<p>I'm asking this question for a friend of mine. (Note to moderator - if you think this question should go in the financial aid forum instead, please move it).</p>
<p>Here's the situation - senior, currently ranked #2 or 3 in the class, got in VA Tech (I don't know where else and think he's still waiting to hear from some schools) but with no scholarships. His father refuses to pay anything at all for college. The parents are divorced and the father has custody, but he will be turning 18 soon. The mother would like to help, but her income is too low for her to be able to do much.</p>
<p>All I could think of was contacting the financial aid office and trying to get loans and a work-study job during the school year. This kid will have to make the entire EFC on his own - he has some savings from summer jobs, but not nearly enough. The poor kid has worked so hard and now is seeing his dream of college slipping away. </p>
<p>If anyone has any suggestions I could pass on, that would be great. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think in most states family courts will at least entertain a petition for an order requiring divorced parents to contribute toward college tuition. The practices and standards in this are may be very local, but I wouldn’t assume without checking carefully that the father’s absolute refusal to pay is the final word. I would get on this very quickly, though, because the court may lose jurisdiction when the boy turns 18 if no order is in place.</p>
The dream of his “idea” of college may be slipping away but he still can get through college. He will just have to do it the hard way.</p>
<p>Is he a resident of Va? He can go to a Virginia CC for two years. They have a terrific transfer program that guarantees admission.<br>
I think if he joins the Corps of Cadets (without an military obligation) he may be eligible for a scholarship.
He can look into a ROTC scholarship and military service as well.</p>
<p>There are options - he just needs to find them. What he can’t do is make his parents pay. He needs to get over that first.</p>
<p>CC is a great idea I think. You can take the easier classes for MUCH MUCH cheaper and ease the transition into college. Also, he could prolly work at that time to save up some.</p>
<p>You don’t say if the father has always said he’s not paying, or if this is a recent development. And apparently the young man hasn’t heard from all the schools he’s applied to, though it’s getting a little late.</p>
<p>If something’s happened recently to make the dad say he’s not paying anything, it’s going to depend on what has happened. Loss of a job or major financial reverses means you go to the VT financial aid office and ask them to take circumstances into consideration. If it’s a falling-out between son and father, that’s up to the young man and his father to work out.</p>
<p>If the dad has always said he’s not going to pay anything, the young man could have applied to some more financial safeties. If he’s #2 or 3 in a large school and really has the stats, another option besides ROTC and CC is to take a gap year, earn money, and then reapply to some schools which might give him substantial merit aid.</p>
<p>If his test scores are good, he might be able to postpone college for a year and get a full ride (probably at a less prestigious school). See the following thread in the financial aid forum</p>
<p>Institutional Merit Based Scholarships (Full Tuition +)</p>
<p>He could defer admission to VT, work for a year while taking a class or two at the local CC (check with VT to see if they allow this during a deferral) and then go in a year with money saved from working for a year…</p>
<p>Is VT a FAFSA only school or does it require a CSS profile? If it is a FAFSA only school I would suggest … 1) he apply for a gap year … 2) the Mom request a change of guardianship. Why? At at a FAFSA school only the guardian’s income will be considered for financial aid … then when he starts next year he could apply for financial aid under his Mom’s income. (Before actually doing this ALL the implications of changing guardianship need to be understood … health insurance, child support, etc)</p>
<p>Definitely contact the VT Financial Aid office and try to speak with the individual who handled his file. Explain the situation. Perhaps something can be worked out.</p>
<p>It is so late that some options have closed for this year, but there are some nice government scholarships available for sophomores in certain majors: SMART for science/tech and NSA for needed languages. Students owe year for year to the government.</p>
<p>CC may be a good option, but not all states/schools have agreements for transferring credits. Be sure to check for agreements. There are plenty of kids who are not going to their dream schools because of money.</p>
<p>I doubt a financial aid officer will be able to do anything. A parent’s unwillingness to pay, while unfortunate, is not a special circumstance. If it were all parents would just refuse to pay.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who posted. I’ll pass this along to them.</p>
<p>JustaMomof4 and sciencenerd - I looked into the CC route and he should have no problem getting in with the guaranteed admission agreements for students with a 3.4 or better at the CC. Plus he could apply to W&M and UVA and see if any of them offer him aid after that. I think his mom’s income is low enough that he would have to pay very little. Don’t know what the dad’s EFC is, though. AFAIK he’s not interested in ROTC and is probably too late to apply for this year anyway.</p>
<p>sculaum - the guaranteed admissions agreements don’t set any time limits, just a minimum of 45 credits, so working and taking some CC classes would work.
SlitheyTove - it’s complicated. The dad has gone back and forth threatening not to pay anything and now has followed through on that. It’s the dad’s unwillingness, not job loss.</p>
<p>3togo - do you know if change of guardianship can be done after he turns 18 or if there’s another way to get it recalculated based on the mom’s income? Tech is FASFA only.</p>
<p>EMM1 - thanks for the link - he should definitely check this out. I don’t know what his test scores are like but he was one of only 6 seniors at this school to get the AP Scholar award and he was in the Governor’s School.</p>
<p>MDmom - this is a dumb question but what does SMART stand for and where could he find out more about it? He’s more science/technology/engineering than humanities/languages. If he takes a gap year and works, that would give him another year to check out all possibilities. I don’t think he really believed that the father would follow through on the threat to not pay anything.</p>
<p>It’s highly unlikely that he’ll get aid from Va Tech because if they gave aid to kids whose parents can afford to help pay for college, but refuse, that would inspire many students’ parents to take that route. If his dad will fill out the financial aid paperwork – providing tax info, etc. – there’s a small chance (small because aid now is running out since it’s late in the year) that he may qualify for some need-based aid based on his parents’ combined income.</p>
<p>Going to community college for 2 years and then transferring is one option. Taking a gap year, working while applying to colleges where he’s likely to get merit aid is in another option as is joining the military.</p>
<p>FAFSA is based on who he lived with the most in the year. If worst comes to worst maybe he could defer for a year (or go the CC route) and live with his Mom more then reapply for aid the next year using Mom on FAFSA. This would help at FAFSA only schools.</p>
<p>Sounds like he is in-state Virginia. He may want to consider Richard Bland, which is a junior college that has guaranteed admission to William & Mary. In-state tuition is VERY reasonable, they have nice brand new dorms and they have rolling admissions so it’s not too late. Check out their website at [Richard</a> Bland College](<a href=“http://www.rbc.edu/admissions.html]Richard”>http://www.rbc.edu/admissions.html). If he can work and take out some loans, then get scholarships for W&M, he gets great degree and a diploma from a great institution. (I wouldn’t know about this except that we are Virginia residents too and I know a couple seniors who are going there next year.)</p>