<p>Below is from another thread...please help advise this family.... </p>
<p>My Husband has been ill and we have been financially devastated. During my daughters senior high school year we spent most of our time at chemotherapy or radiation treatments or making the 4 hour daily trip for those treatments and related medical appointments. My daughter did not understand the importance of applying to private institutions because of their large endowments to fund need based students so we are now struggling with acceptance at public institutions who offer no little or no help. Our EFC is 0 and I just read one school will not allow her to attend if we cannot demonstrate the financial ability to pay for all 4 years. The one one private school she applied to waitlisted her so she did not apply for the need based aid there except for FAFSA. I don't know what to do now should she take a year off and reapply as a freshman next year or should she attend community college and lose the option of need based help for freshman next year since most of those deadlines for applications are long gone. This year has been horrible for her and she is struggling emotionally so I am considering cashing in the last of our assets, a small IRA not even enough to cover one semester and a car worth a few thousand dollars. Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?</p>
<p>We live in Maryland, SAT 1890, GPA 3.8, weighted GPA 4.3, Business Marketing is her preferred major with a possible minor in communications or education. She was accepted to UMD for Spring admission perhaps due to SAT score or possibly related to fact that online it says her recommendation letters were not received with the packet from her High School although the sealed envelope was in the packet when mailed. She also did not get her major of business at UMD and they put her in letters and sciences which is their General Education and she can apply to Business school after two years and if not accepted has to have a fallback major. UMD claims you can still graduate in 4 years and not waste credits but in talking to students who took this path, the advisors have a hard time making that work in reality. We were under the impression until the open house last week that she would be going into the school of business not gen ed. At UMD if you are directly admitted as a freshmen to the business school the student has to maintain a 3.0 to stay in the school of business if you transfer or apply after two years of General ed then you have to maintain 3.4 or 3.5 GPA and we are concerned about all the what ifs and confusion it is very stressful espescially for her emotional state. I think if she retook the SAT she could possibly score better as her preparation and state of mind were not at their best as her Dad was at his most difficult point in treatments during that time. I am thinking a gap year may be a good idea, but we are concerned it will hurt her chances for admission the following year or just further mess with her sense of value as Md did a good job of making her feel like less than a second class citizen.</p>
<p>My response:</p>
<p>I strongly advise a gap year and having your D apply to schools that will work for her. Loyola-Maryland does promise to meet need, but it's a CSS school.</p>
<p>I don't think any OOS publics will work since even if merit brought cost down to "instate", that is still too high for you. It doesn't sound like you could pay even $5k per year, so OOS publics and many privates won't work without nearly a total free ride.</p>
<p>It sounds like you really need ALL costs to be covered. I know that you want to contribute, but even with a near free ride or free ride, you will have to pay for certain stuff...so that needs to be the focus.</p>
<p>What are your D's objections to a gap year?</p>
<p>I see positives for doing a gap year....she could work and earn up to about $6k per year without hurting her EFC. That money may help your family at this critical time.</p>
<p>I don’t think this family only needs a list of schools that are still taking apps. They could end up wasting precious dollars applying to schools that will accept this student, but gap her widely. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that each app can cost $50+ and also cost to have scores sent. The student probably has used her fee waivers already. </p>
<p>This student needs recommendations of schools that will STILL award lots of aid (if there is such a school), or some other suggestion that will work.</p>
<p>If the daughter is able to get the $5500 in Pell and another $5500 in Stafford - is there any school out there that she can go to.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any information about the Maryland GAG Schloarship - this is from the Frostburg State Website</p>
<p>The Guaranteed Access Grant (GAG) is awarded to students who have extreme financial need. The grant is large enough to cover a large portion of the student’s cost of education at Frostburg State University, and awards range from $400 to $14,300 per year. The average award for students attending Frostburg State University during the 2011-2012 academic year was $11,300. </p>
<p>Lex thinks they may qualify but the state website is down. Can anyone shed some light on this Maryland scholarship.</p>
