So my family doesn’t want to pay for college, and my mom is a doctor, so obviously I have a high-income family. She said that since she had to pay for her success (Russian immigrant), I have to pay for mine. I am not absolutely against it, but that means it will be harder for me to get need-based scholarships because technically the gross household income is quite high. What should I do? Should I still write my household income, but in “additional comments section” say that I’m paying for all costs associated with attending the desired university? Any thoughts/comments/opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Do you have the kind of stats that could qualify you for merit aide? This is a tough one, I paid for my own college education, but times have changed. There are caps on loans students can take out in their own names.
Your parents are unaware of what it actually costs now to attend a college. They need to see some NPCs on the college websites.
If you have a high-income family, and they choose not to pay for your education, your only option is to have the best grades and test scores in order to qualify for merit scholarships.
The schools and government are not going to give you money, to attend your colleges, because your parents say they won’t pay.
If your grades and test scores are good enough, there are schools that will offer you anywhere from full tuition to a full ride.
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
There’s a different list if you’re a National Merit Finalist.
Colleges won’t give you grants just because your parents won’t pay. You need to pursue merit aid. What are your stats (test scores and GPA)? What state do you live in? Will your parents let you live at home and commute?
If your parents won’t contribute at all, you need a summer job. You can file the FAFSA and borrow ~$5500/year. With ~$3k from summer work earnings you’d have ~$8500. Add whatever merit you can get to that and that’s your budget. Will your parents help pay for books, transportation to and from school, and living expenses or are you totally on your own? If they won’t help at all, you’ll need to figure those expenses into your budget.
What are your home state, your GPA (unweighted if you have it) and your test scores? Provide those and people here will be able to help you find merit scholarships. You won’t get need-based aid because your parents are unwilling to pay.
Here is some information to help you get started.
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
Colleges have no sympathy for this. Your patents’ income will be taken into account no matter what you write. Your options are:
- Have high enough stats to get automatic merit that covers your expenses. Being a National Marit finalist is particularly helpful with this. You need to check each college website from this link, as I am not sure it is fully up to date:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
- Go to college that you can commute to from home. That may be a four year school if you get some scholarships from the school. Or two years of community college, then two years at a college you can drive to.
- You can take out federal loans -- $5500 frosh year, $6500 soph year, and $7500 the last two years. You will need to work summers and part time during the school year for sure.
If your parents start talking about more expensive schools, calmly ask them to run the net price calculators with you (on each college website). Essentially until you are 24, their income and assets are included in the calculation.
You might consider schools that offer co-op programs. It might take you more than the 5 years to graduate but that’s okay. Usually you go to school for the entire first year, then alternate working a semester, going to school a semester.
Doesn’t matter what your mom says. Schools won’t care that she doesn’t want to pay.
Every high income parent would say that they “won’t” pay if that meant that their child would get need based aid.
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that means it will be harder for me to get need-based scholarships because technically the gross household income is quite high
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It won’t be “harder” for you to get need based aid, it will be IMPOSSIBLE for you to get need-based aid.
What are your stats? You need to apply to schools that FOR SURE will give you HUGE merit scholarships…HUGE.
Your mom is being very naive. Russian education was probably low cost or free.
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So I am planning to apply to both UMich (dream school) and MSU (very good alternative), and since I’m applying to both for EA, I will get my decisions both by December 24th.
I want to open both letters ON Christmas morning, but I want to make sure I don’t figure out whether I am accepted or declined, before even opening the letters.
What I mean by this is that some universities will send a big packet if accepted, and just a regular letter if declined. Is this the same with both UMich and MSU? Or, will I just receive a regular letter even if accepted or denied to both universities?
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HOW would you pay for EITHER school???
Are you a citizen/green card holder? ALL you can borrow is $5,500…that is it. You will NOT GET ONE DIME of need based aid. You will likely only be able to earn/save maybe $6k per year to put towards college.
You need to deal with the reality of your situation. If you apply to those schools, ACCEPT that you won’t be able to pay for them UNLESS your MOM changes her MIND!!!
What is your major and career goal?
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You might consider schools that offer co-op programs.
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Co-OP’s might work IF this student has full funds for the first year. For “co-op years” the student will still likely need more funds.
Run the Net Price Calculators (NPC) for all schools of interest. Print out the results and take them to your parents so they have an idea of how much colleges in the US cost. As stated above, do not apply to any schools that are unaffordable unless you talk with your parents (Mom) first. No point of getting an acceptance if you cannot attend.
OP you are going to have to do a lot of legwork - putting together what you can afford to do w/o parents’ financial help. You want to see what you can get for automatic merit various places for 4 years, and then see if you can do CC for the first few years and if there is a local school (to commute to) where you can finish an UG degree.
As others have suggested, do the NPC of schools of interest and show to your parents. They may still decide to ignore the facts.
Perhaps you will be forced to do a gap year if you want to attend a 4 year school away, and cannot afford to get a good start w/o.
Some parents come around. Some don’t.
If you are a HS senior, you are in a time crunch now too. Depends on your GPA and your SAT/ACT as baselines for merit opportunities.
Per posting history the OP has a 1300 SAT and a 3.83 UW GPA. That will eliminate most of the high ranked schools that award merit aid. Home state flagship may be a possibility.
@mom2collegekids why are you bringing in posts from other topics? Separate topics are for separate reasons. No need to intermingle different subjects with each other. Comment on one on one post, comment on other on other post. No need to dictate your opinions all in one topic.
@bloxjacket We are trying to get a picture of what your situation really is. You seem to be trying to manipulate responses so that you will get the answers that you want instead of revealing your true situation.
@TomSrOfBoston My mom isn’t paying for it either way, no matter which situation. Either I put her income and pay myself (with merit aid), or post my dad’s income and have financial aid. I’m just seeing which option is best.
Okay, I got my responses and advice/help, thanks everybody. Not necessary to comment anymore.
@bloxjacket You do not have the choice! That is what people here are telling you and you refuse to believe.
@bloxJacket, were are here to help people. Don’t waste our time – I applaud the poster who dug around for more information. A couple of points on your dad’s income:
- You can’t just “use his information” for any school that asks for both parents’ info. Any school using the CSS profile particularly, although other schools may have their own forms. I believe Michigan asks for the CSS Profile.
- If you provide info from one parent (I am reading this thinking maybe your parents are divorced?), you have to provide the info from the parent you lived with the most in the last year before you fill out the forms (night spent). Also, lying about income isn’t going to work – you have to provide tax returns from your parents as part of the FA application process. If you live with both parents, you absolutely have to provide the information for both.
You may not be happy with the responses you are getting here, but we really are trying to provide you with options.