<p>I'm poor! I need financial aid?
I have 4 siblings and my parents. So our household size is 7. My mom doesn't work and my dad makes $42,000 annually. I'm the oldest in my family and I'm in 8th grade, hoping to go to boarding school (Saint Anne's Belfield's or Kent School) Both of them offer financial aid, and I don't know if it helps but I have a 3.7 GPA and all honors. Is it possible that I can get full financial aid or like 60% or higher? Do I have to turn in my application early so I have a better chance of getting a larger financial aid? </p>
<p>I'm applying for #1 highschool in US and i dont get my results until mid Jan, and most boarding schools recommend to file the financial aid form to be turned in asap (Nov-Dec) and I'm only applying for boarding school if i dont make it to the #1 hs. HELP! :(</p>
<p>It'd be best if my parents only have to pay under $800 monthly! Don't know if that's possible or not.</p>
<p>First, RELAX!</p>
<p>Nothing has to be turned in early . . . and applying earlier will NOT improve your chances or either acceptance or financial aid. Ask your parents to file the financial aid application a couple of weeks before the deadline, if they can. That way, if they have any questions, there will still be plenty of time to get them answered before they turn in the application.</p>
<p>As for the school applications, go forward with them as if they were your only option. Get everything filed and completed by the due dates. If it turns out later that you’ve been accepted to the high school you mentioned, no problem - just contact the schools and tell them you’ve changed your mind. (They’d also appreciate your telling them why.)</p>
<p>You can get waivers of all fees if you qualify - that includes school application fees, NAIS/SSS financial aid application fee (there’s just one fee that covers the application for all the schools you apply to), and your SSAT testing fees. Contact the schools to find out if you qualify for waivers.</p>
<p>And, yes, it absolutely is possible to get full financial aid. Many students get full aid (with family incomes significantly higher than yours!) . . . but you also need to be aware that none of the schools is able to give aid to all the students that need it. So, there’s plenty of aid available . . . but there’s also a lot of demand. So, where you end up being accepted, and how much aid they award you, remains to be seen.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>thank you so much!! :]
I’m so glad to hear that there is a chance I could get full aid. Do you think that’s likely? :(</p>
<p>ANY ONE ELSE WANTS TO ANSWER?</p>
<p>I think the lack of responses may be due to the fact that the answer is fairly clear. </p>
<p>Yes, I think you would most likely qualify for a generous aid package if you are admitted to most of boarding schools frequently mentioned on this forum.</p>
<p>A little research (which you could have done yourself, tsk, tsk) would show that St. Paul’s School (NH) has a policy that if your HHI (Household Income) is below a certain amount you get full FA.</p>
<p>From the SAS site:
“To help meet this goal, as a general rule families of admitted students who have a household income of $80,000 or less qualify for full financial aid.”</p>
<p>Here’s a page with an FA estimator from the SAS site (I think Exeter’s site has a similar calculator):
[St</a>. Paul’s School ~ Financial Aid Estimator](<a href=“http://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=114046]St”>http://www.sps.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=114046)</p>
<p>Using the info you provided, the “Average Family Award” it produced was “Student receives full financial aid.”</p>
<p>Obviously, this is just an estimator and makes several assumptions, but you get the point.</p>
<p>BTW, here’s my gut feeling on FA…if a school wants you badly enough for whatever it is they think you’ll add to their community, they’ll make the numbers work.</p>
<p>xxnerdgirlxx,</p>
<p>Financial aid is based upon demonstrated financial need. Financial need, in turn, is determined by factors such as total income, assets, family size, etc. </p>
<p>Assuming your family assets are consistent with your family income, your family size (7) and total family income ($42,000) place you within the parameters of a generous financial aid. Sevendad explains why. Nothing is guaranteed, but you appear to be an excellent candidate for financial aid.</p>
<p>My advice is for you to focus on schools that grant generous financial aid. In doing so, here are some factors to consider:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Distinguish need blind from need aware schools. A need blind school will admit you regardless of your financial condition. A need aware school may take your financial aid needs into consideration when deciding whether to admit you. Only Andover and St. Andrews are need blind schools. </p></li>
<li><p>There is a difference between financial aid grants and loans. You are obligated to repay a loan but not a grant. So, try to apply to schools that only provide grants. </p></li>
<li><p>Some schools base financial aid awards on the total cost of attendance; others may base financial aid awards on just the cost of tuition. The total cost of attendance is higher than tuition because it includes books, computer, insurance, etc. Other costs of attendance are travel expenses, weekly allowance, cell phone, etc. Keep all these expenses in mind. They total up quickly.</p></li>
<li><p>Look at the percentage of students who receive financial aid at a school. This is one indicator of how generous a school may be with its financial aid awards. [Boarding</a> Schools with the Highest Percentage of Students on Financial Aid - Boarding School Review](<a href=“http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/highest_percentage_students_financialaid/sort/1]Boarding”>Boarding Schools with the Highest Percentage of Students on Financial Aid (2023))</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If some of this baffles or overwhelms you, ask your parents for your help. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>@xxnerdgirlxx.</p>
<p>Please be aware that the schools that have the financial resources (i.e. endowment) to grant the most FA are also the most difficult ones to get admitted to.</p>