Financial Aid Question by a Completely Lost Student

Paying for College
1

Hello! I am a rising senior in a Connecticut high school. You have to excuse me- my mother and I are completely out of the loop when it comes to college to I apologize in advance for asking a possibly redundant or “stupid” question.

I am an only child and live with a single mother. We live below the poverty level and technically I would be eligible to receive full ride scholarships from various private colleges in the New England area such as Smith and Trinity, but unfortunately, I have a very wealthy biological father (my parents never married) whom I see every month for scraps of monetary help to get us through the rest of my HS year so we don’t become homeless (which is torture basically- it’s excruciating to see him and he has no willingness to pay for my college tuition in any way.) Anyway, because of his wealth, since private college look at the noncustodial parent’s earnings to determine financial aid, I now will be receiving no need based aid rather than full aid.

So, I have begun looking at UConn, our state’s public school, which does not look at the income of noncustodial parents. However, when I used their Net Price Calculator, before merit-based aid (which I expect I will get some of; in total probably 5k a year) I will still have to pay $15,000 a year. I surmised that in order to pay for personal needs while away at college (spending money for clothes, emergencies, going out from time to time, and so on) I could get a job on campus so that I could have some of my own money.

However, anyone receiving the amount of need-based aid that I would be getting has to put any money they make in the Work-Study program or on-campus jobs to their tuition. That distressed me- how on earth am I supposed to garner any personal money? I do have a part-time job this summer, but 100% of those funds went towards fixing my mom’s broken car- she cannot work because she is too ill. Also, I don’t have a car of my own nor do I know how to drive myself, so leaving campus to go work somewhere isn’t an option.

At the end of senior year, our HS has an awards night where local business give small amounts of money to the students for achievements or affiliation with a certain organization or workplace; these checks are written directly to the students. If push comes to shove, could I use that money for personal needs?

I just find it unfair that I couldn’t put the money I will earn working at UConn for my direct needs. Do all public schools do this? How on earth could I get some spending money? I apologize for the long-winded question, or if I come across as selfish- it’s just that in this tough financial situation of my mother and I, any money I received from awards or odd jobs here or there could not be saved or put towards college- it had to go towards keeping the lights on or paying for groceries. What’s a girl to do? Any solutions? Thanks for any advice!

2

You don’t sound completely lost if you knew to run the NPC. If you need more financial aid FAQ see the threads pinned to the top of the forum.

Each public college has different policies and sources of aid for students. It hardly matters what another pubic does as you don’t have access to that, but in CA you would get full COA covered in a package that included loans and work study. Why don’t you copy paste the NPC results here so we can analyze it? Maybe someone will have helpful suggestion.

Also, depending on stats, there are automatic merit aid at some colleges. There is info on that pinned in the threads at the top. What are your stats?

Does you mother get formal child support or what does she get. Why do you have to see him to get something? If you see him more do you get more, if you are nicer do you get more?

Wow, please keep in mind for future posts to make a paragraph break once in awhile, as huge block o text is very hard to read.

3

Looks like Uconn’s net price calculator is not very detailed. Income under $30,000 is the lowest category.
The direct billed costs are about $12k tuition and $12 k room and board. So about $24 k.
For a family of 2 with one in college they estimate $12 k in aid. So you would have $12 k left.

I hope the FA experts will chime in, but work study is a job entitlement, you get a job and earn a paycheck. How you spend the money is up to you, but some students probably need it to help pay tuition and/or books.

4

You may have to spend two years at your local community college (while living at home) followed by a transfer to one of CT’s publics. Hopefully, the Pell grants and subsidized loans to which you’d be entitled would completely cover your costs, allowing you to save all your part-time and summer earnings to put toward those last two years’ costs.

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No child support?

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Also definitely apply to some local scholarships, the money can be helpful, but often these are one-time awards.

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@mommdc work study is NOT an entitlement…not at all. WS has limited funding per college campus, and is awarded typically on a first come first served basis. Some very low income students do not receive work study in their financial aid awards, usually because they sent in their applications on the late side…and funds ran out.

An entitlement means that everyone who is eligible will receive the funds. The Pell Grant, for example, is awarded to everyone who qualifies for it…everyone.

