How is my university justified in reducing my financial aid by $2,300?

Paying for College
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<p>Dear OP,</p>

<p>I feel your frustrations. You are clearly very hard working, and have planned out your future very carefully and so I can empathise with you over this set back. However, the advice that you are being given here, whether blunt, seemingly unsympathetic or otherwise, is kind, and that is why the posters are losing a bit of their patience.</p>

<p>This is a site for people like you - youngsters who are college bound, yet there is an army of parents on here. Why? Because they care about their own children, want to learn as much as possible about how to smoothen the path for their offspring, and once they have acquired the knowledge, they are happy to use it to help other people - like you. They could have ignored your post, but they didn’t, and so if you take time to reflect, you may begin to appreciate why the subsequent posts fom parents were getting a bit terse.</p>

<p>Further, most of these parents, like me, ARE angry on your behalf. When you have a child, it is your duty and responsibility to care for them and love them throughout their lives, and this involves being there for them; being supportive. Your father may not have a dime, but he has a roof over his head, yet he wanted to turf you out because you had turned 18. That is sad. He should be honoured to have a child like you, and should have put all of his available resources at your disposal - including making you feel that you always have a home with him. It is not all about money.</p>

<p>It is clear that you agree with his doctrine of life, but please accept this: a lot of people are not like that. I do not know a single parent ( rich or dirt poor) with that philosophy. You also said he saved for you but then spent the money. Unfortunately, the only conclusion from that is that he saved some money that he later spent. 1500 dollars over, say 15 years is 150 dollars/ year. That is just over 10 dollars a month. Most people, no matter how poor, spend more than that eating out/ drinking/smoking/ going to the movies. You clearly love him, but you will be less angry if you accept the truth of your relationship with him.</p>

<p>You will do well in life because you are a survivor, and I hope that you meet some good family role models so that your children can benefit from having a wonderful parent in you. Everyone can be a wonderful parent whether rich or poor. It costs nothing in monetary terms to love and care for others.</p>

<p>I hope you resolve this financial crisis, and for what it is worth, based on what has been written here, I think you are rightly baffled about the 50 dollars that you are worse off by.</p>

<p>I really hope it all works out for you - good luck!</p>

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<p>Yes, a $2K Freshman Residential Grant was taken away, and a Need-Based Grant was reduced by $300.</p>

<p>I had declined the unsubsidized loans because at the time, I did not think I would need them. I thought I would be able to keep the $2,250 outside scholarship without getting my aid package reduced. Now, however, I need the loans.</p>

<p>So, I called the FA office. They told me that if I had accepted the loans, the $2.3K would have been reduced from the loans. I did not know that, however… The guy told me that he thought that after loans, it would have been taken out of FWS. But it wasn’t, so… Not sure what happened there.</p>

<p>I’m trying to get a hold of my FA advisor because she will be able to tell me more and do more for me. Hopefully this whole situation can be reversed. I’m hoping I can get the loans back, and the $2.3K will be taken out of the loans. Then, the $2.3K in grants can be reinstated to my account.</p>

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<p>It’s great that you were able to get through. </p>

<p>Hmmm…this makes me rethink if I should even tell them about my $400 outside scholarship. I mean I have $11,000 through grants and scholarship (no loans) and a $15,000 need. If they’re going to take more money than the actual scholarship is worth…I’m not even going to report it!</p>

<p>Can you update us when you get though your advisor?</p>

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<p>Yes, of course I will update!</p>

<p>Since your need is $15K and is currently unmet, I wouldn’t think they would reduce your aid until you hit that $15K point. Then again, most universities don’t meet need. So if they can save $400, they will do it.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t have reported the $2,250 scholarship if I did not have to. In order to receive the funds from the scholarship, I was REQUIRED to report the scholarship. The scholarship fund people will only send the money DIRECTLY TO my school, this way they are ensured I actually use it for college. So, unfortunately, I couldn’t get around reporting it.</p>

<p>You should check your financial aid account and go to the outside resource section. See what their policy says about reporting scholarships. HOWEVER, if you already have the $400, don’t report it. Only report it if the scholarship people send the $400 directly to your university.</p>

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<p>

Niquii77, if your school says you have to report outside scholarships, then that’s what you do–otherwise you are committing fraud, financial fraud that is probably criminal fraud. Is that really how you want to start your college career?</p>

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<p>…sorry, sums all wrong in my above post, but I think my intent is clear. Good Luck</p>

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<p>@T&S I think that you are being resilient in a very frustrating situation. Keep trying with your FA office. I am also impressed with the advice given on your issue - the expertise here is wonderful.</p>

