<p>My daughter is a senior and is trying to decide between 3 schools. The schools are all comparable in rating and are all private schools. None of them guarantee to meet full need. My daughter’s stats are above in the top 25% range for all three schools, so my understanding was that she would be an attractive candidate and the financial aid packages would reflect this. It seemed like throughout the application process these schools were recruiting her. At two of the schools she competed for and received one of the few offered full tuition scholarships. The other school stated that if she qualified for the Cal Grant she would receive at minimum scholarships/grants equaling full tuition.<br>
My annual income is $50k and I am a single parent. I have no savings or assets. All three schools are FAFSA only. Our EFC is 4722. All three schools gave her financial aid packages with all loans above the full tuition. I am confused - all three schools are asking us to take on 12-13k per year in loans. One of the schools has my daughter taking out the 5500 Stafford loans, one of the schools has my daughter taking out $7000 in loans and the 3rd school has my daughter taking out $9000 in loans, with the rest for me to pay. The other schools she got into did not offer her any better financial aid packages; her “financial safety” offered her terrible financial aid and the highest loans of all.<br>
So my questions are: Are schools allowed to offer students loans higher than the Stafford max? I have been looking at the financial aid forum and I haven’t seen many students listing packages with such high loans. Also, can we go to these schools and ask them to reconsider and provide more need-based aid? We don’t have any special circumstances, but it seems strange for these schools to offer such high merit awards and then load the package with loans.<br>
Sorry for the long post – I tried to answer any questions you may have. Please let me know if we should request a review and how I would ask for that. Thank you for your time.</p>
<p>Yes, they can offer more than the 5500 in Staffords, and they can gap her too. Just so you know that this is not all that unheard of, we received a package like this:</p>
<p>Merit aid and some FA Grants, then 8,500 in loans (3500 Sub Stafford, 2,000 unsub Stafford, and 3000 in Perkins Loans). We were still gapped on top of that. LOL! They called me to discuss their great package. I told them that I would not allow my son to take on more than 3500 in Sub Stafford loans as a freshmen, regardless of how many loans they stacked up to “meet need”. I know that Perkins loans are not widely available, but he tried to tell me that this amount in loans is their “typical” package for all students. Well, I doubt that’s true, but even if it is, their package was not good. It is easy for us to vote with our feet. They were able to increase the package another 2k in grants, when he saw that we were not jumping to have our son attend. The 2k is not nearly enough to make a dent in closing the gap btn. this package and several others (there are 6 schools with much better packages), so no need for us to bother. We are not going to look into this school any further. If they want him enough, they’d present a decent package.</p>
<p>Stafford loans are limited to $5500 for the first year. What are the other loans in your packages called? Are PLUS (parent) loans included among the loans?</p>
<p>You can certainly ask the schools for the type of clarification that you are seeking in this forum. Unless something has change or the college got something wrong I don’t know that a review would change anything.</p>
<p>In terms of paying for college, there are some tax credits that can help, but you wouldn’t get them until you file your tax return next year. You could reduce your withholding in anticipation of receiving a tax credit though.</p>
<p>The school that offered her 9500 in loans offered her the sub Stafford, unsub stafford and a $4000 direct student loan from the schools. “Gap” was about $4000 more.</p>
<p>The school that offered her $7000 in loans offered her the sub Stafford, unsub stafford, and a Perkins Loan. “Gap” was about $5000 more.</p>
<p>The school that offered her $5500 also included a $4000 Parent Plus loan and then “gapped” another $4000</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion about changing my withholding…I will look into that.
