<p>Try not to panic just yet. Do communicate with the college offices (be great if you can learn names of the officers-- you could even request that you be assigned a person while you work through this challenging time). </p>
<p>You can politely ask if there is any departmental scholarships that you could apply for – if you are undecided in a major, you could also ask for some counseling advice (for instance, maybe the math department has several scholarships but the computer science dept doesn’t and you were hovering between those two choices you could swing toward math to start with). </p>
<p>Please do what ice skaters do: they learn to power through moments of embarassment. If they get dumped on their heinie, they get up and keep right on skating. The divorce is not your choice and not your shame. Keep skating toward your degree. </p>
<p>This is important because there’s no way the college staff understand your situation unless you (or parent) tells them the specifics. Communicate, communicate. Ask for advice from the college staff. Ask about work study and any other paths open to you. </p>
<p>If you don’t have a food handler’s card, consider going and getting one. One of the easiest jobs to get on a campus is in food services. You can walk in on day one and begin work. Yes, it may mean parking your pride – but that pride can come right out of the parking lot on the day you graduate. </p>
<p>Are you going to Indiana University of PA? If so, then you should be able to get enough help.
Tuition and fees at IUP for in-state (this year) - $7209/yr; room and board about $8500.</p>
<p>What you may expect:
Pell Grant - $4800
FSEOG - anywhere between $200 - $3000 (probably a couple thousand)
PHEAA Grant - about $3000
Stafford Loans - Sub - $3500 (freshman), Un Sub - $2000</p>
<p>It’s possible that all of this could be close to equal to your cost of attendance.
Throw in a summer job and work study and you will probably be ok. I know lots of PA kids who got lots of assistance from the FA at their state school. They really want to help you get into school and stay in school.</p>
<p>Keep your chin up - tough times but keep you eye on the goal!</p>
<p>^^Do IUP give SEOG for students with more than a 0 EFC? Most schools I have heard of (admittedly based on limited personal experience and anecdotal CC evidence) require a 0 EFC for SEOG. My daughter’s first year of college with a 700 EFC she got no SEOG, the next year with a 0 she got $2000 (the max at her particular school).</p>
<p>So, is his EFC that was figured earlier this year 2010 now set in stone? Or can that be changed?</p>
<p>The reason I’m asking is because last year, a woman posted that her D first had an EFC of $11,000 (she was going to be an incoming frosh at GT), but then divorce and financial devastation hit, so the mom appealed, and the D was awarded full Pell (which sounds like somehow her EFC was brought down to 0). Could that happen?</p>
<p>swimscatmom - on their website they indicate SEOG’s are between $200-$3000 - doesn’t say you need a zero efc.
SEOG’s are a mystery - like Perkin’s loans. I know a kid at IUP who got an SEOG but don’t know if he had a 0 efc.</p>
<p>I didn’t even include Perkins Loan - it’s possible that would be available too and those are a steal at 5% interest.</p>
<p>Mom2 - the OP posted that they had talked to the school and they would send them a special circumstances form in October. So it sounds like they may not be willing to make a change befopre then. I am sure this would vary by school.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who has posted. I’m a first gen kid who’s kind of doing this on her own, so I cannot express how much I appreciate anyone who takes the time to post.</p>
<p>JustaMom- Yes, I’m attending the Honors College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. :)</p>
<p>To end the week on a good note, I received a letter from the Elks saying I won a $1,200 scholarship. It keeps me optimistic. :)</p>
<p>Mom2- The EFC can be adjusted by the school’s FA office if they approve a special circumstance.
I’d still encourage the OP to run 4caster before submitting anything though. The efc may be lower when the dad’s unemployment is included, since the # in hh would be larger too.</p>
<p>GiftedGothic –
You have a maturity well beyond your years, but I am still sad that you’re needing to cope with this. I hope for more good news coming your way too. You might want to explore whether there is an organization in your community that helps families who are struggling assess housing situations and get access for any available assistance – for example, some states have special low-income utility rates, phone rates, and some groups can provide temporary assistance in paying a utility bill. With younger siblings the school may well have a policy of waiving other fees for a family that qualifies for free and reduced lunch – ours does.</p>
<p>SwimcatsMom – if her family is determined to be eligible for foodstamps, isn’t that an automatic 0 EFC?</p>
<p>arabarb-- Thank you. I know in the past we’ve received help through ACORN housing-- it’s a shame so many want that program stopped. I think my mom reapplied for that when she went to the welfare office the other day. We’re also doing a similar program that provides us with discounted heating oil.</p>