I don't understand something about Financial Aid?

Paying for College
41

<p>I’m not sure what questions have not been answered.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>There is NO WAY for anyone on this forum to tell you exactly what your financial aid package will be from any college, and that includes Stonybrook. </p></li>
<li><p>It is highly unlikely that Stonybrook will meet your full need, but the only way to really know is to apply for admission and apply for financial aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, you be offered loans. You will definitely be able to take the $5500 Direct Loan. anyone completing a FAFSA gets that. It is your choice whether to take that…or not.</p></li>
<li><p>You will not find anything out there on google or anyplace else that will give you your exact financial aid award. Period. The net price calculator, if completed properly, is the best estimate.</p></li>
<li><p>You need an affordable option…one where you can pay the bills with guaranteed aid. If you live in NYC, like you say on another thread, then you have community colleges that you can commute to. If your EFC is really $0, your Pell, and Direct Loan, and TAP will pay the tuition and fees. </p></li>
<li><p>With the information you have provided here, you cannot afford the room/board costs at a residential college.</p></li>
<li><p>As an FYI, the net price calculators are less accurate if you have divorced parents, they own a business or are self employed, or your family owns real estate other than your primary residence.</p></li>
<li><p>I thought I read that you had a job. If you do, where are the savings from that? If you do NOT, get a small 10 hour a week job ASAP, and hope to work 40 hours a week this summer…even if it’s at two or three different jobs.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider the other options for college…posted upstream. You may not have the resources to attend full time right now.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>What else do you want to know?</p>

42

<p>I will type very slowly so that you will understand what every one is trying to tell you.</p>

<p>The Direct cost for OP to attend Stony brook as a NYS resident is 19, 358 </p>

<p>The direct costs are what you need to pay or have covered by financial aid in order to attend class, live in the dorms and eat in the dining hall</p>

<p>As a NYS resident with a 0 EFC you would be eligible for the following</p>

<p>Pell 5645
TAP $5000
Direct loan $5500</p>

<p>total of $16, 145 leaving a gap of $3213</p>

<p>You will have to pay/beg/borrow this money just to move in and attend classes.</p>

<p>There will also be additional fees expenses:</p>

<p>You will need books</p>

<p>Unless you plan on sleeping on the bare mattresses, you will need sheets, blankets, pillowcases and other things to set up your room
If your parents do not have sufficient health insurance, you will have to purchase the school’s policy (which is going to be mandatory in order for you to live on campus.</p>

<p>SUNY does not meet 100% demonstrated need, they gap (meaning that there is will give you less money than what you need). It is up to you to fill the gap. If you cannot fill the gap, you cannot attend.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Based on what you wrote regarding your SAT/GPA, it is unlikely that you are eligible for any merit scholarship aid from Stony Brook (they have no institutional need based aid to give). </p>

<p>**You will have to come up with the money. **</p>

<p>Unless you are EOP eligible, you may end up getting an extra 2k or book money (not both)</p>

<p>Did you look at the EOP tables:</p>

<p>Look at the tables.
Look for the line that says the number of people in your household
Look at the income. If your family’s income is less than what is on the EOP chart, then you are eligible for EOP. One of the challenges is because there are more people who are EOP eligible than there are spots for EOP, you must apply Early in the cycle. EOP is a 2 step process; you must be academically eligible and financially eligible.</p>

<p>One of the challenges that you will have is that your SAT scores will be too high to be admitted through EOP.</p>

<p>Wherever you are looking to apply you need to get started. Many of the SUNY schools now only take the SOAR )which means you submit your transcript on line.</p>

<p>Go see your counselor tomorrow, get a copy of your transcript (not the permanent record version) and assistance on how to do the SUNY SOAR in the event, you don’t know how.</p>

<p>If you are EOP eligible, then you are HEOP eligible. Start this process, yesterday because most of the application deadlines are 12/31 when your school is on winter break.</p>

<p>Make sure that you apply to CUNY. Pay the $65 and apply to 6 schools (highly unlikely at this late date that you will get a fee waiver, because CUNY only gives ~ 10 per school and they have been given out).</p>

<p>I would recommend searching some of the threads by ilmelonred, who was in a similar situation last year.</p>

