<p>Thanks for your help, mom2collegekids!</p>
<p>So far, DS1 at Bama has received some Pell Grants, and is also taking loans. He did receive a very generous NMSF award (tuition, housing, laptop, & stipend), but he still has to take out loans to pay books, fees, and meal plan. He works every summer & usually Christmas break. When I say we have NO money, I’m not kidding. We rent out a room to help make ends meet. DH is a brilliant, gifted, wonderful man who chose to work for a charity and let’s just say he’s not in it for the money. KWIM?</p>
<p>DS2 would be thrilled to be at Bama. [We took him with us to Parents Weekend, and he LOVED the whole SEC football experience!] And wherever he goes, we’re fairly confident that DS2 will also receive help from the Pell Grant program, for the first year. But after that, all bets are off, because our income may rise slightly. If he didn’t qualify for a Pell after his freshman year, then he’d be stranded at Bama (and spoiled LOL) with no way to pay for continuing there. </p>
<p>As most of us know, if you earn a middle-class income, you’re stuck in no-man’s land… too poor to pay for school, too well-off to earn any real financial aid. And DS2 isn’t excited about borrowing $22,000 or more to pay for an undergraduate education, in this economic atmosphere in which young people graduating from much better schools are struggling VERY hard to find real jobs.</p>
<p>DS2 is interested in business. He is a natural at it. Used to sell his Hallowe’en candy to other kids at church. He’d like to be in management, or an entrepreneur & own his own business.</p>
<p>I’m not sure he will test again… going from a 31 to a 32 doesn’t help much. Here are his ACT scores:</p>
<p>English = 28 (this is 88th percentile nationally)
Math = 27 (also 88th percentile)
Reading = 35 (this is 99th percentile)
Science = 34 (this is 99th percentile)</p>
<p>…His lowest subtest score was Usage / Mechanics, 13 which is 77th percentile.</p>
<p>He has not used a CLEP book for prep. Do you have a recommendation?</p>