<p>oth my parents are undergoing bankruptcy right now, and I'm wondering how this affects my chance of getting loans for college. I'm pretty sure federal loans won't be affected (feel free to correct me on that) but I'm a little afraid of how it affects my chances with certain schools.</p>
<p>Would there be a difference in amount of aid given in terms of applying to public vs. private schools, or in-state vs. out-of-state?</p>
<p>More background on me: I'm a rising senior, getting ready to apply. My parents combined income is about $60,000 and my sister is entering her second year at Wake Forest. I was hoping to apply to both public and private schools, in state and out-of-state. Short list: UNC-Asheville, UNC-Chapel Hill, Davidson, Mary Washington, William & Mary, University of Chicago</p>
<p>I know Davidson, for example, claims to meet 100% financial need (The impression I've gotten is most colleges have a different idea of "100% need" from the students who actually need it). Can anyone give me more insight on that? Does anyone have insight on some of the schools I listed's policies, or maybe have a recommendation of a school with a good reputation for helping out with need? Any help would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>You may not receive any federal aid like the Pell grant; not because they are undergoing bankruptcy, but because of their income level.</p>
<p>How is your sister getting through Wake in terms of money? If you go to a similar school, you would probably get a package similar to hers, actually more generous for both of you if you are both in college at the same time. </p>
<p>Bankruptcy isn’t going to affect your financial aid except that your parents will likely not qualify for parents’ loans (PLUS), nor would they be acceptable cosigners for outside loans for you or your sister. But you probably should not be taking such loans anyways.</p>
<p>With a combined income of $60K and few assets, you, your parents and sister would probably be expected to come up with about $12-15K if there are no complicating factors. I don’t know if Davidson includes Stafford loans in their financial aid packages in meeting your full need. If they do, then you need to find the money elsewhere. Don’t know what Wake’s policies are either.</p>
<p>My sister was originally asked to pay like $10,000, but through a lot of struggling/searching/tears it got down to about $5,000. Considering they’re putting her through college now, I’d expect my parents to be able to put up even less. </p>
<p>I was considering getting a part-time job in order to contribute, but now I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. Would more be asked for if I also had a job?</p>
<p>Finally, I’m probably going to end up being a National Merit Scholarship finalist and winner (got a 231/240 on psat). What are some of the (better) schools to apply to that offer a lot in terms of national merit scholarship?</p>
<p>I think there are a few threads that could help you with the Natl Merit question. There’s a thread on guaranteed scholarships. Also, use the search engine and look for National Merit under the financial aid boards. That may very well be the way to go.</p>
<p>You probably should apply to some schools that give big scholarships to NMFs.</p>
<p>USC would give you a half scholarship.</p>
<p>The other top schools don’t give automatic NMF scholarships. There are mid-tiers that give big NMF scholarships (that include tuition, housing, etc). See the link above.</p>