43

<p>Adding…I read elsewhere on this forum that there are actually a number of FOUR year CUNY colleges where your TAP, Pell and Direct Loan would cover the tuition/fees/books…if you can commute to one or more of those, they would be affordable.</p>

<p>Are you even looking at the CUNY schools within commuting distance?</p>

44

<p>If Op has a 0 EFC, TAP and Pell will cover the cost of tuition and books with money left over. IF OP lives in NYC, every CUNY school is within commuting distance as they are located in the 5 boros.</p>

45

<p>Thumper, there are a number of 4-year CUNY schools (Lehman, Brooklyn, Queens, Hunter, City, Baruch, etc) and they are all cheap for NY state residents. A commuting student with a 0 EFC would go for free.</p>

46

<p>There you go, OP. there are a number of four year colleges within commuting distance of your home in NYC…where you would have no out of pocket costs with a $0 EFC.</p>

47

<p>Thumper, you are right-- low-income, high-scoring NYC students do have options and this student needs to do this to have a safety-- but the OP really needs to read and reread Sybbie’s posts. Sybbie is also recommending this student look at HEOP-- which is at private colleges in NY. The opportunity programs give the students extra financial aid and extra support (tutoring, summer program) AND, in the case of city kids, gives them a chance to live in a dorm and get out of the city. (I know that sounds like a small thing but, depending on their home life and background, that alone can be huge.) Yes, the odds are long but for those who are chosen, it’s an excellent opportunity. </p>

<p>OP, please listen to Sybbie: you need to go see your guidance counselor and you need to start your applications. Please also ask what SUNYs may be a better match than Stony Brook which looks to be a reach.</p>

48

<p>The OP has “moved on” from this thread. He now has a chances thread for the following colleges:</p>

<p>University of Illinois (UC)
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts
Ohio State
Rutgers
University of NC-Chapel Hill</p>

<p>And Stonybrook.</p>

<p>So OP…if you happen to be reading this thread…how exactly do you plan to pay the costs of attending the above listed OOS Public Universities…none of which offer guaranteed merit aid. The only one that meets full need is UNC-CH which is a reach for you.</p>

<p>The above schools will cost between $40,000 and $60,000 PER YEAR. Your Pell Grant and Direct loan of $12,000 is a drop in the bucket for these costs.</p>

<p>You have TWO issues…finding an affordable option and getting accepted there.</p>

<p>I don’t see ANY of the above options being a slam dunk for you in either regard.</p>

<p>Who is helping you formulate your application lists?</p>

49

<p>All I have to say is that someone who doesn’t understand what “guaranteeing to meet full need” means after numerous explanations definitely wouldn’t understand OOS costs either, which further supports why they should stick to SUNYs and CUNYs.</p>

50

<p>I guess there’s always a chance that the OP’s family has come into some money in form of scholarships or other outside aid since this thread was posted a while ago. i wouldn’t assume that the OP is wrong to even consider other options besides the almighty SUNYs/CUNYs of NEW york!!!</p>

51

<p>This thread was posted FOUR days ago. That is NOT “a while ago”. It is very recent. What are you talking about?</p>

52

<p>I think there’s the chance that the OP is a 17/18 year-old kid who’s got his head in the clouds. It happens to everyone at times, this desire to want bigger and better things, but usually there’s someone there to ground us and show us our realities. I think the problem here is that we’re clearly seeing the OP not understanding what everyone is telling him and not taking the financial advice to heart. </p>

<p>OP, if you’re still reading this thread, please show everyone’s financial advice to your parents and have them go through everything with you. You need to have at least a few safeties, which are colleges you know you can get into and can afford. Your list does not have any, and like sybbie said, there are lots of opportunities for you to go to school pretty much free in NY. You’ve gotta both dream and plan according to your situation. I know it may seem unfair, but c’est la vie, I’m afraid. Please be cautious about everything.</p>

53

<p>@harvestmoon</p>

<p>Dude can you be any more pretentious? Honestly. Jesus Christ</p>

54

<p>Perhaps you have already found the information you sought, but as you may feel the need to ask a question in the future, you might want to leave with a favorable impression, not one that emphasizes how young & rude you are.
;)</p>

