Again I ask…there are NO colleges in the state in which you reside that have programs for her?
So now what? If FIT NY doesn’t come through with some big money…then what?
Community college where you currently are is your safety?
She could go to the CC and get some general education courses completed. Many students go this route. Is there a CC nearby where she can continue her art? Or an arts center perhaps?
If this happens, make sure her courses will be ones she can actually use where she transfers.
Keep in mind also…merit based aid for transfer students is not plentiful at MOST colleges.
And…if you parents move…again…she will likely lose her instate status for the public colleges where you live.
At some public universities…if you enroll as an instate student, you remain one until you graduate. At others, if your family moves…you lose instate status.
Lots of balls to juggle.
CA
As I said community college would be her option. She did not apply to any instate because the ones she wanted were not worth the drive.
One community offers an AA in photography which is what she wants to study. After doing the math of her going two year at CC then going to Parsons (no aid) compared to four years at Parsons, it’s only $6k difference. The issue is where do I get the 30k she needs now? I don’t quality for a parent plus loan since I defaulted on my loans. Where does she goes to get this money now?
@flowersinurhair She gets her Stafford $5500 Freshman year, $6500 Sophomore year, $7500 Junior/Senior. Add to that a summer job for her and she can earn maybe 2k. How much is tuition to her commutable option?
Saddleback in Orange County California has a great program in fashion and costume design. It’s really a nice school and seems more like a small college with a real campus than a community college. Many students live in the apartments around the college.
By reading through your thread, you/your daughter have basically tied her hands as she will not have an affordable option come this fall.
The one thing that you much keep in mind is that FIT is a public university and their first goal is to make it an affordable option for NYS residents. Should she get admitted, other than a student loan, you should not expect any need based aid to come and if she does manage to get some scholarship money (unlikely), it will be a token amount ($500 if she is i the Presidential Scholars program - http://www.fitnyc.edu/honors/apply/scholarships.php )that will not make a dent in the cost of attendance.
You have a very generous offer from Parsons.
I doubt if you will get more money because:
Parson’s tuition is 33.2k Your D received a 33.6 in aid (scholarship and loan). As far as they are concerned they have covered her tuition and fees.
Parsons is not going to cover her housing ( housing is extremely expensive whether she lives on or off campus). IF you are denied a PLUS loan, your daughter will be eligible for and additional 4k in unsub loans. Housing is a non QEE so any money that they would give your D would be taxable income to her. In addition, you will not be able to get a AOTC for housing. Another big cost is going to be supplies. Unfortunately these costs are unaffordable to your family.
- They don't have it to give and are not at a loss for students who are willing to pay sticker (NYC residents will apply to FIT where in-state tuition is ~6k and they can commute).
- Arts/fashion schools consistently don't meet 100% demonstrated need
- Parsons only gives generous aid to NYS residents who are accepted through HEOP. Even then students who live within the commuting distance must commute because they do not cover housing.
There are no magic banks nor loans to fund this kind of amount.
In all of California, she couldn’t find an arts school? Cal School of the Arts?
Why are you so bent on sending her to a really unaffordable school? What did you promise her?
The truth is that your family really isn’t in a position to fund these schools.
She can take a gap year and earn some money and reapply to affordable schools.
Try to find a state school that will allow her to gain residency (Mizzou for example) it will keep costs down for the full 4 years regardless of where you move.
Not to sound harsh but many kids don’t get to go to their first choice due to $, your child is not alone and is not a victim so help her make a better more affordable choice.
My sons first choice is $72,000 a year. He will not be attending because we can not afford it even after the scholarship award. It’s that simple.
Your daughter can’t borrow $30,000/year. That’s not a bad thing. Many families find themselves in a similar position this time of year. They have an acceptance from a school their teen loves but they don’t have the money to pay for it. You need to tell your daughter it’s not affordable as soon as possible.
Your situation is unusual, so you’re going to have to come up with a solid 4 year plan for her. Is your husband required to move every 2 years or can he stay where you are so your daughter can commute to local schools for 4 years? If you can at least move in state, your daughter will keep her state residency. If she starts school in state and you move out of state, she may be charged out of state rates. Are you working? I know when one spouse’s job is tied to travel it can be difficult for the other to work consistently, but every dollar helps when it comes to paying college tuition.
What’s your budget? She can take the ~$5500/year federal student loan and if she works summers she can probably earn another ~$3k. That gives her ~$8k. That’s where I’d start. If she doesn’t qualify for enough aid anywhere to bring costs down to $8k, then you need to look closer to home. She can attend a cc then transfer to a 4 year school or take a gap year and apply to a new list of schools. If she decides to make a new list, run each school’s net price calculator and if the net cost is more than you can afford don’t let her apply to them.
@flowersinurhair - it would be very unwise for your D – an artist – to take on a large amount of debt for college. Some kids who major in computer science or finance can get high-paying jobs coming right out of college. If a disciplined kid with a high salary is faced with $100K in debt, they can get it paid off in a relatively few years (4 - 8). An artist making less than $30K (usually freelancing, cobbling gigs and with no health ins. benefits) will be paying that debt for a long long time. AND - the large debt will compromise her creativity and ability to do lots of “normal” things – such as buying a home or car, traveling and starting a family. Say NO to large debt! Help your D by creatively seeking ways to get a great education on the budget that will work for her. Lots of the suggestions above point you in the right direction. Best to your D. She must certainly be talented. Her success will be based on talent and hard work – much more than where she goes to school.
Again I say Saddleback Community College. The whole world is trying to get into California colleges at instate rates and you are passing it up to pay $$$$ in NYC.
So…are the CA community colleges still taking applicants? Can this student apply?
I hate to say it…but your current options are not affordable. Even with $4000 more in Direct Loans after parents are denied the Plus…there would still be $26,000 in uncovered costs.
It doesn’t sound like the CC is much more affordable.
Look into the CC suggested by @twoinanddone . Maybe they are still taking applications.
Your issue is…I believe you haven’t been in CA for a year…so you will be paying OOS costs for that CC. Is that correct?
And if YOU move again…where will this student live? Housing in CA is not a bargain.
She can still apply to the CC. There is about a 32k difference after her aid and federal loans. I don’t understand how taking out loans work. She got in, has 33k in federal aid and scholarships so where do I go from here. Parsons is her dream school and I don’t want her to know we have no college money for her.
@flowersinurhair Many families don’t have money for college saved and many students don’t go to dream schools. Parsons will not be affordable. Let her know the reality.
The process can be confusing for beginners. Your daughter can take the federal student loan ($5500 as a freshman, $6500 as a sophomore, and $7500/year as a junior and senior). Tuition usually goes up, so the additional loan amount is usually a wash. Because you defaulted on a loan, you won’t qualify for a PLUS loan. If you apply and get rejected, your daughter can take an additional loan of $4k/year. So the maximum your family can borrow is ~$10k/year. That won’t pay for the schools listed here.
I know it’s upsetting, but the best thing you can do for your daughter is to let her know these schools are unaffordable so she can turn her attention to finding schools that are.
You have to tell her. It will be worse if she finds out in July or Aug and then has no other options because she hasn’t applied to community colleges or other affordable schools.
There are private loans but you have to qualify for them. If you don’t have the credit score to qualify for them, they will not give them to you or to her. Even if you do qualify, you are looking to borrow $30k or more for every year. That is not going to happen, and what happens when your next child needs to go to college?
@austinmshauri Very helpful thank you! Only one with a straight answer.
She is appealing from two schools currently, hoping to get lucky with more aid. Is it bad that she is appealing from two schools at once?