High income family and Pell Grant?

Paying for College
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<p>Hi there, everybody.</p>

<p>My father makes a 6 figure salary, but unfortunately he is not as good with money as he is with law. My parents have racked up significant amounts of debt owed to both the federal government and banks. As such, they cannot afford to send me to college. At all. They can't even afford to pay for community college, which costs about $1,800 in my area. So I'm moving into an apartment with two friends and I plan to work for a year. Now, I'd <strong>like</strong> to believe the federal government is understanding about such situations--I am not responsible for my parents failures, but I am impacted on a financial level. Therefore, I see a demonstrated financial need for assistance. However, I also believe that the Federal government would like to save money as possible in these hard-hit times.</p>

<p>So here's my question: Assuming I'm completely severed from my parents this year, could I apply for a Pell grant? Or will the mere fact that they make a lot of money--regardless of their financial situation--disqualify me from a grant, even if I'm not living them?</p>

<p>Thank you, I appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Pell Grant is based on your EFC. Until you are 24 (or meet one of the other criteria for independence such as being married or being a veteran), your EFC will be calculated using your income and assets and your parents income and assets. It makes no difference if you are living with them or if you are self supporting. You are a dependent for FA purposes and parent info must be reported. With a parent income in six figures, you will not be eligible for the PELL. You will be eligible for unsubsidized loans.</p>

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<p>This is a tough situation for you but you will not get aid meant for people living below the poverty line. The sad fact is your parents can afford to give you what the Pell would give you (5,730) but they choose to spend it on other things.</p>

<p>I don’t know if you could qualify for any of the free rides or at least free tuition merit aids that will not be dependent on your parents. See the pinned thread for automatic merit aid at the top of the forum.</p>

<p>You will be able to save a lot more money if you don’t have to pay rent. I don’t know why you would spend money on an apartment if you need to save it for school. At least you can pay for the CC if you work for the summer and live at home, right? Try not to follow in the footsteps of your parents and learn how to make more sensible financial choices. Easier to say than do but good luck.</p>

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<p>No, it does not work that way. Most everyone, anyone would want to be independent. Frankly, I don’t think the situation is fair, don’t know if it would stand up to scrutiny in the courts if tested all the way to the Supreme Court that a student has to be age 24 or meet those other criterion to be independent for college fin aid purposes, but that is the way it is right now. </p>

<p>I suggest you do as BrownParent has written. You can live at home, which is a huge savings right there to have those three squares and a cot, and commute to a state school. Find a job to meet those expenses, and if you fall a bit short, you can borrow up to $5500 as a freshman and more for future years to get your education. </p>

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<p><<<<
So I’m moving into an apartment with two friends
<<<</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>So, you are going to waste money on an apt instead of saving money for college?</p>

<p>you are not going to qualify for aid…PERIOD. If moving out and working would eliminate your parents income on FAFSA, then EVERYONE would do that. the govt isnt stupid.</p>

<p>what are your stats?</p>

<p>how would a 5700 Pell Grant pay for your college any way??? </p>

<p>what school are you trying to afford and how much does it cost??? </p>

<p>Is there a college you can commute to from home?</p>

<p>What state are you in?</p>

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<br>

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<p>I was wondering what you thought my chances were at getting into American University. It’s one of my top three universities (Mercyhurst and Florida International Universities being the other two) that I would like to get into. Here’s my profile:</p>

<p>-Cumulative GPA of a 3.2
-Freshman GPA: 3.6
-Sophomore GPA: 3.5
-Junior GPA: 2.0 (I was dealing with depression, but I know it’s not an excuse)</p>

<p>-One Honors Class and One AP class</p>

<p>-Four on my APUSH exam</p>

<p>-US Naval Sea Cadet</p>

<p>-Varsity Debate</p>

<p>-FIRST Robotics</p>

<p>-Pirate Code (coming up with incentives to get students to follow school rules)</p>