<p>Also by taking a GAP year - Lex wants to know does that just mean not accepting any spaces in the current admit cycle. She doesn’t actually have to declare a “gap year” anywhere - correct?</p>
<p>And I guess she could apply some places for a spring acceptance as well as a Freshman. Things may not be so rushed then.</p>
<p>Walsh University in North Canton - eastern Ohio And a not too bad drive from MD has the majors she needs and with her stats she would get lots of merit. I would advice the op to call this school ASAP. </p>
<p>Shawnee State in Portsmouth Ohio is very cheap for in and out of state and D would get merit. Total out of state tuition is appx $5,000 per year! Total cost lf attendence including books etc. is about 20k for out of state. She would be eligible for Presidential scholarship that is full in state tuition.</p>
<p>Depending on where the student lives in Maryland, there are a number of excellent community colleges in the state. Montgomery, Howard, and Ann Arundel Counties are three that I know of. </p>
<p>Admission to UMD is more competitive every year. I know quite a few UMD students who were spring or FreshmanConnection admits. They are bright, highly involved on the campus, and doing well. There is no way to tell what kind of admission any student was given once they are all there. Those staggered admissions have more to do with utilizing the campus and professors every semester, days and evenings. I would encourage the student not to take an offer of spring admission as a reflection of her or of her abilities.</p>
<p>Some of the spring admits I know have taken CC classes or have worked the summer and fall semester before starting classes in College Park in the spring. Either of those options would work, and would help save some money.</p>
<p>UMD also offers guaranteed admission to any instate student who completes two years of CC with a decent GPA.</p>
<p>so I am considering cashing in the last of our assets, a small IRA not even enough to cover one semester and a car worth a few thousand dollars. Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s a good idea. Your EFC will go up and you may lose your 0 EFC. If that causes your EFC to go to about 5000, then you lose Pell. </p>
<p>One thing you have to be concerned about spring admits… the school can put the entire 5500 student loan towards one semester (maybe the entire Pell that way, too). That can give a false impression of affordability of a school. The following year the loan (and maybe Pell) will get split and you’ll be gapped more.</p>
<p>Alfred University (NY) established in 1836, merit-based aid, need-based aid, about 2,300 undergrads, no Greek Life, Division III Athletics, small-classes-know your professors. Shuttles run at peak break times to Rochester airport, buses to NYC at peak break times.</p>
<p>USNWR Best Value
Princeton Review’s Best 376
Princeton Review’s Best 294 Business Schools
Fiske Guide 2012
Fiske small schools strong in engineering
Fiske small schools strong in Art & Design </p>
<p>Do a gap year, apply all over again to other schools as an entering freshman.
Don’t take any courses at community colleges etc, would be considered a transfer.</p>
<p>I am going to follow up on some of the suggested schools and see what is available to her as well as try to find more information on the GAG. Thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge with me. The gap would be my first choice so I could feel like she puts her best self out there with my support but her Dad and D want her to move forward with school this year, I think the idea of waiting concerns them since we have seen how much can unexpectedly go wrong.</p>
<p>Lexington - In the first week of May there will a listing released by the NACAC that lists schools still accepting applications and ones that still are offering merit aid. That may be your best best for this year.</p>
<p>But, remember there is nothing wrong with a gap year. Many kids do it by choice :)<br>
Save money, work, apply to numerous scholarships, and get your financial house in order for next year. </p>
<p>Give it a few days but continue to research the GAG and Maryland state schools.</p>
<p>I’m very curious what school said she couldn’t enroll unless the family showed they had the money for all four years. That is very odd unless the student is an international student.</p>
<p>If the EFC is $0, the student could commute to a community college and go there for two years…then transfer to a four year school for the final two years…Pell plus stafford loan.</p>
<p>I hope happymomof1 sees this as her happy kiddo did just that.</p>
<p>I’m with thumper1 on that show-you-can-pay school. The only cases I’ve ever heard of that practice were for international applicants. If this student is international, the whole ballgame changes dramatically.</p>
