Has the OP stated if they are willing to co-sign a loan? If not, the maximum availiable funds for college appear to be the $5500 (for freshman year) direct loan and his work earnings. That MIGHT cover a CC if he can live at home. Unlikely to cover a commutable 4 year college. Don’t forget that he will also need to cover commuting costs and the required college heath insurance. Will the parents keep him on their health policies? Will they let him use the family car? Are they willing to let him live at home and also feed him?
What is the OP EFC?
Many of the “meets full needs college” won’t help because how does he pay the EFC? If it is a no loan school and if the EFC is low maybe the direct loan and work would cover it. Maybe if he gets into a school that has no EFC for students with parents making less that X dollars. Those are few and exremely hard to get accepted to. Maybe others can list those schools.
This might be a case where CC is the only path. Get a two year degree. Move to where there is a local college. Work full time and take one course at a time. A long road but a well travelled one. Another option would be the milatary. While that should be a calling, the reality is that sometimes it is just a path to get an education. A third option is to consider a trade instead of college.
FAQ for the post 911 GI Bill:
http://www.military.com/education/gi-bill/20-top-faqs-for-the-new-gi-bill.html
Also, the OP should investigate the Yellow Ribbon program
I know several kids whose parents cannot or will not pay. These young people wait until they are 24, when financial aid is based on their own income (actually the year they turn 24). This young man could move to an area of the country that interests him and work for a few years, and enter college when cost is based on his own finances. (But watch out for loss of aid if entering as a transfer versus freshman is courses are taken.)
A kid from North Dakota brings geographic diversity to some private schools that value that highly. He might be able to get some aid at a private school, but from everything in the original post (the son does not want to stay at home or even in the area) I think working and traveling to another area of the country to live might be a good experience before college. Sort of an extended gap year.
Look up WOOF and National Outdoor Leadership School for starters. City Year and AmeriCorps. Great experiences for a young man who wants to see the world. And there is always the military.
I am going to bet that the OP has a pretty good idea whether or not the family qualifies for financial aid. She has already stated she thinks they “make too much money.”
She wasn’t really asking us to come up with ways for her to contribute either - she was asking us to assist her with what she perceives as her son’s bad attitude. I think most of us veered off into the other areas because we don’t see the boy’s attitude as the problem here.
It would be a shame for this student to start at a CC because he wouldn’t then qualify for the merit needed to transfer.
He needs to focus solely on schools that will give him HUGE merit for his stats.
He needs to retest.
There have been a number of good options given for this student to pursue. There are also unanswered questions…for example, there could be some good reason for this student to need to remain closer to home (although it sounds like ANY college…even in ND is going to be a trek from home).
I’m not sure there is any more to add.
You know, sometimes postings on this site can be judgmental and snarky. But more often than not I am just blown away by how caring and sincere and helpful and generous people here can be. I am personally awed right now by how kind and helpful and responsive people have been within 48 hours of the OP’s original post!! It is so touching and reaffirming. Yes, some of the postings are uncomfortable, but even those, for the most part, come from a place of good intentions.
@NDMom123, you’ve had lots of great advice, and plenty of respondents who are ready, willing and able to help some more. But you’ll have to respond to some of the questions asked to fully benefit from this resource.
Even if @NDMom123 does not respond further, posters, please know that you have made quite a positive impression on this member – and probably many, many others.
While we were touring Bates College and Colby College, in their spiel, one of the admissions officers stated that “if you guys know anyone from North Dakota who wants to come to Maine…” indicating that they had no applicants from there and they would really like to have one to check off some box they have. If the kid is willing to expand on the type of school he wants-- I mean, how does he know? Has he toured any of these schools or only seen them on tv? An active D3 sports culture might be enough for him–in fact, might be perfect for him in that it’s not as overwhelming to go from the atmosphere he lives in now to a smaller school (which would feel big and away in comparison to where he is now)? I’m just saying, try to expand on the criteria NDMom123. Is he open to it? There might be some really excellent schools that would just love to have your son. Also remember-- It’s a springboard to his future, not the landing pad. How was your income level in 2015? You’ll be applying for financial aid in October on those numbers, so the outlook might not be as bleak as you think. Run those NPC’s.
OP, Do you get tuition remission at UND?
NDMom123, I hope you don’t disappear. Your S needs this information. There have been several suggestions here and many requests for more info so that posters with experience can help you/him.
It IS overwhelming, but necessary to be overwhelmed in order to actually get him onto a college campus. I can remember when I began our first child’s college search. The reality is so jarring. Please don’t give up on him, and on his dreams. Work together, listen to him, do research…and (deep breath) try to approach this resource with an open mind. Your title and your OP suggest trepidation but we need more info in order to help. If you can just bring yourself to check in and answer questions it can make a world of difference for your son. And isn’t that what it is all about?
Has the OP ever responded in detail to the questions being asked by people attempting to provide her with some open/honest feedback?
Yes, she responded and clarified a few things in this post. She said she doesn’t live near UND so commuting isn’t an option, and that she doesn’t have tuition exchange or tuition benefits for her dependents.
@twoinanddone Is she still not helping her DS at all?
@HappyFace2018 She seems pretty shy about posting personal information. I wish she would try to help us understand her financial situation better. Is she making 250,000 a year and unable to cut any expenses anywhere, or is she misunderstanding what income levels qualify for financial aid?
What seems like a lot of money in ND isn’t in many other parts of the country. And the FA calculations by schools don’t usually take that into account. The OP’s kid may be eligible for some aid at meets need schools. But we can’t help without more info.
Holy cow, maybe the family earns 50k, for all we know. But until OP brings back some info and refines the request, all this is speculating.
@AroundHere Starting out buy saying she’s not helping her son, not realizing how that affects his attitude and getting genuine responses must have scared her off.
They won’t win any prestige awards, but -
OP, have your son look into St. Cloud State or Minnesota State - he may qualify for a significant merit scholarship at those, but probably not full ride.
St Cloud is just outside Minneapolis, and Minnesota State in Mankato is south of there.
Come to think of it, there is a Minnesota State in Moorhead I think - check into that as well.
Other schools not too far and where your son’s stats might be considered merit scholarship-worthy:
Winona State in MN.
U of Montana in Missoula
Southeast Missouri State in Cap Girardeau MO - He actually may qualify for full tuition here.
IU-Purdue U in Indianapolis.
Also agree he should look at U Alabama-Hunstsville and Florida A&M.
Also, if he’s willing to go far south, many southern public schools offer very good merit scholarships for 3.5 and better, and 30-32 ACT.
I highly recommend he take the ACT again, to better his chances at merit scholarships. A 32 is often the golden ticket, even with a 3.5.
Of course, he may still need to pay room and board, books, etc. at some of these, Idk.
The universities’ websites financial aid and scholarships pages should give you any information you need.
I’m just hoping her son gets to go to college!