How much aid is your sister getting with two self employed parents ($60,000 net income?) and a rental property?
Do you think you would be accepted at UMich, UVA, UNC and are their chem and physics programs what you are looking for?
If UVM tuition is $30k + and instate state uni would be under $10k, that would save $20k a year!
Why does your mom think a state uni in VM is better than in Florida?
Both parents work full time and own a rental property and only earn $60k?
What were your high school stats? Your sisters?
If your sister is doing an extra year then that will also have to be paid for.
@mommdc My sister just checked, she’s getting something like $53k per year just from need-based aid. She’s also doing work-study which is included. She said all the aid won’t continue for her extra year though
For acceptance at those schools I don’t think so with my HS stats tbh except maybe legacy at UMich. And yes about the programs
She doesn’t think UVM is better or really that good, it’s just the only option we had at the time but she does think Florida schools that arent UF or Miami (even though she personally doesn’t like it) are worse than UVM because she hasn’t heard of them
@Madison85 Yeah because they’re freelancers. My mom doesn’t work that much, she just started recently because of paying for college and sometimes my dad can’t find a commission for a long time.
I had a 2.7 gpa in HS with average SAT scores and no ECs, but I also took a lot of APs. My sister went to a top 80 US HS or something and did art as an EC and also was top 10 in her class, but she was depressed while applyig to college so she only got into a local school, but her grades gave her a lot of rollover merit funds.
What were your test scores?
You have several choices beside UVT and Florida, but… when you say “a college she’s heard of”, do you mean ranking? academic reputation? or literally “thatshe has heard of”?
Has she “heard of UVT” because it has “Vermont” in the college’s name would thus be impressed with most flagships (with the state in the name) or with a city in the name?
Because for instance your mother may not have heard of Skidmore, or Gettysburg, or even Pomona or Haverford, not because they’re bad, but because they’re small - they’re highly ranked and anyone who matters for grad school would think highly of their academics. But it’s unlikely your mother’s heard of them.
In terms of rankings, if you go by UVT then it means all Top 100 universities are fair game. Or are they?
What is it you dislike about Florida? Heat? Humidity? Some cultural aspects (which ones)? Do you want snow?
What is your parent GROSS income…the income before,they take all their business deductions as self employed?
UVM is one of the most expensive public universities out there for OOS students. How much in loans have you already taken just for your freshman year?
Sure apply to UNC, and UVA,and Michigan. But remember, they are schools that also require the Profile, which takes a much deeper look at your family finances than the FAFSA. It is very very possible that the assets and deductions of your parent businesses will NOT work in your favor in terms of need based aid.
Also, you are a freshman. These schools will want both your college transcripts AND your high school ones (as well as your SAT or ACT scores) when you apply for admission.
If money is tight, I would urge you to look at instate public universities that are affordable for your family.
No. You can distinguish yourself as a top student at any school. And as noted upstream, if you have to drop out due to insufficient funds, your prestige school will be worthless to you.
I live in New England, and even around here the first things any employer would think about when it comes to UVM is pot and Birkenstocks (not that a graduate from UVM with a great record wouldn’t be appealing, but that goes for any state school), so it’s hard for me to understand where your mother, who hasn’t even heard of major universities in her own state, got the idea that UVM is particularly prestigious. That aside, it appears that none of the schools your mother would find acceptable would also find YOU acceptable given your high school record, which will still matter when transferring after freshman year. You aren’t a compelling enough student to get into schools on the “prestige” list that will offer significant financial aid, whether private or public. So I don’t see many options here. Keep working on your mother.
I think you are just making excuses for your mother. If she hasn’t heard of any schools except UF and UMiami, how can she think UVM is more prestigious than, for example, FSU or UCF? Who is she trying to impressed with your going OOS? I lived in Florida and many people hadn’t heard of the schools in New England. No one had heard of Smith! No one would be more impressed with Vermont than UMiami or UF or UCF. They wouldn’t care about the rankings, and would probably be more impressed with that number 500 school than UVM because they’d heard of the number 500 school. My daughter goes to a school that is 2.5 hours away from her high school and not many people knew about it, but our dentist did because it is a science and engineering school. The Florida state schools have ‘more prestige’ than the unknown schools of the north.