The school that offered her</p>
<p>Miss Emily, call the FA offices and let them know you are sending them an appeal letter regarding their FA offers. Tell them your D REALLY wants to go there but you just can’t afford it given the current FA loan amounts they are requiring you to incur. In the letter d etail ALL your expenses and all the financial information you can, including income, real cost of living expenses, medical expenses, etc, etc and ask if they can change the loans to grants. [ word to the wise-Do NOT use the word negotiate.]They DO want your D, and now is the best time to let then know your D wants THEM, but can’t afford to go there with the current FA package they have offered. Its worth a try…</p>
<p>*At two of the schools she competed for and received one of the few offered full tuition scholarships. *</p>
<p>Did she also receive a Cal Grant or are tuition scholarships the only free aid in the packages?</p>
<p>I remember that Whittier College is one of your D’s schools. Is that school expecting your D to borrow $5500? or more?</p>
<p>*but it seems strange for these schools to offer such high merit awards and then load the package with loans. *</p>
<p>I have seen many instances of schools that will help cover the cost of the tuition, but that’s where their aid stops. </p>
<p>Since your D’s stats are high for these schools, you should at least try for an appeal for some more grant/scholarship money.</p>
<p>Did the schools include work/study?</p>
<p>Did your D apply to any UC’s? With your income, she should get good aid there.</p>
<p>Just curious…what was the financial safety that gave such horrible aid? It would be good for others to know which Calif school this is.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids - at Whittier she received the full tuition scholarship and they did not put the Cal Grant A in there and they want her to take out $9500 in loans and work study of $2500. I asked them about the Cal Grant when we first received the financial aid package and they stated that they would not be accepting the Cal Grant on her behalf because she had no tuition costs with them. I am going to ask them if they can accept the Cal Grant and then put the difference from the scholarship towards Room and Board. All 3 schools she is considering offered her work study in addition to the loans mentioned.</p>
<p>My D did not apply to any UC’s - even though she had ELC status and was guarenteed admission at UCSB, UCR, & UCI. She wasn’t interested in the UC’s and so her “Safety” was Cal State San Bernardino, who offered her 100% loans (19k per year) and would not add the Cal Grant until after she changed the school on the Cal Grant to them.</p>
<p>She wasn’t interested in the UC’s and so her “Safety” was Cal State San Bernardino, who offered her 100% loans (19k per year) and would not add the Cal Grant until after she changed the school on the Cal Grant to them.</p>
<p>Yikes…that’s no safety! It would seem like you would have qualified for more from Cal State SB. Don’t you qualify for whatever the equivalent Cal State deal is that is similar to Blue & Gold for UCs??? </p>
<p>I think that it’s very odd that if she had applied to a UC, she likely would have gotten great aid (judging from the FA packages I’ve seen from other UC student this year with families with incomes under $70k.</p>
<p>*at Whittier she received the full tuition scholarship and they did not put the Cal Grant A in there and they want her to take out $9500 in loans and work study of $2500. I asked them about the Cal Grant when we first received the financial aid package and they stated that they would not be accepting the Cal Grant on her behalf because she had no tuition costs with them. I am going to ask them if they can accept the Cal Grant and then put the difference from the scholarship towards Room and Board. *</p>
<p>Definitely ask about the Cal Grant because I don’t see how they can deny you that money…it’s not theirs. It’s an entitlement from the state. Unless Cal Grant has some rule that allows schools to decide or if it can only be used towards tuition. </p>
<p>If you can’t get an answer from them, call Cal Grants.</p>
<p>What is the other school that has given her a free tuition scholarship?</p>
<p>The other school is University of La Verne. She ‘won’ the full tuition scholarship. They put the Cal Grant and then a scholarship for the rest of the tuition cost, then gave her $5500 stafford loans, $4000 parent plus loan, $1800 work study, and a gap of about $4k. I really have nothing to call them about.</p>
<p>FYI - Cal Grant A can only be used for tuition.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>Here’s an article on the American Opportunity Tax Credit with some good examples. At best you can receive a $2500 tax credit and at worst $1000, even if you pay $0 in income tax. Although it’s a year old, it worked exactly as described when I filed my 2009 return. Take a look an see how it might apply to the particulars of your situation. </p>
<p>[The</a> New, Improved College Tax Credit - Forbes.com](<a href=“http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/college-tax-credit-stimulus-personal-finance-retirement-new-credit.html]The”>The New, Improved College Tax Credit)</p>
