Alright so I’m trying to transfer from one 2 year school to another in hopes of saving money. The current two year school I’m at now has dorms. I moved out of dorms for this spring semester so I only have to pay tuition and not housing. But, I’m still not receiving the amount of aid/loans I would like, it’s barely covering my tuition. I still need money for books, a new laptop (the library isn’t easy access anymore since I don’t live on campus), and transportation.
So I’ve already registered to the other 2 year school but I haven’t added it on to my FAFSA yet. Can I add it and compare the funds to the current school I’m at? I want to go to whichever is going to give me more money. But I don’t know if you’re allowed to do so? I’m 19. I’ve never done this before and I don’t have much help. The counselors at these schools are all biased because they want you to stay at their school.
No you can’t get aid from two schools. I’m guessing that the only aid you are getting is Federal aid. What are you getting now? Pell Grant? Loan? Are the costs per unit different at these two colleges? If not, then your allocation and aid should be the same at either.
You can’t get aid from two schools, but you can apply to another school and see what aid they would offer, and compare it to your current school.
If they are both CCs, I would think you’d have time to find out what your current school is offering you for 2015-2016, and can apply to the other CC and see what they would offer.
Seniors who are applying to college often get FA packages from several schools, and can compare them. I don’t see why you couldn’t do that.
However: why did you bother to register for the new school? Do you mean you put a deposit down for the fall after you were accepted?
You can’t attend both at once. But you can waste your money and register for both schools, and get FA packages from both schools and compare them. In September, you would only attend one school, and withdraw from the other.
So, I’d suggest contacting the new school and getting the FAFSA filed for them as well as your current school, and they will send you an FA estimate. Then you can compare. Then you decide which one you will go to.
You can enter up to 10 schools at a time on FAFSA, and apply to as many schools as you like, and then compare aid packages. But as @BrownParent said, you can only receive federal aid from one at a time.
To save money on books, look online and on your campus to buy books directly from students.
Do you have work study? Are you working? Are you living at home? Your school may have discounted bus passes that are included in " fees".
If they are both CCs, it’s unlikely the aid will be much different, but one may have outside awards depending on your program.
Well the school I’m at now isn’t a CC. It’s a junior college that belongs to W&M. I’m just going to leave and go to my local community college. They want me to pay more money out of pocket that I really don’t have. And since I can’t pay that means that I cannot transfer my credits until I do. They’re not going to give me my official transcript. I just updated my fafsa & added the CC. Does this mean the JuCo can’t use my aid? I already registered for spring classes with them months ago before any of this trouble stirred up. I am currently trying to withdraw from the school.
I registered at the CC but I haven’t signed up for classes yet. I’m sad and I don’t know what to do. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be graduating from a 4 year on time (2017). @brownparent@rhandco@madison85@emeraldkity4
Yes, I owe money from fall semester and I don’t understand how. I had to pay $500 before I could even move into the dorms (in August). And now they are saying another $500 is owed for the fall. I know you’re probably thinking $500 isn’t a lot of money but it is for someone with no income. And what sucks is that I could get the money most likely (in a month or so hopefully) but the classes I’m signed up for aren’t all online. Only two out of the 5 classes are online. I don’t live near the school so there’s no way I can get back and forth to class the way I need to. I live about two hours away (which is why I had to live on campus my first year). If there wasn’t a hold on my account, I could drop the three classes and sign up for three that are virtual, then my life would be easier but of course nothing good ever happens to me. @madison85
Before the problem gets worse, call the financial aid department or the registrar and ask for assistance in dropping the spring semester classes before you are charged for those as well.
Do you have a part-time job? Did you work during winter break?
Could you ask the school for a payment plan for the past due $500?
Did you take the full amount of federal loans allowed?
You need to contact the registrar’s office as soon as possible - they will help you drop the classes, if that is what you need to do. I could give you advice about trying to get the hold lifted so you could get into the online classes, but it sounds like you would still have issues with not having enough money. If getting into the online classes would mean your bill from the school is less, would you have additional money from your scheduled financial aid that would cover the $500 you owe from fall? Sometimes the aid office will go to bat for you in such a case, since they know the money will be there to cover the balance due.
If you think leaving is best financially, then get the new school code on your FAFSA and submit it. You will be eligible for one-half your annual Pell, if you are Pell-eligible. You will be eligible for one-half your annual loan limit for loans (I am guessing $3,750). That’s it, though … no other federal aid is guaranteed.
You will also need to figure out how to pay off the $500 so you can get the credits for your current classes transferred to the new school.
@madison85 I worked during the summer that’s how I paid the original $500. I’m assuming I accepted the full amount because I needed it back then to cover the cost of the dorms. And no, I didn’t work this winter break at all, I really should have.
@Kelsmom I contacted the registrar and they told me that I can’t withdraw completely because of the hold on my account. I was told to contact financial aid and see what they would do about it. I emailed the person in financial aid (no one was answering the phone) explaining everything completely and I’m waiting for a reply. I would pay off the $500 soon because I’m going to get a job. I just need the hold lifted so I can change my courses to all online so i can work and just take my classes at home. I thought my bill would have been less because I’m not staying on campus anymore so the loans and grants would cover everything (so I thought). The online classes wouldn’t change my tuition, they’re weighted the same as courses in a classroom (they transfer the same too). I was paying an extra 8k per semester for dorms alone. That’s why I thought moving out would save me money.
It sure seems a bit strict to keep people from dropping courses when they owe. If they can’t pay, they will just end up owing even more.
Can you go to the school and stand in line to talk to someone in financial aid? That would probably be a good idea. Also, make sure you won’t owe for the dorms if you don’t live there next semester (I used to work at a school that wouldn’t let students out of their housing contract midyear).