<p>Hello CC,</p>
<p>I'm currently at a school in MN that is well respected in the state. The problem is that I am a commuter with no license and I already hate it only 4 weeks into school. I usually have to get about ~2 hours early to get to class on time and I have 8 am classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I had a lot of plans to get involved on campus but since I can't afford/don't have a car being a reliable member of any organization is really hard. </p>
<p>My EFC is 0 but I didn't receive nearly enough aid to attend without completely burdening myself with loans(I need about 12k per year in loans). My mom already works 2 jobs to barely make ends meet and has debt of her own so it would be unfair to ask her to take out another $8k per year in my name just so I could live on campus. My mom has tried calling my counselor to explain the situation but he hasn't returned our calls and it's been about 3 weeks now. My dad refuses to help out at all.</p>
<p>This really became clear to me today when I went to a football game. I knew a lot of people from classes and we are friendly when I am there but when they are with their dorm mates or people they are closer to I basically get left behind. I really do like the spirit and the atmosphere of the school but I don't have any close personal ties that make me excited to be a member of the school.</p>
<p>I'm thinking about transferring after 1 year or even this semester but I don't know which schools I could get into. I had a 3.4 in high school and a 1880 SAT(1290 CR + M.) I got wait listed at Colgate in NY so I'm thinking about re applying there to see if they would take me. I've gotten much more mature and I believe I could get a 3.6 - 3.7 this semester. The option I would like the most would be to stay at my current school but in a dorm. How should I go about this?</p>
<p>colgate requires both parents’ incomes. Would you get enough aid there if they also look at your dad’s income? Did your dad fill out the forms last year? </p>
<p>He gave us his income but he literally doesn’t help with bills or anything. He made about ~9k last year but none of that is going towards college or even helping my mom with the bills.</p>
<p>are your parents together or divorced</p>
<p>I don’t believe they were ever legally married in the US. They always files as Head of household or single. They do,however, live together</p>
<p>IF your grades are good, very good at college, yes, you stand a good chance of being accepted as a transfer. Just make sure the schools to which you apply as a transfer accept enough of them so it’s not a lottery ticket to get accepted and that they guarantee to meet full need for transfers. Run your numbers through the NPCs and see what they come up with for what you will be expected to pay at those schools. </p>
<p>What does your current school’s NPC say you should be paying and how are they showing they would likely be meeting your need with the numbers you submitted last year? The chances of getting more aid are just about zip if you A) Don’t have defined need by the school’s formula B) IF the school does not guarantee to meet full need.</p>
<p>Your other posts say your mom has an income of $35K and your dad has an income of $9K. Is that right? If so, it sounds like you may have been gapped by your current college. Can you tell us what school it is?</p>
<p>Yeah the school I go to does not say they will meet full need. But the income I put into the NPC is with my father’s included although he refuses to help with school. I have an EFC of 0 and my award is already generous. </p>
<p>I go St Thomas in St Paul. I’m dying cause it turns out I actually like this school even though it was my safety last year.</p>
<p>Doing the math it would cost about $14500 per year. I already took about 5500(unsub and subed) but I would still need about another 7-9k.</p>
<p>I know a number of local schools here that will meet need up to tuition and fees, but not for room, board and other expenses, especially for anyone within commuting distance. The same goes with our state schools. </p>
<p>@cptofthehouse where? I’m looking to major in compsci</p>
<p>
You might have to live on campus: with snow, you might need more than 2 hours to get to classes.</p>
<p>@4kidsdad Yeah…I didn’t even think of that. There is no way that I’m taking out ~$60k to go to this school or any school though. </p>
<p>It looks like im going to have to transfer. I already asked my FA counselor before school started and he told me they don’t give additional aid so people could live on campus. I think there is also a waiting list so all my options are basically played. I’m really disappointed cause I could see myself at UST</p>
<p>This is a longshot, and may sound weird, but I wonder if you could find an elderly person or physically disabled person near campus to live with for free in exchange for household chores and companionship. I have seen this type of free living arrangement offered at UW-Madison on the student jobs website under ‘off-campus jobs’.</p>
<p>@Madison85 Thank you for the suggestion but I don’t think that’s something I would be comfortable with or qualified to do.</p>
<p>Your EFC is zero – do you mean your FAFSA EFC, or your cost of attendance when you run the NPC? And… how are you not qualified for “household chores” or “companionship”? Maybe you don’t want to do it, but it is a reasonable suggestion. If we have a winter anything like last year’s, your commute will be terrible fairly often in the winter. Although your post is confusing – did you have to say you get up 2 hours earlier to get to an 8 am class? Got news for you, I live in the Twin Cities, and I get up at 5:30 every weekday morning (not just 2 days/week) to get to work in downtown Minneapolis by 8:00. It is part of growing up to get up early some of the time.</p>
<p>Again, I am confused, but if you continue to live off campus and work to earn some money, can you afford to stay there? You have only been there a month, you may find your connections do grow with people, especially if you stay on campus all day when possible.</p>
<p>My EFC is 0 meaning my FAFSA says it is 0. My cost of attendance is $3200 after $7500(I already took out 5500) in loans. When I said I wasn’t qualified I meant to take care of an elderly or physically disabled person not doing household chores. And doesn’t that suggestion seem a little far fetched in all honesty? I got $40k in aid total(after all loans, work study, grants) but I would still need 4500 a semester which is about 32 hours a week(not sure if I could do this. could try though). And I included the thing about the 2 hours in case someone asked about how long my commute was.</p>
<p><<
I don’t believe they were ever legally married in the US. They always files as Head of household or single. They do,however, live together
<<<</p>
<p>Couples can be married in other countries and they are still legally married in the US. We don’t require immigrants to remarry here. Their marriages are recognized here.</p>
<p>What do you mean by: THEY always file as “head of household” or single. If they are married and living together, they can’t do that. And if they were never married in any country, then I don’t think they BOTH can claim HO. Maybe only one can. Others here can chime in, hopefully. </p>
<p>My parents are very mysterious about these kinds of things. They were married in another country but for the most recent tax year my mom filed as head of household and my dad as single. I think I mentioned this before but they got officially separated after filing their taxes. They still live together though</p>
<p>I think the suggestion to get a job near campus in exchange for room and board is a good one. If you don’t want to shovel snow or grocery shop for an elderly person, how about child care? Lots of people just need someone to get their kids up or meet them off the school bus. You could even go home on weekends I had a friend who had a nanny who was a full time student. Friend needed help to get the kids to daycare, and occasional night time sitting. They worked out the hours. I used to be a weekend nanny to kids, but I lived with them all week for free, watched them on weekends.</p>
<p>When I was in college, I lived in a sorority and we had a houseboy (hey, it was a long time ago) who lived in the basement and did chores. He got paid and room and board. He could go to school if he wanted as his hours were very flexible.</p>
<p>If you like St. Thomas, make it work for you. You aren’t going to get more money from another similar school and expenses living farther from home are going to be greater (travel, room and board, toiletries, snacks, school supplies that you probably have around the house). Go to FA and see if there are any scholarships you are eligible for. If you need a car, work and get a car. You just have to be more assertive with the students who probably don’t realize you feel left out. Suggest going out after the game. If they are eating in the dorm cafeteria, pay and eat with them. You have to put in extra effort to make your wishes known.</p>