<p>I am going to ask them if they can accept the Cal Grant and then put the difference from the scholarship towards Room and Board.</p>
<p>I hope that works out.</p>
<p>MissEmily…</p>
<p>If I’m remembering right, your D might be able to become an RA which covers housing and meals. Have you considered asking Whittier if they can guarantee that your D can become one?</p>
<p>Testing for understanding…</p>
<p>Cal Grant A Entitlement awards can be used for tuition and fees at public and private colleges as well as some private career colleges. </p>
<p>Cal Grant B Entitlement awards provides low-income students with a living allowance and assistance with tuition and fees. Most first-year students receive an allowance of up to $1,551 for books and living expenses. </p>
<p>If Op’s daughter is receiving a full tuition scholarship from whittier, then she would not be eligible for a Cal Grant A because she has not tuition expense. If she is eligible for Cal Grant B with a max of 1551, would that be applied to her room and board or her given back to her as a stipend for books.</p>
<p>It is highly unlikely that OP’s duaghter will be able to get a RA position as an incoming freshman. No school is going to guarantee that a student will be able to become a RA. Being a RA is a coverted job because of the “perks” that come with it. </p>
<p>The priority will go to current RAs who are applying to hold the position in the next school year. A lot will depend on how many seniors are currently RAs because you know those students will hopefully graduate and their positions will be open in the next school year.</p>
<p>It looks like you may have to take the “safety school”, because once they applied the Cal grant, you would have a 10k balance. Hopefully she will get the Cal grant B, she would probably have to take on the 5500 stafford loan and you will have to pay the 4722 EFC and the cost would be covered.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>True…</p>
<p>But I think what the OP is hoping is that they will alter the “full tuition scholarship” in a way that she can get the Cal Grant A and also get some $ towards housing…</p>
<p>For instance…if the full tuition scholarship is $30k and Cal Grant A is $5k, then it would be nice if they changed the scholarship to be $25k for tuition and $5k towards housing. Then, she’s still get her Cal Grant money.</p>
<p>Larger schools probably can’t/wouldn’t do such manipulations, but a small school like Whittier might be able to do it without a lot of red tape. The same goes for the RA thing. Yes, no one would expect her to become an RA the first year. But, since this is a small school, perhaps there could be some kind of assurance that she would become one for years 2, 3, 4…as an assurance that she’ll attend their school. </p>
<p>Small privates can sometimes bend rules and do things that larger schools can’t because too many people are involved and too much red tape. </p>
<p>Since they gave the OP’s D this prestigious scholarship, they must want her to go to the school. I’m not saying that any of the above suggestions will be acceptable to the school, but the OP needs to communicate to them that the school’s FA package is not affordable and something else will be needed for her D to attend that school. The FA office may not be able to “think outside the box” and come up with some alternatives. That’s why these alternatives are being suggested. The school may say NO or they may say OK.</p>
<p>As for the San Bernadino and being the safety school. I don’t know this for sure, but if the OP’s D refused to apply to any UCs (where she likely would have gotten better aid), I doubt she wants to go to SB.</p>
<p>We have found that some private schools are rigid about their full tuition scholarships probably because they are academic awards and apply to the academic component of the cost. One school’s policy for a full tuition award required living on campus. Moving off campus resulted in a reduction of the scholarship by the value of on-campus housing. OP’s daughter package at Whittier seems generous when considering the EFC, full tuition award (Tuition and fees $35,442), and Whittier’s record of awarding financial aid (from collegeboard site):</p>
<p>Financial Aid Statistics
Full-time freshman enrollment: 355
Number who applied for need-based aid: 355
Number who were judged to have need: 256
Number who were offered aid: 256
Number who had full need met: 68
Average percent of need met: 89%
Average financial aid package: $34,323
Average need-based loan: $9,384
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $12,698
Average non-need based aid: $16,474
Average indebtedness at graduation: $40,220</p>
<p>I hear what you are saying. Op must remember that any scholarship/grant monies given over the cost of tuition and books becomes taxable income amd would have to go on the fafsa (driving her EFC up even higher). </p>
<p>I am confused…</p>
<p>the cost of tuition r/b at whittier is 45724. </p>
