Divorced Parents, Custodial Parent is Low-Income

Paying for College
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm looking to go to college for cheap (less than 10k per year, including loans). I've lived solely with my dad in California without contact with my mom since April or so of this year. My dad's EFC is $500 (Federal Methodology), my mom isn't willing to contribute, and I'm desperately looking for good schools that will offer me a lot of need-based aid.</p>

<p>Determining which schools offer need-based aid to someone in my position is really difficult and confusing. I've tried going through the CSS Profile list ( <a href="https://profileonline.collegeboard.org/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv"&gt;https://profileonline.collegeboard.org/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv&lt;/a> ), however some of the "Noncustodial Profile: No" schools still require noncustodial information to determine need-based aid award (e.g., UVa) and many of the "Noncustodial Profile: Yes" schools will consider waiving your noncustodial parent's contribution for your EFC.</p>

<p>I live in California and have already applied to some UC's and a CSU, however I'd need additional private scholarships in order to fund either of those options. I'm really counting on schools such as Vanderbilt, Franklin W. Olin, and U. of Santa Clara that offer lots of institutional/need-based aid and do not consider N.C. parent contribution, or a Claremont school/UVa/UChicago/Colorado College/Washing Univ. in St. Louis with a N.C. form waiver that gets approved (how likely is this? anyone have any experience with this?).</p>

<p>Before I began making my college list this Thanksgiving, I knew nothing about college or how much it costed, and I'm struggling to catch up. Curiously, I'm finding very few resources about people in my financial situation and it's really difficult to comb through college lists of names of colleges that I've never heard of to find colleges that 1) offer lots of need-based aid, 2) don't consider non-custodial parent, and 3) don't have Ivy-tier admission selectivity.</p>

<p>I would greatly, greatly appreciate any help or information determining colleges to apply to. Surely other people have been in my situation before, even if I can't seem to find them!</p>

<p>Some stats and necessary info about me:
10th-11th weighted: 4.41; unweighted: 3.96
in the first semester of 9th grade I had straight A's, in the second semester I got straight B's due to family issues and being unfocused, only had one B since -- this brings my 9th-11th down to 4.07 weighted
33 ACT composite + 8 writing in a single sitting. Combined from the two times I took it: 35 math/34/34/34/10 writing
SAT: 2130: 740/740/650writing, only sat for it once
white male, first to attend college on my dad's side
interested in engineering/physics/comp sci/astronomy
AP lang.&comp.: 5; AP psych: 4, AP chem: 3
currently taking 2 honors/2 APs
some volunteer work and club participation, just what's standard
varsity tennis league champion runner up (league consists of 6 high-tier schools of 1500-3000 students) and first non-senior team captain in the history of my school's men's tennis team
team captain of the cross country team as well as JV league champion last year and #3 runner for my school's very strong varsity team
reigning 400m/pentathlon school champion for track and field
made $2,100 selling virtual items for real money through my own business on the online game RuneScape when I was in 9th grade
narrowly missed qualifying for a tournament with a prize pool just shy of $100,000, top 1000 overall players for two months in the game Hearthstone (20 million registered players) -- strategy/card game
two-time winner of Overall Best Player award which denotes best overall performance in a two-week period in a text-based online game of deception/social engineering/lies, 400k registered users</p>

<p>Again, thanks so much for reading this and any help or info you're able to give. Not sure where else to go.</p>

2

<p>What about University of Chicago? The school has. New initiative this year, and uses the FAFSA, not the Profile. </p>

3

<p>I’ve looked at them, and I’d absolutely love to attend! They have great aid, but I think I’d need to apply to get non-custodial parent waiver. Are you sure you’re right about them using the FAFSA and not the profile? <a href=“CSS Profile Participating Institutions and Programs”>CSS Profile Home – CSS Profile | College Board; (ctrl+f Univ of Chicago)</p>

4

<p><a href=“https://financialaid.uchicago.edu/prospective-students/apply-for-aid/aid-application-guidelines”>https://financialaid.uchicago.edu/prospective-students/apply-for-aid/aid-application-guidelines&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Read this. The student must complete the FAFSA. In addition there is a U of Chicago form…and the Profile can be substituted for this. But it’s not required.</p>

<p>Read down in the above link…and it also states they do not ask for additional information from non-custodial parents.</p>

5

<p>Ah wow, you’re right! Awesome! UChicago will definitely be a reach school for me. Thanks so much.</p>

6

<p>Do you have a decent counselor at your school? There are a lot of funds available in california. There are also schools in California that might give you a lot of aid, but you are also eligible for WICHE/WUE tuition exchange at 150% of the instate tuition for western schools like Utah, Montana, and Wyo. These schools will mostly likely cost less than California tuition (although you’d have to apply for financial aid and not get the California aid). You need someone to review the financial options with you.</p>

<p>There are also a lot of military scholarships of the engineering/comp sci students, or even the military academies.</p>