55

<p>Is the OP seriously that clueless (not bashing, just wow). I’m a mom of a junior, and she doesn’t quite get all of this applying for financial aid either, but she will by the time she’s a senior. I’m happy to do the legwork (more money I come up with, the less money I will pay). Also see nothing pretentious about harvestmoon’s reply. My D is fully expecting to have to get a JOB. Unless she can hustle up some scholarship money in the next year and a half. You’ll need to get a job to cover the unmet need (which you won’t know until you apply and the school tells you how much that will be.)</p>

56

<ol>
<li><p>I am grateful for the people that did help me and I do understand all the information given to me. </p></li>
<li><p>I didn’t ask you guys to go through my post history and ridicule me for colleges that I was testing the waters with. Maybe I found a way to pay for them or maybe I just wanted to see what my chances are for some certain Universities. Nowhere did I say I was applying there. </p></li>
<li><p>So poster calling me stupid and dumb, telling me my heads are in the clouds, and telling me that I belong in a SUNY because apparently I’m so stupid and SUNYs are apparently only for the lowest of the low are super OK and encouraged?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Honestly how are the following not hateful/pretentious</p>

<p>“All I have to say is that someone who doesn’t understand what “guaranteeing to meet full need” means after numerous explanations definitely wouldn’t understand OOS costs either, which further supports why they should stick to SUNYs and CUNYs.”</p>

<p>“I think there’s the chance that the OP is a 17/18 year-old kid who’s got his head in the clouds.”</p>

<p>“we’re clearly seeing the OP not understanding what everyone is telling him”</p>

<p>" I know it may seem unfair, but c’est la vie, I’m afraid."</p>

<p>Wow please tell me more about your infinite knowledge and wisdom because you apparently know everything and have all the answers. I apologize for being in the same thread as you for I am clearly unworthy</p>

<p>wow hur durr im such a ■■■■■■ for asking some questions sorry guys can u explain it all again becuz i dont understand nothing</p>

57

<p>CMgrayson, yes, your student will know if you or someone else tells her how this works. A lot of parents start out with, “we’ll manage somehow”. Or, “you get accepted, we’ll work it out”, or “whatever you want, where you want, just get in”. Then they see the bill, and it’s a whole other story. </p>

<p>OP, very few schools meet full need for all of their students. Here in NY, most of the state schools will meet full need for tuition and fees. The rest is up in the air. They do not guarantee to meet full need and don’t. I suggest applying to some local state schools, some schools where your stats put you in the top 5-10% of the students (particularly test scores). SUNY Buffalo has some merit money they might give to you and perhaps some fin aid too. </p>

<p>It’s very difficult to get full need met, or even close to it as an OOSer at other publics which seems to be what your list includes. Add some other schools, some privates that have generous fin aid. Albright in PA is one, Wash Lee has some funds for families with need. Look at some Catholic schools too.</p>

58

<p>OP, but several people told you that you wouldn’t get full need met at Stonybrook. But you kept asking the same questions, I was baffled quite frankly. Don’t get all offended when folks tell you the truth. Either that or do your own research (call the college yourself?)</p>

<p>I was very frank up front about what I could pay for, cpt, but we talk about money anyway. She knows about how much I can kick in (about $8,000 per year). She has agreed to go to whatever college we can afford that has some of her preferred items (she’s a golfer and needs a pre med/pre physical therapy/biology). She doesn’t want to go to CC. There are still a TON of colleges that are A. affordable and B. she can get into and C. she might score some financial aid.</p>

59

<p>I asked because you guys kept saying that Stony Brook does not GUARANTEE to meet full need. Nothing in this world is GUARANTEED. I just wanted to know EXACTLY what was meant by not GUARANTEED. I asked like 2 times I have no idea why you guys made such a huge deal out of it.</p>

60

<p>I understand that, some schools don’t guarantee to do it for everyone but do it for some students who they want badly. I am not sure where Stonybrook is on that but if it is like my state’s publics, the only need based aid it offers is federal/state money - anything else comes in the form of merit aid which may or may not happen to meet need for a particular student.</p>

<p>I think what most posters are saying is that since you can’t count on it, it’s best to have backups.</p>