - a friend of mine had some car problems and needed $2,000 to get it fixed. They would not allow her a student loan increase for car issues - said this is never approved under the budget. She ended up using the computer exception (since she had a laptop) to get some extra $$ and somehow that worked out for her. Obviously there are loopholes - but I would be VERY hesitant to rely on these loopholes