<p>-ACT: 30</p>

<p>-Got a state award for an article I wrote in my school’s newspaper</p>

<p>-History student of the year</p>

<p>Do I have a good chance at getting in?
<<<<</p>

<p>What grades did you get senior year?</p>

<p>are you instate for FIU?</p>

<p>A pell grant isnt going to make a dent in the cost of AU or Mercyhurst.</p>

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<p>oops wrong thread.</p>

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<p>ETA…the federal government is not trying to “save money” in situations like yours. For undergrad students under age 24, the family is first in line in terms of making college payments. The federal government does not give aid to those who make choices that put them in a financial hole.</p>

<p>You need to look for affordable options within your family limits. You will not be able to be independent and you will not get a Pell grant.</p>

<p>And even if you did…$5700 is NOT going to cover the costs of the private universities in the above posts…sorry just won’t.</p>

<p>And who is paying for this apartment? You? If so, why don’t you save THAT money and use it towards college expenses. It won’t gain you independence for financial aid purposes, but that rent money could very well pay for community college courses within a commute of your parents. Plus if they complete a FAFSA you can likely take out $5500 in Direct Loans for your freshman year. Tuition only at a community college would be approachable with your supposed rent money, a Direct Loan, and a job.</p>

<p>$5500 direct Loan WILL cover the CC costs you site in you post above.</p>

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<p>Not in the least. Not at all. </p>

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<p>

Here’s your answer right here. Join the Navy. See the sea. Get money for college. Don’t follow parent’s bad examples with money.</p>

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<p>

Wow, is anyone on this thread actually reading the OP’s question??? Clausewitz asked specifically about paying for community college, at a cost of $1,800 per semester. That is readily affordable with work and/or a small unsubsidized loan.</p>

<p>The post cited by M2CK does indeed reference three expensive private universities . . . but what M2CK failed to mention, when she quoted that post, is that it’s a year old! Clearly, Clausewitz has had to change his plans since discovering that he wouldn’t be able to afford those private schools.</p>

<p>My one concern about the OP’s community college plan is that it still leaves him without adequate funding for his 3rd and 4th year of college, after he completes his studies at community college. I’d strongly suggest that the OP look at the list of state schools that offer [automatic</a> full tuition and full ride merit scholarships](<a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #300 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - #300 by BobWallace - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums). Those would not be an option is the OP begins studies elsewhere (e.g. at a community college), but if he takes a gap year instead, one of the automatic scholarship schools might prove a very affordable solution.</p>

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</p>

<p>Actually, he did not ask specifically about paying for community college. His only reference to that was </p>

<p>As such, they cannot afford to send me to college. At all. They can’t even afford to pay for community college, which costs about $1,800 in my area.</p>

<p>OP was using it as an example of the dire straits his parents are in - so poor with money that they can’t even afford a cheap community college, much less a more expensive school like FIU or American. He never indicated in this post that he had changed his mind or plans to attend a less expensive school, only that he was planning to move out and get a job, presumably because he thought that would make him an independent student.</p>

<p>But that’s besides the point, because it doesn’t matter. The OP’s “plan” won’t work either way, because moving out and working don’t make a student independent for financial aid purposes and won’t make him eligible for Pell grants.</p>

<p>This</p>

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<p>is good advice, although if his cumulative GPA is a 3.2 he might not be eligible for those automatic full ride scholarships.</p>

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<p>It is always the issue for those who go to community college and can barely afford to do so, as to what the next step should be when there are no inexpensive 4 year college options within a commutable distance. We have done relatively well in this country in terms of having community colleges available for most students. The next step, is not so easy. </p>

<p>If I were Queen, I like to say, there would be good 4 year options available to all students who can meet junior standard at a college. In such cases, I’d have no compunction, having room/board allowances available at some state schools. But I’m not. It makes it a difficult, sometimes impossible situation for those who complete those two years and do not have the resources for the completion of a degree because Transfer students simply do not have as many aid and scholarship options as those going into freshman year do. </p>