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<p>

Noble sentiments, but here is the OP from post #44

</p>

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<p>@mikemac:</p>

<p>Are you pointing this out to compliment me or insult me? It could go either way, depending on your intentions.</p>

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<p>I believe that not reporting money you have - even that hidden in a safe, mattress etc - is considered financial aid fraud. Even if you didn’t realize that, it is obviously cheating. You may get away with it but it is still fraud. Haven’t you posted here you want to be an accountant/CPA? And you are in favor of financial aid fraud? Interesting!</p>

131

<p>@PSU85MOM:</p>

<p>You can say whatever you want to say. My future kids can work hard and get scholarships and aid on their own. If they need more money, then I will give it to them. If their need is met but the EFC money is missing, then I’m going to give it to them. I’m not going to save tens of thousands of dollars at my expense so that it ALL goes to paying the FULL PRICE for my child’s education. Their merit can earn them financial help, and mom will be there to help with the rest. Those tens of thousands of dollars can be used towards other things like family expenses, charity, 401k or 403b, etc. After all, this is THEIR college education we are talking about here. THEY need to be the one to primarily pay for THEIR education. Mom is not going to foot the entire bill. I will do my part and take care of the EFC amount. However, I’m not crazy enough to pay full price for my kids’ college education just because I’m a diligent saver. No thank you.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>So, in a nutshell, the rules that apply to everyone else simply don’t apply to you?</p>

<p>YOU can say whatever you want to say, but, as PSU85MOM pointed out, hiding assets that you should be declaring is fraud.</p>

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<p>@dodgersmom:</p>

<p>I don’t have a problem with other people doing the same. It is unfair for the full price of a child’s education to become the parents’ burden. Parents are there to guide and help - not pay for everything themselves. My kids are paying for their own education. Mom is not going to. I will, however, help and do my expected part.</p>

<p>EFC stands for Expected Family CONTRIBUTION. The cost of a person’s education is NOT the responsibility of their parents. Parents contribute, and I am willing to do that. Foot the ENTIRE bill? No way.</p>

<p>P.S. I’m quite certain in saying that no parent is going to say that they are willing to pay (via cash and taking out loans) $80K+ for the college education of one of their children.</p>

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<p>So, what you’re saying is that instead of paying for your child’s education, even when you are able, you will hide all of your money so that other parents–the taxpayers–will foot the bill instead of you. </p>

<p>REALLY REALLY sorry I chimed in with advice that might save you some money now.</p>

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<p>

Huh? So you’re going to hide your cash and not report it so that your kids’ EFC is lower so that they will get more aid that the taxpayers have to pay for? Really?</p>

<p>Dodgersmom and PSU85MOM are correct – hiding assets is fraud, whether you fail to report cash in the bank or scholarships that you’ve won.</p>

<p>Edit: Crossposted with scubasue.</p>

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<p>OP is doing something which is quite common here on CC–expressing the same attitude about paying for her kids’ college education that her own parents are expressing to her. I think it’s better to be a bit more thoughtful about this (and OP has plenty of time to worry about that). This is the kind of thing that led me to start another thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1526664-what-should-students-expect-parents.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1526664-what-should-students-expect-parents.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>t&s,
You do realize, don’t you, that by hiding your resources you’d be screwing over students in your current situation? Where do you think the money from your financial aid is coming from?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>We will be spending more than twice that on our first child’s college education. Do I want to spend it? Hell no, but defrauding the college is not the answer.</p>

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<p>@Sue22:</p>

<p>I commend any parents who did that to avoid becoming the primary payer of their child’s education. Sorry, but kids are responsible for paying for their own education. Parents HELP, yes. But pay for the whole thing? Absolutely not. This is a flaw in the system.</p>

<p>“Screws over students in [my] current situation?” No, it doesn’t. All it means is that their kid will get aid, too. I’m also still getting my aid. It’s not like the aid that I would have gotten is going to their kid instead.</p>

<p>I don’t know how you can bear to actually spend over $160K on your first child’s education. I could never do that to my parents. They have raised me for 18 years. Putting them in the hole $160K is ridiculous. There are cheaper schools. One can argue that it’s not the BEST school, or a better school than the extremely expensive one. But finances are a reality. Can’t afford it, then go somewhere else. Paying for an education is the student’s responsibility, not the parents.</p>

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<p>

Your parents have no savings. If they need financial help, are you going to give it to them? Just wondering, since your father essentially cut off all support for you at this point. Will you do the same for him? And what about your mother?</p>

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<p>I can state facts - fraud is fraud and you can try to argue around the facts. Reread your posts - you contradict yourself!</p>

<p>Anyway, I thought about replying to the OP further but have decided that there is a reason she is in the situation she is in and a lot of that reason is attitude. No OP that is not a complement!</p>