@inparent @NePatsGirl Does OP have to report dad’s earnings for a state school? No child support.
Noncustodial parent info is only needed for those private schools that use the CSS Profile. And, even among the Profile schools, there are some that don’t require that info. But the most generous ones, that meet full need, do require it.
If the only contact you have with bio Dad is two times per year I’d start working on the waiver, stop having contact with him for now, or sit down with him and find out what his income is, what he is willing to pay for college, and if he is willing to do any finaid paperwork when the time comes. If his income is low enough and he’s willing to cooperate, start looking at schools that meet 100% need. Let’s say, total income between both parents is less than $50K and there are no assets, these schools will end up being less than a state school.
If those are not things you want to do, your options are limited. But, MA has some of the best state schools around and you DO NOT have to include bio Dad’s income. You will definately qualify for the Pell Grant, changes each year, this year its $5800 I believe. Your options with a loan of $5500 most likely will include all the state schools, possibly not UMassAmherst. You need to start saving asap and I’d try to get Mom to put whatever she possible can into a 529 (even if its just 50/month). There are many other schools that do not require the non-custodial profile but they also don’t meet 100% need. You will most likely get application and fee waivers so don’t be afraid to apply to many.
Also look into Questbridge. I’m not that familiar with it so I can’t tell you much.
I wish you the best of luck!
There are state schools that use the CSS profile and ask for non-custodial parent information. I know U of Michigan and UVA do. It would be best for the OP to have some schools that only ask for FAFSA on her list, and she should look carefully at the financial aid website to make sure there are no extra non-custodial forms requested. Sounds like her home state schools are FAFSA only, so that is to her advantage.
OP, you can ask for waivers of your non-custodial parent information at schools that request it, but I honestly think your odds are slim. Those waivers are generally for students whose parents are either not able to be found or possibly who may be dangerous for the OP to be in contact with (for example, if there is a restraining order), or maybe if the parent is in prison. If your dad is available and they ask for that non-custodial parent information, they expect the paperwork from him. Even if he doesn’t pay child support, that means nothing in terms of whether they expect him to contribute to college costs. No paperwork from him, no financial aid for you. That is how it works. Now… if he is also low income and has little or nothing he could contribute, you could still get generous financial aid from some schools.
I also disagree with the advice to cut off contact with your dad for FA reasons. Partly because I doubt it would work, and also partly because i just think it is a reprehensible idea to cut out a parent so you can possibly get more FA. I have an ex who didn’t contribute a penny for one kid’s college costs – I would NEVER have wanted my kid to try to “disown” him to improve her FA situation. It looks like you have affordable college options. Agree that you should also look into Questbridge. Keep your grades up (great work so far!) and work on test preparation (test books can help) to get your scores up.
Perhaps, but that won’t help a low-income kid in Maine!
I also agree that OP should not cut off contact with Dad just to improve FA prospects. That situation is what it is, and the OP has started doing his/her research in plenty of time to come up with a variety of affordable options, even if the “meet full need” schools don’t work out.
I don’t think you can just decide to temporarily have no contact to get a waiver. Aren’t those for families whose relationships are irretrievably broken? Finding out what, if any, dad is willing to pay is a good idea. Make sure you have a financial safety on your list.
Ahhh, I missed the Maine part. It wasn’t in the original post and when she mentioned BU…off for another cup of coffee. And yeah, I wouldn’t normally advocate for “disowning” a parent for money and I won’t get into it any further, but its the OP who said contact was twice a year, Christmas and birthday, and he does not contribute financially. I know those are not valid reasons for the waiver but I can see where it could be stretched.
My dad owns a small business, and makes around $20,000 a year. Neither parent has assets. I haven’t lived with my father for 3 years. If I asked he may contribute some to books, but that’s kind of a slim chance.
Do you have any suggestions on scholarships that I could apply to as a junior?
@gtgonewrong Unfortunately his income will likely be added in for private schools like BU which could possibly reduce your aid. They require two forms, the FAFSA and the CSS. UMaine will not include him (Fafsa only) so you will get the best Pell Grant.
For scholarships, and as a future journalists this is right up your alley, I would try essay contest in addition to the Questbridge program (there is a section for that on this website under outside scholarships) which @NePatsGirl suggested (even without her coffee B-) ) Go to the journalism majors section on this website, explain your circumstances, and ask for good suggestions for those contests. Hopefully more people will be able to help you with ideas. And of course some of the best scholarships are through the colleges themselves. You will need to apply early to UMaine for this. Dec 15 is the deadline for some of the scholarships but I would apply in November because they are fast with acceptance early on and with an affordable option in your back pocket your focus can shift to scholarships. Also ask your GC because there may be very good local scholarships.