If you want to sell your house to pay for UVM, do it. You already know that means a lifetime of guilt from your mother that she sacrificed for your education and you owe her. I’d take the complaining now and transfer to a cheaper instate school. There are 22 florida state universitiies, all offering physics and chemistry. There are private schools like Embry Riddle which offer transfer scholarships and you would qualify for state grants (FRAG) and could use bright futures if you qualified for that. There are several schools in Ft. Lauderdale.
How is your total debt only going to be $22k, or is that what you are borrowing every year? Even that seems low for UVM where the cost of attendance is over $50k per year. If you can get into Vandy or Michigan, do that if it is free.
@MYOS1634 It was nothing good, it was something average. I think 1640.
By what she’s heard of it means like Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. but also she just knows about UF and local schools like Miami and Nova Southeastern, etc. Like I said in a previous post we were on vacation in Vermont and we saw UVM there and when we were stuck between the two schools for me she knew the location was good for UVM at least and she didn’t want me going to a 500s ranked school when I got into somewhere better.
She likes academic reputatation too but like with UMich for my sister my mom still questioned it a lot until she saw the rankings and heard it on the news after or something. It’s like a personal perception of prestige sort of. For some reason she told me to consider Tampa but Idek why, maybe she knows someone there.
She doesn’t care about state or city names in particular, like she wouldn’t want me to go to U of Missouri or something.
Yeah she doesn’t know about those small schools.
I think she thinks top 100 is good, that’s what my sister applied for also.
About Florida: It’s just a preference but not the highest priority. I would rather leave but if I have to stay I guess it’s ok. I don’t like the climate and I would prefer snow.
@thumper1 It’s in the 60k range but it varies a lot because it’s not the same number every year so some years more, some years less. I think for the year it’s a bit over 5k.
My sister gets good aid from UMich and it’s all need-based after submitting the CSS and stuff, so it will be the same for me… I feel like I’m repeating this already.
And yeah that’s why I’m thinking maybe to wait a year bc of HS stats but that means another year of UVM payments for my family.
@MommaJ @twoinanddone About UVM prestige, I seriously don’t think you guys read my previous posts. My mom doesn’t think it’s prestigious. I was stuck between UVM and a local ranked 500s school. My mom refused to let me go to the lower ranking one. That’s it. Now that I’m here she wants me to transfer to a same-ranked school or better, but for cheaper. I’m just having a problem convincing her the in-state schools are better I guess. But she knows UVM isn’t anything special.
I didn’t qualify for bright futures. I know I won’t get the same merit aid that my sister did if I went to an in state private basically.
My mom also wants me to leave the house because she wants me to explore and experience college, be an adult, etc. so nearby schools aren’t as viable as like northern FL schools tbh
We’re borrowing like 5k a year so in total it will be around $22k. Vermont does give me some aid actually, and some my mom pays. But I will still have loans that’s the thing.
And yeah I’m gonna apply to transfer, but probably after my first year bc of my HS scores. I’m just lookig for more acceptable schools for my mom I guess. I think she likes UNC and UVA but Idk if I can get in
Does your mom understand that for your field the grad school is what matters? And in order to get into a funded program that you will need good grades and research opportunities? You can get these at a Florida school and save lots of money.
How is the $50k + your sister needs for the extra year going be paid for? For current students the scholarship opportunities are hard to come by and not of that magnitude.
OOS COA for UMich upper division is over $60k, lower division is $57k.
So even if you and your sister would get $50k aid each for her senior, your sophomore year (if you are accepted), then there would still be almost $20k to pay. Then when she is in her extra year and you are in junior year, it would cost $60 k for her and $10k for you. Then your final year your aid might be much lower with only one in college and it might be $30k or more for you. How are your parents going to pay that?
@mommdc I think she sort of does know but she’s so focused on prestige for some reason. I kind of think she just wants to brag.
