<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I am in my mid twenties and sadly, I am still in the process of trying to obtain my degree (B.S. in Computer Science).</p>
<p>I have a bit of a complex situation and I need to determine whether or not I stand a chance of receiving enough aid to pay for my education.</p>
<p>Here are the main points to my case:
-Graduated High school a year early in 2006; (Florida)
-Attended community college part time (while working part time); earned 13 credits; (Florida)
-Relocated to Texas and transferred to a community college there (had to pay out-of-state fees); earned 14 credits
-1 year later I relocated to Ireland for 2 years
-Now I am back in the US (been back for 2 months)
-I'm now married
-I am no longer counted as Florida resident and will therefore pay more out-of-state fees
-I want to transfer to another Florida community college but it is probable that once I get my A.A. we will have to relocate again due to my husband's job (thus paying more out-of-state fees at a state university).</p>
<p>Our Finances:
-I am currently seeking work. I will likely earn 19,000 per year (FT) / or 13,000 (PT)
-I will likely need to work part time along with school due to finances.
-My husband is a non-citizen and is awaiting his greencard; He has a degree but his field is difficult to break into. He could earn between 19,000 and 25,000 (FT)
-I Was not earning money in Ireland and therefore have not filed taxes for those past years.</p>
<p>I apologize for this being so long and intricate, I just really need to get some idea of if college is even affordable for us right now. </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>I think you need to wait until you establish residency in order to pay instate rates.</p>
<p>I think you’re asking the wrong question.</p>
<p>You’re a citizen so you can submit a FAFSA.</p>
<p>However, it seems like you’re asking if you’ll qualify to get enough aid. Federal aid is not much…often not enough to cover OOS fees.</p>
<p>Do you know what approx your EFC would be? You’re married, so you’d be using your H’s income as well. </p>
<p>If your EFC is 0, you’d qualify for full Pell…which is ONLY 5550 per year. You’d also get a student loan…about $10k per year depending on how many credit you have.</p>
<p>yes, you still qualify to fill out FAFSA. You are still a US citizen. What FA you will be eligible for will depend on your combined incomes. You will have to report your husbands income (and yours in any years you have any). Income protection is not enormously high for independent students without a dependent other than a spouse. Maybe $13,000 ish. Anything over than and allowances for any taxes, 50% goes to the EFC. Your aid will be based on your EFC. Federal grant money requires an EFC of below around 5270 ish.</p>
<p>FAFSA is the form you must complete to see what your eligibility for financial aid is. For the school year beginning fall of 2011, the information used will be your husband and your financials for the 2010 year. The big thing will be your earnings that year. Your situation this year , 2011 will be the basis for determining need for the year beginning fall of 2012. </p>
<p>All FAFSA does is determine what is called an Expected Family Contribuiton. (EFC). It comes to half of what you and your husband made the prior year and about 20% of your assets the day you complete the form. But all that number does is qualify you for the PELL grant, if the numbers put you at close to poverty level. There is a $5500 ceiling on that. Otherwise, you can get loans, but that is all that is guaranteed. Even if you have a zero EFC, and are going to a school that costs more than what the PELL and Stafford loans can provide, does not mean you will get more money. That is up to the individual college.</p>
<p>There are some on line estimators that you can use to get some idea as to what your EFC is for 2010 which is what will determine PELL eligibility for the 2011-12 school year.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your helpful replies! I will get to trying out those EFC calculators straight away! </p>
<p>It’s a shame that the cost of higher education in this country is becoming so out of reach.</p>
<p>gingerpants,</p>
<p>You need to find out how long it will take to establish residence where you are living. The rules may be different for community colleges than they are for 4-year institutions. It may make more sense for you to wait until you are in a more permanent location to finish up your degree. Or, it may make more sense to pin you spouse down in one location at least long enough for you to complete an AA, and then look for work in his field in other parts of the country.</p>
<p>Here is the 2011-2012 FAFSA Formula. You can print it out, and work through it on paper to see what factors most affect your EFC. <a href=“http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf</a></p>
<p>Most community colleges are very affordable when you qualify for in state tuition.</p>