To the OP…the net price calculator is not going to be accurate for you because your parents are divorced.

I would strongly suggest that you look for schools that meet full need that do NOT require information from the non-custodial parent. There are schools that do this. There are Profile schools that do not require the non-custodial parent form. See if any meet full need.

Have you considered applying to University of Chicago? They use the fafsa plus a very short form of their own. Might be worth a look see.

Have you asked your wealthy dad if he is willing to contribute to your college costs?

And lastly are you within commuting distance of Eastern, Western, Central or Southern CT State Universities? The tuition costs are modest, and you would be living at home to save money.

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Sorry for the poor wording, I meant if you get federal work study awarded in your financial aid package, you qualify for a “federal work study position”, but you still have to apply for the job and work the hours to get paid.

OP said her parents were never married.

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@mommdc But what is in the 12k aid? Does it inculde pell, loan, work/study?

10

What are your stats?

How much child support does your mom receive each month?

Have you heard of Questbridge?

If you qualify, consider Gates Millenium.

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@kuma184

You have a lot of good questions. To make it easier to read, could you create some paragraphs by double returning in your writing? It’s sort of hard to read that one long paragraph.

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I second (or third) the paragraph breaks. OP, keep that advice in mind when you write your application essays. When it comes to paragraph breaks in any kind of writing, remember that the more the better.

13

Storrs Campus net price calculator Academic Year: 2013-14

Estimated tuition and fees $11,926

Estimated room and board charges

(Includes rooming accommodations and meals) $12,228

Estimated cost of books and supplies $850

Estimated other expenses (Personal expenses, transportation, etc.) $2,750

Estimated total cost of attendance: $27,754

Estimated total grant aid $12,455

(Includes need based grant and scholarship aid from Federal, State, or Local Governments, or the Institution)

Estimated Net Price After Grants and Scholarships: $15,299

Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. Some students also qualify for student loans to assist in paying this net price; however, student loans do have to be repaid.

14

Regional campuses net price calculator Academic Year: 2013-14

Estimated tuition and fees $9,990

Estimated room and board charges

(Includes rooming accommodations and meals) $12,228

Estimated cost of books and supplies $850

Estimated other expenses (Personal expenses, transportation, etc.) $2,750

Estimated total cost of attendance: $25,818

Estimated total grant aid $12,455
(Includes need based grant and scholarship aid from Federal, State, or Local Governments, or the Institution)

Estimated Net Price After Grants and Scholarships: $13,363

Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. Some students also qualify for student loans to assist in paying this net price; however, student loans do have to be repaid.

Regional campuses’ tuition is about $2,000 less, but should be affordable if commuting with loan and Pell.

Of course the net price calculators are based on 13/14 so I would also check current numbers for tuition, room, board

15

http://bursar.uconn.edu/2015-2016-undergraduate-tuition-and-fees/

15/16 tuition and fees per year $13,366 cheapest housing $6,600 a year, meal plans are pretty expensive, about $5,000 a year

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Have you asked your bio dad if he can help with your college expenses? It might be hard, but that IS what colleges expect you to do. He might surprise you…,

17

Thanks for all the replies (and sorry about the lack of paragraph divisions!) I think the real problem lies as to whether or not I can spend my work-study money as I wish, or if it is automatically put towards paying off the existing tuition. How is the WS job different than a normal job on campus? Am I restricted as to how I spend the WS money? Because if the WS money is treated like a regular paycheck, I could put that toward the personal expenses and neccesities. (sp?)

And also, bio dad has stated that once I turn 18 (which is before I leave for college) there will be no monetary help whatsoever (not like there really was any in the first place…) My mother and I as of now don’t have the funds to sue him for child support officially, and he hides his money in overseas bank accounts anyway.

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Oh no! My internet connection has been bad lately and I guess the comment was duplicated too many times! Could the mods erase the extra posts? Thanks!

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Work Study is like any other job. You get a job, and earn a paycheck. You can spend the money any way you choose.

BUT if you don’t have enough money to pay tuition, fees, room, board and books…it would be smart to use your WS earnings to do that.

20

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1749208-work-study-and-other-expenses-p1.html
here is a thread from another poster with questions about work study, might be helpful to you.