<p>Unfortunately, if your family is middle class, even lower middle class, you will get precisous little need based aid at any school not ranked in the USNWR top 10.</p>
<p>Lower middle/middle/upper middle class kids WITH STATS LIKE YOURS generally go to their state’s Flagship or #2 school. Your stats are not high enough to get BIG Merit aid from any school ranked in the top 200 or so. If your ACT were perhape 3-4 pionts higher, more options appear for Merit aid.</p>
<p>But, you’re obviously not in this alone. Many kids work 15-20 hours/wk during the school year (I did), and full time in the summers, so that their parents pay only half the $20k+ it costs to attend State U. Further, most financially constrained kids don’t pay the EXPENSIVE room and board rates that most schools charge. They get a couple of roommates and live in a one bedroom apartment with bunkbed a 10-15 minute walk (or ten minute bike ride) from campus, and cook hamburger and rice a lot :)</p>
<p>Apply early to Mich. St, get in, and just figure out how to earn $10k per year on your own. Everything will work out.</p>
<p>Oh, and good luck discussing with your parents. In these economic times, they may be embarrassed to reveal to you that they have ZERO money saved for college, or that they don’t even know how they will come up with $10k per year. The whole country is in a Great Recession, and extra cash is tough to come by.</p>
<p>*My mom says maybe 10K a year is what they can contribute, with the first year fully covered due to savings plans. But she has to consult my father. If my mom gets a job that number will go up. I’ve tried to confront them on finances several times but they keep avoiding it and I get no clear number. The number seems grim as it stands now.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’m low income but our income only comes from my father. He makes about 80-90K a year.*</p>
<p>You are not low income. You are middle income. Low income is like $40k or less. </p>
<p>With an income of - say $85k - your EFC will likely be around $18,000 per year. That is WAY over the threshold for federal grants. That threshold is around $4600 and that is only for a small amount. </p>
<p>When you talk to your parents you need to explain that their income is too high for you to get much aid…except for maybe a small student loan ($5500) and maybe some work-study.</p>
<p>If your mom begins working, that would help. Even though your mom’s income would eventually increase your EFC, it shouldn’t matter much because you EFC is already higher than they can pay. </p>
<p>You need to apply to your instate schools (not just UMich and MSU). You also need to apply to a state school that you could commute to as a financial safety.</p>
<p>Your predicament is common. You have an unaffordable EFC, your stats aren’t high enough for schools that give the best aid, so your choices will be more limited. </p>
<p>However, it’s best to know this NOW…too many kids find this out in the spring of senior year after and then have no affordable schools. </p>
<p>Apply to ESF and Mich. Tech. If your stats are strong enough for those schools, you might get a scholarship. Check their websites for details.</p>
<p>Ok, I’m definitely prepared to work…I’m just worried I won’t get a job…</p>
<p>My dad has confirmed he can afford 12K a year. Not terrible, I guess. </p>
<p>Right now I’m thinking of these as safeties (financially rather than admission-wise):</p>
<p>Grand valley (hopefully honors college. If not…I probably won’t attend)
Michigan Tech. </p>
<p>Kalamazoo - seems really pricey, but they seem to hand out aid pretty well?</p>
<p>So my full list is
UofM, MSU, SUNY-ESF, MichiganTech, Grandvalley, and Kalamazoo…I think that was the exact same as before, haha. </p>
<p>I’m researching Aquinas and U-M dearborn as well. What’s so bad about U-M’s other locations? Any info on that would be helpful, they just don’t seem to be hyped as U-M Ann Arbor. </p>
<p>Also, can anyone comment on Grand Valley (how good a school it is, generally)? It seems to be talked about in a negative light, as I’m talking to my parents anyways. But it seems affordable and I’m pretty certain I can get into the honors program. </p>
<p>The out of states just seemed too pricey, unfortunately.</p>
<p>UofM - Worth full tuition
MSU - worth in-state tuition
SUNY-ESF - only attend if full scholarship
MichiganTech- only attend if full scholarship
Grandvalley- only attend if full scholarship
Kalamazoo- only attend if full scholarship</p>
<p>Kalamazoo will be a “financial reach” for you…not a safety.</p>
<p>Your ACT is not in the upper 25% of Kalamazoo, so merit will be unlikely or small.</p>
<p>You’re not going to get a free ride to any of your choices.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with his assessment of Mich Tech. That will likely be your match school and an affordable choice for you. You’d get a $2k scholarship.</p>
<p>Tuition…11175
Req’d Fees…842
Labs…440
Room and Board…8462</p>
<h2>books/supplies…1200</h2>
<p>Cost…22,119</p>
<p>So, with your parents 12,000, a 2000 scholarship, 5500 in student loan, maybe 2500 in work study if you submit FA info ASAP, and maybe some summer money, you should have your costs covered.</p>
<p>Your financial safety will likely be a state school that you could commute to. What state school can you commute to?</p>
<p>Last year Kzoo met the full need of 140 students out of 211 who had need and were awarded financial aid; the average aid package of those 211 was $26,616.</p>
<p>The Cost for SUNY ESF OOS is about $28K and they only offer about $2.5K scholarships. That would be tough to make work. Grand Valley is a good affordable back up plan.</p>
<p>vossron…
Kzoo does put loans in FA packages so the OP couldn’t borrow the part of the EFC that the parents can’t pay. That is often a problem for student with unaffordable EFCs.</p>
<p>Also…do we know how close Kzoo’s “expected family contribution” is to FAFSA EFC?</p>
<p>Kzoo doesn’t only use FAFSA…they use their own form as well or CSS as an option over their own form.</p>
<p>I agree with Erin’s Dad…SUNY ESF OOS is not likely affordable. </p>
<p>I see that the OP might get a small scholarship from Grand Valley. Can you commute to any school?</p>
<p>mom, most private schools include around 10% in student (not parent) loans in the aid package (not part of EFC), standardized in the Common Data Set. The OP can compare various schools’ CDS for their aid practices; that’s one reason they’re published.</p>