<p>It depends on what your younger brother’s custodial parent and that parent’s spouse’s financials look like that will determine his government financial aid.</p>
<p>Good luck to you. I think it looks very good.</p>
<p>Well, just a quick update. I just received my financial aid information. They offered me $7,500 in a combination of Stafford Loans/ Grants. Apparently expecting me to find $3,000 somehow 
</p>
<p>I have sent an e-mail to the financial aid office to see if there are any further loans that I can take advantage off. I severely doubt I will be able to find the ~$3,000 out of pocket prior to starting classes (I have a car to pay off). And since I will have to quit my full time job, my income will be much lower. </p>
<p>This is so depressing. I am almost done with all of the paperwork for housing and have an appointment on the 26th for my registration, when I will most likely be finding out what classes I need to enroll for etc. </p>
<p>I have been getting so excited to begin college, now here comes a huge downer when I realize this still may not be possible.</p>
<p>What is the problem? I am intelligent, I want to learn, I want to make a better life for myself, I want to progress in a good career but the FAFSA seems to kick me in the balls every time. I am now 24 (going on 25) and STILL the government is saying “No, you can’t go to college” ?</p>
<p>anyways, now I’m just ranting /sorry. </p>
<p>-Liam</p>
<p>EDIT:
The situation may be more dire than I thought. I found a different page that shows the “cost of attendance” and how they calculated. According to my math, it appears they are asking for ~$4,000 (efc) + ~$3,000 (unmet financial need).
$7,000 out of pocket? this is ludicrous, I am at a loss for words at this point. Here is a screenshot:</p>
<p>
<a href=“http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7546/finaid.png[/img]”>http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7546/finaid.png
![http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7546/finaid.png[/img]](http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7546/finaid.png%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
</a>
<a href=“http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png[/img]”>http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png
![http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png[/img]](http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
</a></p>
<p>This doesn’t make sense. As a freshman, an independent student is eligible to borrow $9500 in Stafford loans (up to $3500 can be subsidized; the rest is unsubsidized). So you should be able to cover your entire cost of attendance with the loans & grant.</p>
<p>I am not sure why you weren’t offered more … you need to find out. Call them Monday.</p>
<p>yeah, well check my update to my previous post. That is the information they provided. The second one is especially worrying: <a href=“http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png[/url]”>http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png</a></p>
![http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png[/url]](http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3825/finaid1.png%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>I’m just at a loss at this point. I will certainly be calling them Monday to accompany the e-mail I sent just now requesting information on any other loans available. At this point, it is just flat out impossible for me to attend college if I can’t even get unsubsidized loans to pick up the cost of attendance. This is also the cheapest 4 year school in the region afaik. Although I am just noticing that the $14,000 stated cost of attendance is grossly more than the cost of attendance I was told when my FAFSA was being processed. But I would have figured that would allow MORE aid rather than less.</p>
<p>When the financial aid package doesn’t cover 100% of the student’s need, this is called a gap. Many colleges gap their students.</p>
<p>The link you provided in post 24 gives the estimated costs for attendance. That is just an estimate.look at the real cost which is tuition, fees and room and board. That is the real cost. The rest is fluff and is an estimated for books and travel, personal expense.
So tuition, room and board for your school is 5529.00 each semester. So a total of 11,058.00 for the year. That is the amount you are expected to pay. - 7300=3758.00. that is what is needed to pay for the balance of tuition, room and board.