<p>In those states where the college costs are high even for the in state schools, and for students who do not even qualify for financial aid, it becomes a truly untenable situations. What to do then? Talk to the transfer counselors at the community college for options, look at taking on debt at that point since the student is a proven college student who has shown stick-to-itiveness and look into some loans with parents. At that point, I am far more inclined to go with loans than with a teenager straight out of high school who has shown no track record of college. A year of on line courses, perhaps, while working and then seeing if that final year can be funded with well timed direct loans over the two year period might work. Or online all the way. I don’t think these are satisfactory options, but they are the only things in mind now.</p>

<p>If the OP has the stats for merit scholarships, that’s great. But there are students who do not My husband comes from an area chock full of kids who don’t do well on the standarized tests and some who aren’t the top students, but they may well be college material. Without a car or driver or carpool, these kids are going to be challenged even to get enough community college courses up to junior level. Then, it’s a real problem as the nearest 4 year state school is more than a half hour away with a car, and again no public transportation options. If such a kid had a zero EFC, he’d still be challenged in terms of getting enough money to get a degree. If the kid did not, and maybe even has a family EFC that shows the family is expected to pay for the education, but can’t or won’t do it. the kid’s stuck. Even the least expensive directional state school to give a 4 year degree is running around $20K a year in this scenario, and that’s with a car already available. </p>

<p>We were in a situation with a cousin in those circumstances. We couldn’t even give him our old car, because he couldn’t afford the insurance, upkeep of an extra car, we were told. No way to get anywhere much less to a college. Took 5 year to get junior standing because he could only take courses that were offered within commutable distance since even the main cc is about a half hour away. Never failed or dropped a course either. Now what? Even at age 23, the prospects are not good. Shared mom’s car, but couldn’t take it as far as a half hour away on a regular basis. How many such kids there are, in such circumstances, I don’t know.</p>

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<p>I don’t think it is fair either – especially as I am the parent of a kid who was self-supporting and living on his own at age 20 – but it’s not the sort of thing likely to be challenged in the courts. The Federal Government doesn’t have to fund Pell grants at all – but the program was set up to help the offspring of lower income families. I’m sure that the only thing the courts would ask was whether there is a rational basis for the age 24 presumption - and I think it is pretty easy to come up with a long list of reasons for that distinction. </p>

<p>What the government is saying, essentially, is that for the purpose of federal aid, they are willing to subsidize the children of the poor but not the children of the rich – and they are looking at age 24 as a cutoff because it is typical for young people to attend undergraduate college at ages 18-23. </p>

<p>I also assume that it’s no accident that military veterans are treated differently. I think the US military is very happy to sign up youngsters whose primary motivation to enlist is to qualify for the educational benefits. </p>

<p>@Clausewitz --you might want to look into doing a year with Americorps - you would get an educational award that would be an equivalent amount as a Pell grant. </p>

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<p>@dodgersmom‌ </p>

<p>I am not sure that the OP’s goal is a CC since HE could pay for that with a job while living at home. (it would be silly-silly to move out and work, pay rent-utilities-cable-internet-food just to get a 5700 grant for a CC (if that was the goal…hopefully he’s smarter than that.) And, of course, he wouldnt get that grant anyway.</p>

<p>The CC quoted cost seems to be his attempt to make the point that his affluent parents cant/wont pay for that either.</p>

<p>I wasnt sure if the OP knew how small a Pell grant is. He may not know that with a 0 EFC he wont likely get a lot of aid since he doesnt have the stats for the best-aid schools.</p>

<p>If he cant find a free-ride somewhere, then his best-bet is to keep his fanny home (that is like a $10k+ parent contribution), work/save over the summer, work part-time over the school year, and pay his way at a CC…and save money as well to help pay for the last 2 years at a commutable university.</p>

<p>He is naive about how hard it is to work and pay for college & living expenses, which he would have to do. his parents may not pay for college, but by living at home, his parents will likely pay for: food, car repairs, car insurance, cell phone, medical, etc. </p>

<p>@Clausewitz‌ </p>

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<p>Well, since people are mentioning the military, you pay no tuition to go to any public school in NJ if you join the NJ National Guard, and no tuition to go to any public school in IL after 1 year in the IL National Guard.</p>

<p>Risk of deployment, though.</p>