<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>My daughter is an upcoming 8th grader who is very interested in boarding school for 9th grade. Where we live, in Louisiana, NOBODY goes off to high school. So, I will have to ask lots of questions here. :-)</p>
<p>We applied for the Caroline Bradley award and she wasn't chosen as a finalist. So, we are back to looking at different ways of making the school affordable.</p>
<p>I have checked many of the calculators online but I wonder how close they actually are. We are a family of 4 and we make about 160K a year. A few of the calculators show we should be responsible for around 20K for schools costs. I have NO IDEA how that is possible. My daughter will have to receive close to full aid to be able to attend. </p>
<p>She is very interested in all-girls schools. I have no problem with that. However, I would like her to consider a couple coed schools that offer plentiful aid. She is extremely bright but will not do well in one of the "pressure cooker" schools. Also, she prefers a small school environment. She currently attends a magnet school, is identified gifted, had a 4.0 last year, took the ACT for Duke Tip (21 composite, with a 26 in reading) and is just a great all-around kid. Of course I am biased.....LOL!</p>
<p>If anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. This is all so very new for me!</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Unless there are unusual financial circumstances, it is extremely unlikely that you will receive close to full aid with that income. 20k seems about right for expected family contribution. If your d can wait a year, Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts has a smaller tenth grade class. It’s not as posh as the prep schools but can offer her peers. Besides, it is practically free for LA residents.</p>
<p>When I was applying, most of the schools I looked at with a lot of endowment, guranteed full-need grants for much lower incomes.
This is typically what I read on the schools’ websites: “Students who receive full-need grants and grants close to this amount come from families with total income under $75,000 per year and with few additional assets.”
I also read into a few schools that said they give full-aid to families with an income of under 80k.
However, you might be able to find some schools that offer a lot more.</p>
<p>We are actually very familiar with LSMSA - we live in the same town. My daughter really wants to get out of our small town and I certainly can not blame her. </p>
<p>Thanks for the help. I can’t possibly imagine spending 20K out of our income for school. We don’t splurge on a lot and there just isn’t a lot at the end of the month. That amount just seems so much.</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>I actually just double checked - the gross income is actually closer to 150. Not that 10K makes much of a difference… Hehe.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC, Louisianamomof2. You pose a question that many of us here have wrestled with. Rather than repeating, I’ll share a few interesting threads that touch on your question from several angles:</p>
<p>[thread=1279472]SSS PFS Shock? [/thread]
[thread=1299076]The Benefactress Aunt [/thread]
[thread=665411]Post results if FA need >50%[/thread]
[thread=1291390]Unexpected add’l BS costs besides tuition, room & board [/thread]</p>
<p>If you search the archives, you will also see good advice about looking for schools where your daughter brings something to the school community that makes her a particularly atttractive candidate and where her stats put her in the upper percentiles–in other words, schools where your daughter is a “catch”, not schools that are a reach. Even schools with smaller endowments will have funds available for attracting those candidates, but you must be aware that FA at boarding schools is need- rather than merit-based, and you will be expected to contribute sacrificially. I wish you all the best as you start this amazing journey.</p>
<p>Thank you, ChoatieMom. We will continue to look. At this point, I just don’t see how that number is even remotely possible. I also plan to look into schools that have merit awards, as well.</p>
<p>Louisiana, every family is different, and I don’t know you particular circumstances other than your family size and income. I am a single parent, and my income is under $30K. We received extremely generous financial aid offers from the schools that accepted my D. Even so, I will have to pony up several thousand dollars to cover the rest and the necessary extras. Our budget is tight even in the best months! But you know what, if it’s a priority for you, you can make it happen. For us, it means there will be no restaurant meals, no fancy vacations, and no cappucinos at the coffee shop. And we might stay with my mom while we rent out our cottage for part of next summer (we live in a popular vacation area of New England). We will shop at thrift stores, and we will spend only on true needs, and not on wants. I might even get a second part-time job. This is my priority – I can live a simple life and do without the extras so I can give my D an extraordinary education. I encourage you to read the many posts on CC by parents who have found ways to make this work. Some have traded their newer cars for old ones, moved to smaller homes, taken extra work on, etc. It’s really a matter of priorities. You have to look at what you have, what you’d probably have to pay, and determine whether you’d be willing to do that. (I hope this has not sounded harsh or offensive. It just is what it is.)</p>
<p>Thank you, Cameo. It did not sound harsh at all. It’s what I needed to hear. I need those ideas on making this happen. Thanks again and good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>I have gotten such great information and great advice on CC – so just keep asking questions, and you’ll be getting plenty of support! Best of luck to you and your daughter too --if she really wants to go to BS, I hope it worls out for all of you! (PS We love Louisiana!!)</p>
<p>Thanks!! Can I ask where your daughter is heading?</p>
<p>I found that each school my S was accepted to looked at my financial information differently. The financial aid offers he received ranged from 80% to none. The school that determined we did not qualify for aid awarded him a merit scholarship so be aware that those exist at many schools. You might find the all girl schools generous with aid - and remember that they have a smaller pool of applicants too so I think that is a great avenue to explore. Your daughter is coming from an under represented state (and area of the country) so that might help as well. Good luck.</p>
<p>Louisiana, I’ll PM you.</p>
<p>Louisiana: Portsmouth Abbey School offers a merit scholarship for incoming 9th graders… have a look – maybe it would work for you as a school. </p>
<p>[Portsmouth</a> Abbey School - Admission - Merit Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/admissions/merit_scholarships]Portsmouth”>http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/admissions/merit_scholarships)</p>
<p>Also, I am not sure if all schools require this, but I have read that several schools expect both parents to work in a (2-parent family). I am not sure of your situation, but you may want to read a few school sites to see if that is a common requirement or if that would be a dealbreaker for you.</p>
<p>I appreciate everybody’s help!! I work, as well, London. I’m a school teacher and my husband works in the oil and gas industry. </p>
<p>Thank you, Cameo!</p>