You do need to call Monday, because your are entitled to a stafford loan, as Kelsmom pointed out, as an independent student of 9500.00. So relax and try not to worry til you speak with them.</p>
<p>Never Mind!</p>
<p>OK, Ill try not to worry, just yet.</p>
<p>The amount of anxiety caused by trying to finance college, is incredible. I’ll get in touch Monday and hopefully be able to update y’all with some good news.</p>
<p>I’m fairly confident that “personal expenses” (such as transport) will be covered with whatever part-time or “work-study” I am able to find.</p>
<p>It looks to me like they gave you the typical <em>dependant</em> freshman package. You need to call them up and tell them that you are independent and, as such, are entitled to a larger loan limit and you NEED that.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Right! Tell them you need the rest of your independent loan. They didn’t include it because of EFC, but you’re allowed to use the additional independent loan for EFC.</p>
<p>Also…you need to assume that you’ll be working full time over the summer to bring in a good bit of money $3k - 5k. It is a very reasonable expectation for college kids to earn money over the summer…and even some during the school year. A student can usually work 8 or so hours per week during the school year and not hurt grades at all - if schedule is done correctly. Some kids try to work on a light school day, Friday night or Saturday during the day to get their hours in without interfering with study time. </p>
<p>You don’t want to borrow the max each year. You’ll find paying that back tooooo hard. Besides, it’s not a good idea to be borrowing money to pay for food, gas, etc.</p>
<p>Food, gas, ect I expect to come out of my pocket (although the housing includes a meal plan) Along with transportation (my car). My car will be paid off after my first tax refund after starting classes, then I will likely be a lot better off for the following years.</p>
<p>I just want the loans to cover the housing, tuition and maybe a couple of books. </p>
<p>It is just this initial hump that they seem to screw you. I could maybe scrape up $1,500-$2k before classes, I still have a car payment+insurance despite paying minimal board to my parents (pretty much just paying for food). </p>
<p>The problem is I am unsure if to just get my car paid off as a priority or to use the money I save to pay for the classes. Either way I am going to have to pay for both… </p>
<p>I am currently sitting at ~$500 with an additional $600 held by my parents to cover car payments if needed. My other parent (living out of state) said he would help with the car payments, but I don’t believe it to be very likely to happen.</p>
<p>I personally don’t feel it is wrong to borrow the stafford loan limits to get an education. The average American College student does it. So if You have to borrow, then do it. Many on CC use scare tactics to get you not to. But you are mature enough and seem mindful enough to take it seriously. Good luck.</p>
<p>
I can’t remember any posts which try to scare students away from ALL loans. I’ve seen some very lengthy posts arguing whether it makes sense to go ABOVE the amount you can get through Stafford loans.</p>
<p>well don’t get me wrong. I am willing to pay whatever I can. I don’t expect high personal costs once I start classes. I mean I will get 3 meals a day from the college cafeteria as part of the housing, and then a bag of nachos/noodles in my dorm ? Internet and cable tv is included in the dorm, and then of course it is a place to sleep.</p>
<p>Once I get my car paid off any money that I earn from work-study or part time work will be able to go mostly towards my tuition expenses. The problem is that the amount I will earn from that is “x” who knows what “x” is? </p>
<p>in short, I only really expect to have to borrow the maximum for the first term, until tax return time. Especially since the maximum loans for Sophmore, Junior, and Senior exceed the cost of attendance, lol</p>
<p>Of course the financial transition to college would be much easier if they reversed the loan limits to offer more to struggling freshman, then less to upperclassmen as they become more financially stable. eg A lot of upperclassmen end up getting houses off campus with friends and save money or start working in their careers early.</p>
<p>erin’s dad</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have run across post like this in my three years on CC.</p>
<p>Take a deep breath …</p>
<p>The total of tuition, room, and board is $11058. What are your actual financial aid awards?</p>
<p>I know that you will be eligible to borrow $9500 in Stafford loans. How much was in your award package? What grants were you awarded? It will be easier to advise you if you post the actual awards, rather than the total.</p>
<p>yeah, well here are the individual awards.
<a href=“http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6622/finaid2.png[/img]”>http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6622/finaid2.png
![http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6622/finaid2.png[/img]](http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6622/finaid2.png%5B/img%5D){kind=link}
</a></p>
<p>I do like the grants offered. But yeah, just a little more loanage please I guess, heh.</p>
<p>*You don’t want to borrow the max each year. You’ll find paying that back tooooo hard. Besides, it’s not a good idea to be borrowing money to pay for food, gas, etc. *</p>
<p>Milk…that is my post and I stand behind it. It isn’t a “scare tactic.” That post was to an independent student who was contemplating borrowing the full independent levels without considering that he can work in the summer to reduce the need for a few thousand. That is wise advise. </p>
<p>It is poor planning to not work over the summer and then have to borrow for food, gas, personal expenses. </p>
<p>Frankly, you may never have experienced this, but I have. My H took out student loans…not for his basic education costs…his scholarship covered that…but to pay for his personal expenses, etc. Do you have any idea how annoying it was for a newly married couple to later pay those loans back knowing how easily they would have been avoided by just working some during the summer. My H didn’t have financially savvy parents who should have advised him properly. </p>
<p>So, no, my advice isn’t a “scare tactic”…it is advice from someone who’s “been there.”</p>
<p>I have no problem with a student taking needed federal loans to pay for basic school costs, but if some can be avoided with a summer job, then why is that wrong?</p>
<p>Ken…</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you’ll only be paying for a semester (or quarter) at a time. That may give you some time during the first semester to earn some money to put towards your second semester gap.</p>
<p>How much do you think you can earn over the summer?</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids, yes you are entitled to your opinion as I.
I find your responses on the aggressive side and sometimes offensive, but that is your right.
My opinions are just that, opinions. No one need listen or care.</p>