7

<p>Our college & career counselor is well-intentioned but pretty incompetent. Before I talked to her a few weeks ago, she didn’t know that the Ivies or any decent schools even offered need-based aid (don’t ask me how – she’s been in her position for two decades), so the internet is all I really have for information.</p>

<p>I’ve not heard of any of the programs you mentioned, however it sounds like they’d require me to forfeit my qualification for UC/CSU in-state tuition rates, and I don’t think I’m willing to do that. I haven’t heard of any decent state schools for the states you mentioned, either. I’d probably be applying to privates.</p>

<p>I haven’t looked into any military academies, but I’ll do some research on them. I think I’d rather go to a community college than a high-cost college that would require me to take out a bunch of loans or a military academy that would require me to commit years of my life to service.</p>

<p>I will look into the things you said, though. Thanks!</p>

8

<p>Military ROTC, as well as intelligence services scholarships, trade scholarships for commitment. UC seems to meet full need, though they include Work-Study and Loans in the calculation- so that option works without additional scholarship money if you are OK with a ~$20,000 loan upon graduation (less than a new car). Most merit-based aid has deadlines that have already passed. There is one scholarship mentioned quite a bit here on CC from U of Alabama, Apparently, a large number of high-stats Californians go there to take advantage of this opportunity. If you apply today, and call Monday morning (get up at 5 AM and call when they first open), you can see if they will extend the deadline for you. You need to be accepted to U of A, then apply for the aid- it is a serial process. It is well worth it. The deadline to apply for aid is Dec 15, but apparently they may extend it a few days if you ask nicely. I think @mom2collegeboys is the one who knows about this.</p>

<p>Another route that works well if you decide to go to UC is to go to community college first, then transfer into UC for your last 2 years. This will reduce your debt load, and give you another opportunity to try for a Regents Scholarship or other private scholarships. If your local Community College does not have a good transfer rate, you could even consider moving to attend a community college (such as SBCC, which actually has quite a few people who move nearby just to go to that school).</p>

<p>Be sure to register for your Cal Grant eligibility this spring. Your guidance counselor should have this on autopilot. I think it is as simple as sending in your transcripts.</p>

<p>Western University exchange would not forfeit any in-state eligibility. I am not sure they would save you money, but would give greater choices at parity.</p>

9

<p>Thank you for your very detailed reply.</p>

<p>I don’t think I’m willing to commit to years of service for an education when I probably will have the opportunity to attend a good college for relatively cheap. I looked at UofA and did the net price calculator, and even with the Presidential Scholarship, it would cost the same as a UC. I’d like to get the four year college experience, however if I can’t get find anything decent that’s $10k/year total (after grants/scholarships/expenses/etc.) or under and my family can’t get the extra money together for a UC, then I may go to community college for two years.</p>

10

<p>UC should be well under $10K after grants, scholarships, and $2,000 - $3,000/year work study. You will have the opportunity to cover the rest with government guaranteed loans. The cost will increase each year, but the last year will probably be $2,000 - $3,000 more per year in loans than the first. UC Berkeley and UCLA seem to be the best at meeting full cost of attendance through EFC+Work/Study+Grants/Scholarships+Fed Subsidized Loans (in other words, no “gapping” when subsidized loans are included).</p>

<p>Others on these boards may be able to give you a more accurate, less “ballpark” idea. But my message is that if your relatives can help out up to $10,000/year, AND you are Pell Grant eligible (EFC < $5,xxx), you really should be OK at UC with no loans. On your own, without help beyond the EFC, you should be OK, and end up with something like $20,000-$30,000 (depending on how ‘lucky’ and resourceful you are) in loans after 4 years.</p>

11

<p>UCs should meet need for your income based on fafsa. It wouldn’t make sense to apply to WUE. Hope you applied widely to UC because that will be your sure thing. I don’t see you as a candidate for a waiver, they don’t give it just because one parent doesn’t want to pay. I have seen it given for no lifelong contact or for abuse. I don’t know of lists for schools nco not required but I heard about Chicago for this year.</p>

<p>Fyi first to college means both parents. </p>

12

<p>I applied to Davis/Berkeley/UCSB/SD/Irvine/LA. I’d really like to attend Berkeley, not sure what my chances are for any of them are though. I’d like to do engineering, however I applied at the College of Letters and Arts at Berkeley rather than their more selective CoE, thinking that that would be a safer choice (you’re not allowed to select a secondary major when applying). It appears to be about $12k/year before work study at the UC’s. UC’s should work out alright, but it will be a stretch for my father who recently underwent surgery for skin cancer and will be undergoing intensive chemo for 12 months starting in January which will likely severely reduce his income for a year.</p>

<p>I’m really hoping to be accepted to Vandy, UChicago, Santa Clara, or Olin, none of which consider non-custodial parent’s info for their wonderful need-based grants. It would be 3k/year to 7k/year without loans at these schools with the exception of Santa Clara. I’m not sure how my chances are for getting in, but they’re all a reach but would be a dream come true to get into.</p>