<p>[Tuition</a> - Whittier College](<a href=“http://www.whittier.edu/AdmissionAndAid/Tuition/default.aspx]Tuition”>http://www.whittier.edu/AdmissionAndAid/Tuition/default.aspx)</p>
<p>If her daughter got a full tuition scholarship (35,222) balance for room and board is 10,502. </p>
<p>Her EFC is 4722 When you subtract the EFC from this amount (because she will have to pay it wherever her daughter attends) what remains is $5780. Daughter takes a stafford loan $5500, then there is only a $280 gap. Daughter will probably get a work study job for day to day incidentials. She can get a summer job or 2 if she has to help put a dent in the 10k and have some start up money.</p>
<p>If this is the case, overall, she got a really good package (x-posting with hoosiermom).</p>
<p>If mom cannot pay the EFC, then yes, she may have to borrow the $$ which is where a parent loan would come into play. this is where they would have 40k in debt at the end of 4 years if mom has to borrow to pay the EFC on top of the student taking stafford loans.</p>
<p>*
the cost of tuition r/b at whittier is 45724.</p>
<p>Tuition - Whittier College</p>
<p>If her daughter got a full tuition scholarship (35,222) balance for room and board is 10,502. *</p>
<p>I agree! I think maybe the mom thinks she’ll need to borrow/cover the whole COA - which likely includes books, personal expenses, and travel.</p>
<p>*Op must remember that any scholarship/grant monies given over the cost of tuition and books becomes taxable income amd would have to go on the fafsa (driving her EFC up even higher). *</p>
<p>True…but…it goes on the D’s taxes, not the mom’s. Since EFC is not affected by W/S or students earning up to about $4500, so if the D were to get about $4500 in scholarships over tuition, how would her EFC get affected??</p>
<p>But, that said…If Whittier won’t budge…I think if the D works as much as she can over the summer to pay for her books and some of her housing, she can use her work/study job for pocket money/incidentals/transportation. That would minimize how much the family needs to contribute/borrow.</p>
<p>Then, in future years, if the RA thing were to happen, that would further reduce loans/etc.</p>
<p>The first year will likely be the hardest because the RA possibility won’t likely exist…altho some schools will let second semester students be RAs.</p>
<p>OP…will your D be coming into Whittier with enough AP credits to have a higher standing?</p>
<p>For the 2010/11 year the cost of tuition/fees/room/board is $45788. Their listed COA is $52,214. Her financial aid package is:</p>
<p>Scholarship 35,222
College loan 4000
Sub Stafford 3500
unsub stafford 2000
workstudy 2500</p>
<p>I spoke to the financial aid office. They stated that the loans listed are standard for all students. They also stated that they would look into whether she could get the Cal Grant B for 1500 and if so she should reduce the unsub stafford, but that they would not consider the Cal Grant A.</p>
<p>So it is what it is. Thank you for all your advice.</p>
<p>the $6426 difference between the cost of attendance and tuition room and board are things that can be within your control. In that amount are student fees, books, travel and other misc. expenses. this amount is recommended not the actual cost. </p>
<p>There are going to be some fees which you may have to pay and you cannot get around (technology fees). everything else is going to be at your discretion and both you and your daughter may have to do some belt tightening to make it work.</p>
<p>Check your insurance plan, if the school deems that you have adequate coverage while she is away at school, then you will not have to pay this fee. Also check with your plan regarding who she can see in network while she is away at school.</p>
<p>books- shopping aroung buying used books, purchasing books on-line, borrowing from the library cna help shave down some of these cost</p>
<p>misc. iems -this is what the work study money should cover</p>
<p>travel, shop early for the best deals if she is traveling by air, also look into student discounts if traveling by bus or train.</p>
<p>If she can get any outside scholarships, no matter how small, they can be used to reduce the self help portion of the financial aid package (loans).</p>
<p>missemily I’ve been following your saga because my son has been accepted at some of the same schools as your daughter. I’m very sorry to hear that you’ve been gapped by such a large amount, and that you’re facing the prospect of taking out a large burden of loans. </p>
<p>I can’t add much to what the other posters have said besides confirming that the discretionary portion of costs (books, transportation, misc expenses) is largely under your control and is a place where your daughter can economize. She might also be able to find a summer job where she can earn $2000-$3000 to help defray costs. And finally, I know at least one of the schools offers their own version of the subsidized Stafford. It’s still a loan, but at least you can avoid having the interest payments start until after graduation.</p>
<p>Are there any local scholarships (Rotary, Elks, local community foundations, local businesses, etc) that might still be available?</p>