My sister said that she will still get some aid so it won’t be the full 50k that we have to pay, but she needs to apply for scholarships then too. And that’s another reason why I have to fix this situation, because we didn’t know about her extra year until she talked with a counselor about degree requirements and stuff.
And yeah I guess you’re right about that… We didn’t even think about that.
Going to a FL school makes a lot of sense but Idk, there’s this strong reluctance from my mom and I myself would also prefer not to
This doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re only borrowing $5k/year (which sounds like the federal student loan) why sell the rental house to cover that? Just make payments out of your salary after you finish college. How much are your parents paying out-of-pocket? Is that what they’re having a “hard time affording” or do they have Parent PLUS loans in addition to the federal student loans?
We're borrowing like $5k per year>>>
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Ok…something doesn’t make sense. If your parents TRULY only earn $60k per year then HOW can they pay $45k per year for UVM (borrowing only $5k)???
THAT makes NO sense.
And…HOW is your sister’s extra year going to get paid for? (she should have gone to Vandy…Vandy likely would have paid for that extra year)
I don’t think you know all the facts about your parents’ TRUE income. They couldn’t be paying that much for UVM if their income was that low.
Here is what it says for finaid on my billing statement:
CHEM 036 Chem Lab Supplies: 37.00
Comprehensive Fee-Undergrad-FT: 1,037.00
Tuition-Undergrad: 18,528.00
Room Charge: 3,688.00
IRA Fee: 15.00
Meal Plan Charge: 1,887.00
Trustees Scholarship: -6,000.00
University of VT Grant: -2,113.00
1/2 1516 Hlth Ins: 1,411.00
Current Balance: 18,490.00
Future-Pending
Fed Direct Sub Stfd Loan [PENDING]: -1,732.00
Fed Direct Unsub Stfd Loan [PENDING]: -990.00
Federal SEOG Grant [PENDING]: -900.00
Federal Pell Grant [PENDING]: -2,812.00
Total Future Pending: -6,434.00
Amount Due:
12,056.00
So my parents pay 12k per term.
@austinmshauri My mom said she will do it to make ends meet so that we don’t have to pay loans. Ideally we wouldn’t pay loans in the first place but I have no choice really.
@mom2collegekids UVM still gives me some aid. It’s just not enough.
My sister is looking at scholarships for the final year, but again they’re not guaranteed so we’re trying to fix my situation now because we have to consider her extra year too.
My sister didn’t know she would have to do the extra year. She chose UMich over Vandy because she’s also doing physics (and math) and it’s better for her majors. Because both schools are prestigious and had good aid it was just up to her because my mom didn’t mind either way
I agree with @mom2collegekids Your posts do not make sense. If you run the NPC with $60,000 income and $0 in assets, UVM only offers $9000 in FA with a remaining estimated cost of ~$46,000. That is a huge cost for a family with an income only $14,000 greater than the estimated COA. (ETA: I posted this before your last post, but your costs are not $24000/yr. Your total is closer to $15,000/semester bc you have loans in there paying part of your balance. That is $30,000/yr w/o books or transportation costs.)
Being accepted to Michigan as a transfer student is most likely unrealistic. Have you read their transfer requirements? Your high school record and your test scores are going to matter.
Admission to other top schools is going to be equally unlikely as a transfer student.
You are blessed to live in a state with great public universities and with cheap tuition. FSU is ranked 67 in physics! http://physics-schools.com/florida-state-university (though I do not know if you would be accepted to FSU as a transfer student or not. It is hard to tell.)
One option you might have is to transfer to a CC in FL and then transfer via an articulation agreement. YOu could contact a local CC and ask if they have articulation agreements with the state universities. (I don’t know how FL works.)
<<<
Here is what it says for finaid on my billing statement:
CHEM 036 Chem Lab Supplies: 37.00
Comprehensive Fee-Undergrad-FT: 1,037.00
Tuition-Undergrad: 18,528.00
Room Charge: 3,688.00
IRA Fee: 15.00
Meal Plan Charge: 1,887.00
Trustees Scholarship: -6,000.00
University of VT Grant: -2,113.00
1/2 1516 Hlth Ins: 1,411.00
Current Balance: 18,490.00
Future-Pending
Fed Direct Sub Stfd Loan [PENDING]: -1,732.00
Fed Direct Unsub Stfd Loan [PENDING]: -990.00
Federal SEOG Grant [PENDING]: -900.00
Federal Pell Grant [PENDING]: -2,812.00
Total Future Pending: -6,434.00
Amount Due:
12,056.00
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Looks like you got $12k per year in merit and $4200 per year in Univ grant for the year.
