<p>My mom has recently passed away and my father has not been part of my life since i was 6 years old, so i had to file my FAFSA as an Independent student. In doing so, I was no longer eligible for the parent plus loan which would usually cover the huge chunk that FAFSA did not cover. Because I had to withdraw from school for my moms last couple weeks of life, and could not return immediately thereafter, there are certain loans and moneys that i am no longer eligible to receive, according to my school. I go to a private college and the tuition is roughly $22k a year with student housing at $2,400 every 3 months. I plan on returning to school this October but my financial aid officer has told me that so far they have only been able to cover about half of the $22k with Federal aid, and that i will definitely have a balance to pay prior to starting school. Im wondering if it were another school, would they give me more money? Should i apply to a state college or something? The reason i ask is because my school is known for being cheap in the sense that they dont a lot of money to anybody. Now that Im an independent student my FAFSA EFC has dropped wayyyy way lower than before and i was expecting a major difference in my financial aid, but so far im dissapointed. I am contemplating not even attending school because i dont know where im going to come up with the finances to pay for it. Any suggestions as to what i should do?</p>
<p>if your current financial package is mostly from federal aid, why would that change if you went to a state school? </p>
<p>Hmmm maybe I'm not understanding it right. But I'd definitely apply to state school. It can't hurt to try.</p>
<p>Just be aware that the current school may not release your transcript until you pay your back balance, and so you may not be able to start elsewhere until you finish paying off what you owe. I would ask the college for assistance in paying the back balance, maybe in a suggested alternative loan or a grant. What was the situation with the money you owed? Had your mom made a plan to pay it? Was she under some kind of payment plan or loan? If so, many of them may have had borrower insurance for her portion of the amount.</p>
<p>Based on your information, yes I would recommend applying to a less expensive school. In the future if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to withdraw for exceptional reasons it is best to write a letter of explaination and ask for special considerations given your circumstances. </p>
<p>In your case it seems that you are saying you are not going to be able to come up with half of the tuition before the beginning of school so this is a no brainer - go somewhere you can afford.</p>