I applied to 57 scholarships... what now?

Paying for College
21

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I was under the impression that my parents would subsidize half or more but they just informed me they would not.


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Those are the words you used. Those words suggest that there was no firm commitments from your parents.

Now, after we responded based on those words, you have clarified that you were “told” by your parents that they would pay for it and only recently have they told you otherwise. That is a different situation. You had the rug pulled out from underneath you.


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My current bill is 18,565.58 and I am considering the worst. What can I do???

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is that for the fall semester?

You have given mixed messages in your posts, so that is also why I responded as I did.


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I am completely paying for college myself

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You said that you should qualify for financial aid because…


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income is way lower than the [Syracuse] tuition amount.

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but now you wrote:


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My parents DO make a lot of money,

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22

OP, by and large the parents on this site who answer questions on the financial aid threads are cutting to the chase so the posters can get an accurate picture of their options in paying for college. They are spending their time sharing their expertise and I can assure you that they are not searching the site for kids to harass. You may not like their advice, but no one is trying to hurt your feelings.

I see from one of your previous threads in April that parent posters inquired about the financial aspect of your college choice and you did not respond. It’s unfortunate that your parents reneged on their promise to pay your college costs, or otherwise didn’t communicate their intentions more clearly (if there was not a stated promise to pay); I am sure you are angry.

As a parent myself, I can see that it’s time for you to take a deep breath and figure out the best course of action to take. Getting a year or two into your schooling and not being able to afford tuition to finish is not a great idea. Perhaps you should investigate community college options for the first 2 years and then transfer.

There is a lot of wisdom on this part of CC and I hope you’ll make good use of it. There are many paths to success and you will find a way to get to your destination even if it’s not via Mizzou.

Good luck

23

To the OP, if your family will not cosign a loan for you, then you can not attend this college…because you can’t pay for it. Please discuss your college issues with your family. They need to know the total costs, and you need to know the exact dollar amount they will contribute.

You say your parents will lay 1/4 of your costs? 1/4 of a $40,000 school is $10,000. 1/4 of a $4000 school (which a community college could cost) is $1000.

So…what is the dollar amount your family will contribute.

Mizzou is a fine school…IF you can pay the costs to attend. If not…it is simply unaffordable, and you can’t go.

You can borrow $5500 in your name only as a Direct Loan. You are earning $8000 or so at your business. That is $13,500 right there. Add the amount your parents will pay…and likely you could commute to a college close to,your home.

24

@kidacat If you can manage to swing the first year (and whether or not you can, I don’t know), you could try getting in-state tuition for Mizzou (which is what I’m planning on doing to help reduce the costs). I don’t know if you’ve researched it at all, but it’s pretty easy and you just have to make $2,000/year + live in Missouri for the summer (and also get a MO license and register to vote, but that’s simple enough). If you stayed the summer and got a job + with your business, I’m sure you’d have $2k+. Having in-state tuition would help substantially. Plus, from looking at all of the departmental scholarships, it seems like there are more available to sophomores and up as opposed to freshmen. Not that that’s any guarantee of you getting it, but it’s something.

25

Unless your parents move to Missouri you won’t be considered a resident:

http://admissions.missouri.edu/costs-and-aid/residency-requirements/fees-and-rules.php

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^ At an info session about becoming a resident, I was told that so long as the student wasn’t claimed on their parent’s taxes, it would work and the student could become a resident (provided, of course, that they complete everything else required). Students do it all the time; the school almost encourages it.

27

^^

I think there is more to it than that. I think the student has to live year-round in Missouri and work there as well. I think that they can only go home for short visits or something like that and they have to show “proof” that they were in the state during the whole time except for short visits (show receipts for purchases made at various intervals thru-out the summer.

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(CBHE Rule) In determining whether a student holds an intent to make the state of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period, the following factors, although not conclusive, shall be given heavy weight: continuous presence in the state of Missouri during those periods not enrolled as a student; presence within the state of Missouri upon marriage to a Missouri resident and the maintenance of a common domicile with the resident spouse; substantial reliance on sources within the state of Missouri for financial support; former domicile within the state and maintenance of significant connections while absent; and ownership of a home within the state of Missouri. The twelve - (12) month period of presence within the state, as stipulated in paragraph p. 3.a. of this
rule, in and of itself, does not establish resident status in the absence of the required proof of intent.