<p>Happykid is about to graduate with her AA from Montgomery College (Rockville Campus) and will be at Towson in the fall. She has a bunch of friends who’ve paid for all of their studies at MC with the Pell and a small Stafford. The other community colleges in Maryland have prices in that range too, so for the first two years expenses should be covered provided the student qualifies to file the FAFSA. MC has a number of merit-based and need-based scholarships, Happykid received a merit-based scholarship that covered 15 credits each semester provided she maintained a certain GPA. Cut-off for applications was May 1. There are a couple of need-based scholarships with application dates that are even later. If MC would be this students home MD CC, have the family talk with the HS guidance counselor and look at the MC Fin Aid page on their website: [Tuition</a> 2011-2012](<a href=“http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/tuition.aspx?urlid=10]Tuition”>http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/tuition.aspx?urlid=10) If she does decide to go the community college route, she should meet with the Transfer Advisor and speak very specifically about the best ways to position herself to earn those types of scholarships and aid. Her HS GPA is very good, so I expect she has the work ethic to pull it off.</p>
<p>The MD Higher Education Commission has a useful website with links to all of the public (and some of the private) institutions in the state: [Maryland</a> Higher Education Commission Home Page](<a href=“http://www.mhec.state.md.us/]Maryland”>http://www.mhec.state.md.us/) This family should also spend some time there.</p>
<p>My personal advice would be to take the Gap Year. A bit of ACT or SAT prep might bring the exam scores up and put this student into a better position for landing the aid that she needs. I can understand that the family would like her to proceed with her college plans as though their situation were normal, but the simple fact is that it is not normal. The 0 EFC (if it is expected to continue through her entire education) is going to pose challenges. Yes she can get through one of the MD CCs with just a Pell and Stafford, but that money will barely make a dent at the 4-year publics. She will need to be in a position to make serious money so that she can cover her living expenses, which means that she will most likely need to take more than four years total to graduate.</p>
<p>Lex - What county are you in? Happymomof1 makes some great points. At this time, a county college education with no debt may be the best route if your daughter doesn’t want to do a gap year. County colleges all across the US are thriving - offering more and more major routes and building new facilities because of the continual rise in the cost of attending four year schools. It is a great opportunity especially with the family finances devasted.</p>
<p>Keep an open mind and hopefully things will become clearer.</p>
<p>I know of someone with a 0 EFC who was awarded a Guaranteed Access Grant but it was for much less than the full amount. The mom called and was told they award based on state funding. I can’t remember-- but seem to think she told me-- that they also take into account the college involved. The kid I knew was using the GAC for a community college so maybe she would have been awarded more for a 4-year? </p>
<p>I wouldn’t feel about a 2nd class citizen at UMd. The school’s test score averages are higher, particularly for certain restricted majors like business and engineering. </p>
<p>Please let us know if you’re an international. Did UMd give you a financial aid package and, if so, how much are you left having to fund? And are you within commuting distance?</p>
<p>We are in the frederick /montgomery county area of Maryland so Montgomery College or Frederick community College are both options. We are not international, I think it was a state public school that had the info about proof of finances for 4 years but I think it must have been wrong and relates to international only - one less hurdle-thank goodness. D would like to move forward this fall to a 4 year school, being close to home would be nice but I think getting away from our upside down world would be healthy for her although I will miss her and her help with the family. She wanted to take her first choice oos public school off the table last night if we thought she would not be able to continue there after the first year, which would be likely and put us in an even scarier financial situation. As for funding at UMD its the pell and loans with a $2000. grant in the spring. Commuting to UMD is haphazard it sometimes takes two hours since we fight traffic all the way, so between gas and stress which we need to reduce for D and Dad does not want her to commute to UMD but then housing becomes an issue at UMD. I favor the gap but D and her Dad want me to find something showing its viable and won’t ruin her chances for admission much less financial aid before they will even consider it. The community college and then Towson would also be a great option in my mind, D and Dad are wanting the four year, she will continue to work and we have discussed if she gets on campus housing being an RA her second year to reduce that cost. I feel that if she had applied to more schools she might have had a clean path we could manage somewhere so I guess I am scrambling at this point trying to see if something exists for 2013. We just found out about the issues at UMD with her major and housing last week at an open house there. It seems that everything she has tried to do this past year has blown up in her face and I just want to her to have the best information to move forward with. Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge with me I am astounded by how much I did not already know.</p>