EFC: 00000? How can I afford for my college?

Paying for College
1

<p>I have only heard from one school about the federal aid package.</p>

<p>Currently, my fafsa report states I can receive $5,550. </p>

<p>I have a sister who is attending an university and my parent has to pay</p>

<p>$7000 per year.</p>

<p>my parent can't afford two of us. My mother and father earn up to $20000 per year combined </p>

<p>and they have no money saved. All of my families are working to pay for her tuition.</p>

<p>I got accepted to CMU, UMich, Harvey Mudd, UIUC, Montclair,Rensslaer, and a community </p>

<p>college. </p>

<p>Fund Status Fall Spring Summer Total
Federal Pell Grant Accepted $2,775.00 $2,775.00 $.00 $5,550.00
Federal Work Study Offered $1,500.00 $1,500.00 $.00 $3,000.00
Fed Direct Parent PLUS Loan Offered $12,439.00 $12,439.00 $.00 $24,878.00
Fed Direct Loan Subsidized Offered $1,750.00 $1,750.00 $.00 $3,500.00
Fed Direct Loan Unsubsidized Offered $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $.00 $2,000.00
University Loan-Sayers Offered $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $.00 $2,000.00
OSFA Non-Resident T/W Accepted $3,121.00 $3,121.00 $.00 $6,242.00
Total $23,585.00 $23,585.00 $.00 $47,170.00</p>

<p>I do not think I can handle $30,000 debts per year.</p>

<p>I want to know what I can do to get more aid package.</p>

<p>I scored 2200 on my SAT (took it twice) R+M = 1500, so I think I could </p>

<p>get some merit scholarships, which are not listed on anywhere on my financial aid package.</p>

<p>I did not join any after school activities, because I had to work. I am worried that this</p>

<p>might look bad, because it might be shown as I am lacking leadership or social relationship.</p>

<p>I am feeling very anxious, because I feel that my hard works won't get me anywhere.</p>

<p>Please help me out.</p>

2

<p>Then this package automatically comes off the table. Keep in mind that the first responsibility of a public university is to provide an affordable education for their taxpayer base. You got a 6242 OOS tuition waiver , this may be as good as it gets.</p>

<p>Did you apply for any of your instate schools where you could stand the possibility of getting state aid along with federal aid?</p>

3

<p>Yes, I did consider in-state. One community college and one in-state college(Monclair).</p>

<p>However, I want to go to a school little more better than community college.</p>

<p>I’ve heard many people go to CC and transfer to another university;</p>

<p>That is a tempting choice, but I want to go to a college that provides higher education(I am</p>

<p>not sure if most colleges provide about the same education. I do not know anyone) and</p>

<p>that is the reason I studied so hard. I am thinking about going to Monclair or a CC as my</p>

<p>last choice.</p>

4

<p>At the end of the day, you are going where your money can take you. Right now, you are not getting the $$ to be able to afford where you want to attend</p>

5

<p>Do any of your schools guarantee to meet 100% of need? The only one on your list that I think might do so is Harvey Mudd. Otherwise, you can get accepted and not get the money you need to go, as you are finding out. Offering loans is not getting a scholarship because you have to pay them back. With a zero EFC, your parents don’t need any loans and loans can be dangerous to them financially. </p>

<p>Unless your other schools come up with good financial aid colleges that your family can afford, you may have to go to a local school. Where does your sister go to college and what kind of financial aid does she get?</p>

6

<p>

</p>

<p>The above is from the Harvey Mudd website. Did you receive your financial aid award from Harvey Mudd yet? Did you complete ALL of the necessary forms for that school?</p>

7

<p>OP, I feel for you. It appears that you may have applied to “financial” reaches and “financial safeties” but needed “financial” matches. If you can not work something out with HMC as Thumper suggests, you may want to take a GAP year and re-apply to financial matches. during that year you CANNOT take any college classes, must preserve your Freshman status and look for colleges where your SATs put you in top 5-10% of applicants.</p>

8

<p>The package offered is including a hefty PLUS loan for your parents that probably is not a wise thing to take, given their financial situation. Hopefully your other schools come up with scenarios more affordable.</p>