<p>It also seems worth applying to some other privates with great need-based aid programs that would have me apply to get the NC info form waived. My dad and I have called a few such schools (Harvey Mudd, Washington Univ. in St. Louis, Columbia Univ., UVa) and, to my surprise, the financial aid departments have said that it’s a very grey area and in my case it’s very likely that they would waive it. However, I realize they might just be saying that to anyone who calls up to encourage the most amount of apps possible (can only help them).</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments and info.</p>

13

<p>Did you run the net price calculator on each UC’s web site? It seems that their student contributions do vary from $8,500 to $10,000 or so (add your FAFSA EFC to get the total net price). $8,500 would be a $5,500 federal direct loan and $3,000 in work (study) earnings.</p>

14

<p><a href=“http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/”>http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt; has some large merit scholarships you may qualify for just based on your stats. Note that the application deadline for Alabama’s scholarships is the 15th – tomorrow!</p>

<p>A full tuition merit scholarship would likely leave a remaining cost of up to $15,000 – but since the merit scholarship won’t include your Pell grant (probably around $5,000), the Pell grant + federal direct loan + work earnings may be able to cover that. Of course a full ride merit scholarship (like at Howard or Louisiana Tech) would leave only small incidental expenses and not require any work earnings.</p>

<p><a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #50 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #50 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums; lists some competitive large merit scholarships you may also be interested in.</p>

15

<p>Spring begins March 22. If you wait until then to deal with Calgrant eligibility, you will have missed all,the Calgrant deadlines.</p>

16

<p>Does your mom pay any child support? If so , probably cannot get ncp waiver.</p>

<p>Uc and csu will be great deals with your fafsa efc. If you can get in.</p>

17

<p>Rgosula…actually simoly getting child support would not preclude a NCP waiver. There are folks who get child support, but do get waivers, although there are definitely other circumstances that contribute to the waiver status.</p>

18

<p>With your stats, you should look at New Mexico Institute of Mines and Technology (New Mexico Tech). You would be a shoo-in for the WUE scholarship and would like get Tech’s top OOS scholarship which give you instate tuition rates plus a $700 stipend toward books & travel. </p>

<p>Application deadline date is March 1.</p>

<p>Instate costs ~$13.5K. (Tuition & fees $6250/year; R&B $7200/year)</p>

<p>With a Pell grant and a federal student loan, Tech could be a very good deal for you.</p>

<p><a href=“Science | Engineering | Research Institution: New Mexico Tech”>http://www.nmt.edu/index.php&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.nmt.edu/scholarships”>http://www.nmt.edu/scholarships&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Office of Admission: New Mexico Tech”>http://www.nmt.edu/prospective-students&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>(BTW, it’s easy to cut costs if you live off campus. Nice 1 bedroom apartments within walking distance of campus are $300/month. Freshman are allowed to live off-campus.)</p>

<p>Tech is strong in all of the fields you’re interested in, and, according to the National Science Foundation study of Baccalaureate Origins of S&E Doctorate Recipients in the U.S. New Mexico Tech ranked as 15th in the nation, as well as the number one ranked public institution.
(See: <a href=“http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf08311/”>http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf08311/&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>Tech shares its campus with the NRAO (National Radio Astronomy Observatory aka the Very Large Array). The school also maintains its own observatory on Mt. Erebus in Antarctica (and student do routinely go there for field work). Plus they just built a 2.4 meter optical telescope for tracking NEOs (Near Earth Objects) on South Baldy Mt., which is 12 miles from campus. (Clear skies on an average of 300 nights/year)</p>

19

<p>Hmm, my mom does pay child support. Wouldn’t that simply be factored into the “Custodial Parent’s Untaxed Income” for my dad though? Or are you suggesting that since my mom’s not dead or disappeared it’s unlikely to be waived?</p>

<p>Cal Poly SLO and UC’s are looking to be pretty good at this point, however schools such as Vandy, UChicago, Santa Clara, or Olin, are much, much better (though also much harder to get into). It would be 3k/year to 7k/year without loans at these schools if I were admitted, with the exception of Santa Clara. Is anybody aware of any similar good schools that give lots of need-based aid and do not expect a contribution from your NCP?</p>

20

<p>Your dad would need to list the child support received on his FAFSA and Profile application forms.</p>

<p>The vast majority of very generous schools use the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. There are about 300 schools that use the Profile. Some require the NCP Profile, and others do not. In addition, some schools have their own forms which ask for NCP information. </p>

<p>I think you need to talk to your parents about college costs. You need to KNOW how much each parent is willing to contribute to your college education annually. It is possible this was addressed in their divorce settlement. </p>

<p>The MOST important number for you is what your parents WILL pay annually. That is your budget. Find out what this number is.</p>

<p>P.S. My daughter is a Santa Clara University graduate. The school is very good, but very expensive SCU does not guarantee to meet full need…and they don’t. I believe the school is also need aware for admissions (they have an enrollment manager on staff). Their best awards are their high merit awards. It is possible that you could get one of those…you won’t know if you don’t apply. SCU is also a Profile school. You need to check to see if they require NCP profile to be submitted.</p>