You’re lucky to have been awarded SEOG (1800) per year.
Still it’s unlikely that a family can spend $24k per year for UVM on an income of $60k. Your parents are self employed…they’d have to pay both sides of FICA. That alone eats a chunk of their income.
Did your parents list the second home’s equity (asset) and the income from that rental on FAFSA? If not, I’d be very concerned that will be discovered and suddenly you’ll owe the school some money back.
@mom2collegekids I think they did but Idk for sure about anything relating to financial stuff really because they do all of it and don’t like to talk about it unless something is immediately due. Either way UVM doesn’t meet need and I need to do something about it. I know as someone said it’s actually like the most expensive out of state school. But I didn’t get into anywhere else and my mom still thinks UVM is better than that school ranked in the 500s so she thinks she made the best choice at least for my first year. But yeah I guess I have to consider some in-state schools. I’m really gonna try for UMich though
Are there any national scholarships or something because Idk where to look those up, I tried on college board but with my demographics I couldn’t find things that fit unless I’m living in Alaska or something
Can you and your mom do a school visit of FSU? Would your sister or your father be able to help in this discussion? Is there a mentor or counselor from high school, or another adult from the same ethnic community that might help your mother understand the difficulty of transferring and why in-state schools like FSU might be what needs to happen?
@purpleacorn I think we can do a visit if I decide to apply and am accepted there.
My sister already helps (she’s the one who told me to post on here) but for real it’s just dealing with my mom bc she runs everything in our household
My dad doesn’t really care as long as he doesn’t have to break his back working to pay for school.
We know it’s hard to transfer because of my sister’s experience, but she also had better stats.
I don’t really know about any other people in the same community that my mom will listen to, my mom doesn’t really have anyone to talk to about that in her friend group (they care about the prestige of their kids’ school a lot less than her but just because they don’t care, not because they’re being smart)
You actually get a lot of money from UVM compared to most OOS public or even private schools, it’s just that the school is very very expensive so the $18000 in merit and financial need aid is just not enough to pay the $50k in COA.
If you went to UF or FSU, assuming you could be accepted since your application was not strong coming out of high school, your entire COA would be about $20k. You’d still qualify for the Pell grant of ~$6000, you’d have the same $5500 Stafford loan, you may have received some SEOG or other state grant (about $2000 for Florida low income grant). You’d be paying OOP less than $10k per year, where you are paying $12k per SEMESTER at UVM. Prestige is higher than UVM.
It’s unclear where the $12000 for fall 2015 came from. Did your parents have savings, did they borrow it? Where will it come from for the spring?
Back to your original question, there are very few schools that will meet the needs of a transfer (or any) student. Very few schools meet need for all their students, and even fewer for transfers. Some suggested to you are UVa or UNC, and you know about Michigan. You must be aware that you are not just trying to match your current merit scholarship but to get into a school that meets 100% of need, including replacing the $18k per year you are already receiving.
Where do you want to go to school? You can answer ‘Not Florida’ but then you’ll have to pay for that. Is it worth $24000 per year to live in Vermont and not in Florida? If you can’t find a school that meets 100% of your need, then I think you should still consider leaving Vermont and finding a cheaper school. Even if it is in Florida. There are dozens of schools in Florida ranked higher than Vermont. There are dozens of dozens that are cheaper. Your mother might not like UMiami, but she’s not the one going there. You are. You will ultimately be the one paying for it.
You say you are borrowing $5500 (and that goes up per year, so your final amount owed will be about $30000), but ‘someone’ is paying another $25000 per year, which will be $100,000 (plus your $30k) at the end of 4 years. Don’t dismiss that total because you are not paying it. Someone is paying.