For your college applications, try to apply for free. My son applied without our help so I’m not sure how to best do this. Hopefully someone here can help you with info on sending your SAT scores for free and fee waivers to college.
If Dad makes $20k and Mom is under that and you are sure that isn’t any real assets, confirm that Dad will fill out the non-custodial profile, keep your grades high, and get those SAT scores up over 2000, preferably at 2100 or better. Try the ACT too, some do better on one test than another. Some schools to consider for scores at about 2000 are: Bates, Colby, Skidmore, Smith, Mt. Holyoke…you can google to get a list. Each school will determine what your 100% of need means, but my estimate for the EFC combined is less than $5000, so even if they thought you could pay $10,000, its still doable with a loan, the pell grant, some help from Mom and Dad, and earnings from work, and is going to only be slightly more expensive than most of the state schools. The one thing you HAVE to be sure of is that bio Dad will fill out the forms and that he doesn’t have assets/savings/money you are not aware of. I’d start by having a heart to heart with him.
FYI I checked and UMaine at the Orono campus is not part of the National Student Exchange, the program in which you can study in a different state. Only Farmington and Presque Isle have that. Of course they do have study abroad.
@gtgonewrong I am late to this thread but hope I can help. (First of all I kind of love your username. I think my D would also have called herself gtgonewrong had she been on CC as a junior!)
We live in Maine and are fairly low income, so we went through a similar search.
For scholarships, I’d encourage you to apply for the George Mitchell scholarship. Unlike most outside scholarships, it’s for all four years ($2,000 each year!) PLUS it involves networking and mentoring and a community of other scholars and alums. Very cool. They choose ONE student from every high school in Maine each year. My D won it last year and it’s been so helpful. Here’s the link: http://mitchellinstitute.org/ Start thinking about who to ask to write your recommendations, that will be very important.
There will also be a bunch of local scholarships you should apply to. They will only be for one year but every little bit helps. Go and speak to your guidance office, they should have a list. You won’t be able to apply until next year but you can be thinking of what to write, etc… Here are some ideas:
Rodney Harmon scholarship http://www.trademarkfcu.org/rod-harmon-scholarship/
Maine American Legion scholarships: http://www.mainelegion.org/pages/programs/scholarships.php Also check with your LOCAL American Legion posts, which often have their own scholarships as well.
Check with your local Lions Clubs and Chamber of Commerce as well.
FAME Maine has a terrific scholarship search here: http://www.famemaine.com/files/StaticPages/Education/Scholarship_Search.aspx
FAME Maine are also good people to speak with about paying for college in general. If they don’t do a talk at your school this year, I’d recommend calling them and asking to speak to a counselor who can help you get a handle on the whole financial aid project… that’s their job, and they’re very helpful!!
Lastly, are you male of female? If female, please consider the seven sisters schools. They’re terrific for a whole bunch of reasons, but one is that they are all meets-full-need schools, but -compared to peer schools with the same academic stats of admitted students- have a higher acceptance rate due to the fact that the applicant pool is smaller and self selecting. Depending on your SAT scores and final GPA this year, you should definitely consider Smith and Mount Holyoke at the very least.
@gtgonewrong Look at the Ayn Rand essay contest (10k), the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Atlantic and College Board Writing Contest (5k). Winning would be a nice accomplishment for your apps. You could even end up making money by going to college. LOL
^ good ideas… also don’t forget the Scholastic art and writing competitions!! Those also look great on your apps. I think you submit in September, so you could be working on these now: http://www.artandwriting.org/ (Speak to your English and art teachers about it too. They usually submit for students, I believe.)
GPA conversion - the Princeton review scale lists a 93 as a 3.8 http://inquiry.princetonreview.com/leadgentemplate/GPA_popup.asp
If Dad owns his own business, that’s going to throw a wrench in the works, regardless of what his reported income is. Colleges look at the assets, gross income, and expenses of businesses very carefully, and, it’s likely they will impute more income to him than you’d anticipate . . . unless the business is really simple, with no employees and no assets.
@dodgersmom But only for private schools right? FAFSA only state schools should be O’k?
@dodgersmom he has no employees. He is a mechanic, so it’s not a very elaborate business.
Is he simply self-employed, or does he actually own a business? I am a self-employed graphic designer, no employees or assets,and low income. (H is a regular hourly employee at a regular job.) When we fill out the CSS Profile, FAFSA, etc, we check “no” on the “do you own a farm or business” question, as advised by the FA offices of colleges we asked about this. I suspect the OP’s dad’s job may be similar.
I guess that he would technically just be self-employed then .