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@mom2collegekids Yep, you have to stay in the state during the summer and show proof (lease/sub-lease, receipts, etc.) and cannot leave the state for more than 14 days during the summer. (During breaks during the school year students can go home, it’s just during the summer they have to stay and the 14 day rule applies.) And like I said before, make $2k and provide proof.

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@CE527M

Please check to be sure this is true. If true, wouldn’t most, if not all, OOS students try for this instate status? That simply isn’t the case.

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@thumper1 I’m 100% sure what I’m saying is true. I think most don’t do it because while it is much easier to gain residency in Missouri than other states, it still does require a good amount of time and effort. Most college students wouldn’t really want to stay for the whole summer, they’d rather go home for the summer, so that probably deters a good number of people. It is pretty popular among OOS students though because they have a lot of information about it on their website, plus, like I said, they basically encourage it at information sessions.

There’s a guide here that explains it, and it’s pretty much a 6 step process that is very cut and dry: http://admissions.missouri.edu/costs-and-aid/residency-requirements/documents-and-steps.php. Everything I’ve said here to the OP is also stated in that guide.

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My (limited) understanding is that a few states, like Utah and Missouri, have easier qualifications for getting in-state tuition than do most others.

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@CE52M is correct, qualifying is just a matter of following some well laid out steps and that is a great idea. So @kidacat one thought is, can you ask your parents if they would move the financial help they would give you over four years to the first year so you can get yourself in there, then work all this out as you move forward? If you can set up residency that is huge, and with your business or a job around campus you just might pull this off! btw, just a fun fact - my bother graduated from the Mizzou J-school.

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Most college students wouldn’t really want to stay for the whole summer, they’d rather go home for the summer, so that probably deters a good number of people.


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that may be the hold-up for many. However, some families may not mind if the child literally “moves” to Missouri for 4 years, works a job THERE, and doesn’t come home for summers.

However, this student will have trouble paying for Year One.

34

My concern is that this student may get herself into a predicament at some point during frosh year. It appears that the $18k due is for Fall semester…if that is so, that is ONLY for direct costs. That would not cover books, nor would it cover “personal expenses and travel” or just misc expenses.

she is hoping that her savings, earnings, student loan, and the 25% that her parents will pay, will cover the first year. But, we’ve seen too many posts in the past where kids end up w/o enough money to cover an existing bill (maybe spring semester’s), the semester is too far gone to withdraw w/o owing, the student can’t register for the next year’s classes, and they can’t transfer while they still have a debt at the school.

She has to assume that the first year will cost at least $40k. If her parents will pay $10k, and she received (I think) a scholarship for under $5k, then that leaves $25k for her to come up with thru her job and student loan ($5500).

I don’t see how that’s possible.

35

OP…Perhaps you should look into the NSHE (Nevada State Higher Education) community colleges. UNLV and the other four year NSHE members have articulation agreements so all the two year NSHE member college credits transfer.
Having parents with qualifying incomes but few assets is tough. I worked my way through college with loans and scholarships, but that was many years ago. Today tuition is way too high without a ton of merit aid to work your way through unless you take a low cost option.
Doing well with an instate opportunity and little to no debt will set you up much better than an option that requires significant loans.
Good luck with your decision.

36

One issue is that UN schools are notoriously “not very good.” …which is why the OP has avoided them.

however, sometimes a dept can be good, so she needs to look to see if either UNR or UNLV has a good communications or journalism dept.

Another option:

Look at the UMaine schools that dropped their OOS rates to low…and to a couple of the South Dakota (or North Dakota?) schools that either don’t charge an OOS rate or it’s very low.

The two UMaine schools give merit for stats that aren’t that high.

If the OP comes back and is willing to do a gap year, we probably can find her somewhere that will work. She can spend that gap year earning/saving more money.

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http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1651944-very-low-cost-oos-coa-universities-less-than-25k-coa-for-everything-p1.html

^^^ the above is a list of low-cost schools…

Here are the UMaine schools with low OOS costs. The “yellow area” below shows the merit …check the website for any new changes!!)