9

<p>OP…did you get a financial aid package from Harvey Mudd yet? To get their institutional aid, you needed to complete both the FAFSA AND the CSS Profile. If you completed these forms ON TIME… AND have received an acceptance from Harvey Mudd, what WAS your financial aid package from Harvey Mudd?</p>

10

<p>I’m totally lost. What school is this financial aid package listed for?</p>

11

<p>It’s probably one of the state schools because of the non-resident tuition waiver.</p>

12

<p>OP hasn’t given us enough information to help out. What are the financial packages associated with these schools?</p>

13

<p>What state are you in? Did you apply to your state flagship? What package did you get from that school?</p>

<p>I don’t understand something…your parents are going to contribute $7k for your sister, but NOTHING for you? why is that? Why aren’t they splitting their contribution for each of you? It is NOT fair for them to ONLY give your sister money and to expect you to somehow take out loans or whatever. </p>

<p>Frankly, I also don’t understand how a family who only earns $20k are giving a child $7k for college. That suggests to me that the family is self-employed. </p>

<p>You shouldn’t have to go to a CC, but if you were poorly advised and didn’t apply to schools that would give you a lot of merit scholarships or need-based aid, then that is unfortunate.</p>

<p>Are you a NMF?</p>

14

<p>the price tag of 47,170 belongs to UIUC as an OOS. Outside of federal aid her received a tuition waiver of 6242 with the balance being in loans.</p>

15

<p>

</p>

<p>That is not what he said. He said they are currently paying $7000/a year for his sister who is currently in college and all of the family members are working to come up with this money. They cannot afford the $7000 for the sister in addition to what they will have to pay/borrow for him.</p>

<p>Perhaps she also attends a school that does not meet 100% of demonstrated need and they are paying the gap.</p>

16

<p>

</p>

<p>OP…you need to hear about the INSTITUTIONAL aid package. The federal aid will only cover a fraction of the costs at a private university or the costs as an out of state student at a public university.</p>

<p>What did Harvey Mudd give you for financial aid? The whole package. They use the Profile so if your family IS self employed that could affect their award to you. BUT they do meet full need and are the only school on your accepted list that does.</p>

17

<p>*That is not what he said. He said they are currently paying $7000/a year for his sister who is currently in college and all of the family members are working to come up with this money. They cannot afford the $7000 for the sister in addition to what they will have to pay/borrow for him.
*</p>

<p>I know that. That doesn’t change the fact that it sounds like the family will pool its money together to contribute to one sibling’s costs, but won’t contribute anything for this child.</p>

<p>OP…what did Harvey Mudd and CMU offer? Did you submit CSS Profile?</p>

18

<p>What AkiyamaMio still needs to do:</p>

<p>-Tell us whether or not she submitted the CSS Profile (is there even a deadline for the CSS Profile?)
-Tell us the financial aid packages and total cost of attendance of all schools she got accepted to (so we can give targeted information and advice)
-Explain to us why her sister has to have her parents pay $7,000 a year even though her family has a 0 EFC (is this because the school in question doesn’t promise to meet 100% full demonstrated need?)</p>

<p>Until this happens, we can’t give targeted advice and information. :(</p>

19

<p>My sister did not know about financial aid fafsa or CSS.</p>

<p>SO she never applied ( I did not know such things even existed until I had to fill them out).</p>

<p>Yes, I did filed out CSS Profile from collebe board.</p>

<p>As I wrote, I did not get any other financial aid package from other school for some reason.</p>

<p>I have e-mailed them, but it would take few days for them to answer.</p>

<p>I do know UIUC, CMU won’t give me full aid.</p>

<p>I just hoped I could get sufficiently enough money, so I could loan a little and pay them off</p>

<p>later.</p>

<p>I filed whatever was written on the financial aid requirements for all schools.</p>

<p>My parents are remarried.</p>

<p>I am my mother’s son btw. I am not a girl. </p>

<p>Basically you guys are saying</p>

<p>there are more aid I could get?</p>

<p>I just remembered UIUC did not had CSS code.</p>

20

<p>Your sister can probably still out her FAFSA and get aid for this year. That would help your family a bit with you.</p>