The University of Maine at Fort Kent and the University of Maine at Presque Isle
today unveiled a new tuition structure for out-of-state and international students that offers competitive pricing in those markets and also acts as a catalyst for economic development in Aroostook County.

For those students, that means their tuition would see a 40% reduction from $16,560 a year to $9,900 a year. Local economic development leaders are welcoming the rate change and what it means for the area.

OOS Tuition $9900 per year (and there are some lenient merit offers that could further reduce)
COA $20,592

(full-time) 24-36 credits $9,900
Fees 2 $975
Health Insurance 3 $997
Books & Supplies 4 $1,000
Subtotal: $12,872
Residence Hall Room 5 $4,150
Board (19-Meal Plan) 6 $3,570
COA…$20,592



University of Maine Fort Kent

2014-2015 Scholarships for First Year Students (12 or less college credits)

Scholarship Name    Eligibility Requirements    Amount

Bengal Gold<br>
2 out of 3: 
If SAT score is 1050+ (23+ ACT), class rank is top 30% or High School GPA of 3.00-4.00  $5,000.00

Bengal Silver<br>
2 out of 3: 
If SAT score is 950-1040 (20-22 ACT), class rank is top 50% or High School GPA of 2.80-2.99 $3,500.00

Bengal Bronze<br>
2 out of 3: 
If SAT score is 850-940 (17-19 ACT), class rank is top 50% or High School GPA of 2.60-2.79  $2,500.00

======================
2014-2015 Scholarships for Transfer Students (13 or more college credits)

Scholarship Name    Eligibility Requirements    Amount
Bengal Gold If cumulatve transfer GPA is 3.25-4.00  $5,000.00
Bengal Silver   If cumulatve transfer GPA is 2.75-3.24  $3,500.00

University of South Dakota
Estimated costs for 2014-15*

…SD Residents – MN Residents --Non-Resident

Tuition (30 hours)… $4,164.00 --$4,778.00-- $6,246.00
Fees…3,858.00 – 3,858.00 – 4,548.00
Books (estimate)…1,100.00 – 1,100.00 --1,100.00
Housing… 3,926.00 – 3,926.00 – 3,926.00
Food Service****…3,106.00 – 3,106.00 – 3,106.00
Total … $16,154.00 – $16,768.00 – $18,926.00

38

This situation is a perfect example of why it is important for parents to discuss how much (in dollars) they are willing to contribute to their children’s education. OP would have known in late March/early April (really much earlier than that) whether or not she could afford this school and would likely have been seeking other options much earlier. I think a gap year while she works in her business, saves money, perhaps retakes the ACT/SAT (is that possible?) and reevaluates her school choices after discussing with her parents what can truly be afforded would work well for her. I applaud her effort and ingenuity in creating her own business, however, as she probably know too well this situation is not affordable now let alone sustainable even next semester.

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"The School of Journalism at the University of Missouri at Columbia was once again far and away the No. 1 choice as the top J-school in the country in the annual NewsPro-RTDNA Top Journalism Schools poll of news professionals… The 106-year-old Missouri School of Journalism — the oldest J-school in the country, if not the world — is known for its “Missouri Method” that enables students to receive hands-on training in real news media, including the school-owned KOMU-TV, the NBC/CW affiliate for Columbia and nearby Jefferson City, Mo. " US News has it at #3 behind Columbia and Berkeley. Can’t knock the OP for trying to figure out a way to go to the best since journalism is their thing. I don’t think they want to go to any ol’ school just cause it is cheap. Obviously, the parents have to step up here. But if they don’t, I agree with Ivvcsf, OP should ask UMC to defer entry for a year and evaluate options for school and money. Maybe jump into cc classes this fall if it all comes apart, but hope it works out for you @kidacat!

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@kidacat, please do let us know how it’s going.

My own husband had a similar thing happen – his parents spelled out for him that they’d pay 100% of his college tuition, so he committed to Northeastern, and then when the tuition bill came they said “oops, we didn’t mean it.” He was already working full time (as a 17-year-old) and expected to cover his other expenses, but that news was a kick in the gut. He chose to take out some loans, continue to work, and live very very cheaply off-campus so he could still attend. It all worked out, but he had to make it happen himself, and it took him several years to pay off his loans after graduation. (Also, that was almost 30 years ago, so tuition wasn’t what it is now).