I am kicking myself for not finding out about it sooner. I royally screwed myself there
Ask your parents if they can contribute anything. Once you have scores and a more definitive GPA you can investigate possible merit. Hopefully your parents will help fill out the FAFSA.
It appears as though there are no schools within commuting distance. Do you have any family members such as grandparents who live close to a school?
My aunt does live in SE Wisconsin, that could be a possibility
Can you possibly live with your aunt, work, and attend classes part time?
In Ohio school district superintendents can over ride missed deadlines. You should check to see if there is any way you can sign up for the next session of classes or if summer session is possible.
Make sure you are aware of different deadlines for the program, your high school may have one to let them know you want to do it, but the colleges usually have their own deadlines for applications that are weeks if not months before classes start.
Even if you’ve missed the deadline and can’t get an over ride for becoming a participant this year, it may not be too early to figure out the college application process to be a dual enrolled student at the college. Often the college requires an ACT or SAT score, but some offer to give a free placement test instead to qualify for admission. You need to understand the process (and any minimum scores you may need) so you can take advantage of it as soon as possible.
living with my aunt Is kinda my last resort, but It could be a chance I have to take, since SE Wisconsin offers a lot more jobs than here
You are NOT a resident of Wisconsin…and you will be paying OOS costs to attend a public university or community college in Wisconsin.
Do you have any relatives in Michigan who live closer to a public college…who might let you live with them for a small amount of money…or maybe in exchange for doing some chores? That way…you would be paying instate tuition costs.
I’m in relatively the same boat as you @yooperguy87 my parents make around 65k/yr and we just lost my mom’s part time income. My sister lives at home and commutes to a state college campus around 30-40 minutes away, and has to pay the EFC from the FAFSA (aka anything not covered by her package) by herself. My parents only do the FAFSA, and they never planned on helping my sister, and certainly don’t plan on helping me. She had to take out as many loans as she could, and she just lost her part time job because the place where she worked closed down (same place my mom worked).
My plan is to get a lot of merit wherever I apply (I already have some really good scholarships that I’ve received), be an RA as many years as I can to get free/reduced room and board, get a part time job when I’m home during the summers, and possibly work during the school year if I have to.
Apply to lots of outside scholarships, if you can. There’s a lot of competition usually, but every penny counts, and you never know if you’ll get it until you apply! Good luck to you!
Thumper is right- I just realized that you live in Michigan and not Wisconsin. I have the same question- any relatives in Michigan who live close to a public college?
He or she would be out of state in Wisconsin which costs a lot more. OP think really hard about getting a good job next summer and summer after graduation. You should start looking in December. My son directly deposited his paychecks and did not spend any earnings. He had $7000 when he started freshman year. You can borrow $5500 freshman year. You can also get an on campus job. You also have time to question your guidance counselor about which schools in your state give scholarships. My son goes to a public university but several private schools were sending junk mail promising huge tuition scholarships. One girl he went to high school got full tuition to a small college with her B+ average. You should work hard on your SAT score and do the very best you can. You are very wise to think about this ahead of time and I think you are probably the type to succeed.
Thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately, no relatives near a college in MI, I’m gonna have to think of other ways
@yooperguy87 Are you taking any AP classes?
Earning $78k a year is not the main problem, it is how long your family has been in that income and how your parents manage money more critical factors. I know families making less than that and can support their children’s education. Talk to your parents and run the NPCs od colleges to see how much you can afford.
You can go to school by taking online classes at a reputable low cost school. Perhaps your CC system offers online courses.
When you stated your parents earning…did you mean per month…or per week,??
This is not low-income at all, my parents make less that $40k a year in the very expensive city of Los Angeles. Both Immigrants, Both lack HS education. Don’t say you are poor because you are in a poor neighborhood.
@yooperguy87 : about 78K with medical bills would qualify you for a near full ride at many top schools and coming from the Upper Peninsula would definitely be considered geographic diversity (applications to top schools from that area aren’t that common).However you’ll need to increase your grades junior year, have a rigorous curriculum and top test scores, and have strong EC’s (a job 20 hours a week, regional recognition in a sport or musical instrument or debate…)
You need to target 1° public universities in Michigan and 2° private universities that meet “full need” and are holistic (thus can take your circumstance into account, including the medical bills).
I agree that commuting in that area of the country is too dangerous from November to April, so your only chance is to start working very very hard on the PSAT then the SAT. You need to work every day and systematically: most scholarships want high test scores; the tests are standardized, meaning they always have the exact same format and cover the same basic content, so recognizing patterns is essential and that comes from practice. Think of it as you would think of training for a championship in your favorite sport: every day, systematically, going over problems and practicing them till everything goes smoothly.
You need to plan and take the SAT or ACT this Spring, this summer, and next Fall, then apply to all Michigan universities (UMichigan*, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, Oakland, Grand Valley… plus perhaps Kalamazoo, maybe Albion or Alma, but while Kalamazoo is pretty good at meeting need for most students it admits, Albion and Alma aren’t… ) hoping to score a sufficient scholarship. A strong test score will make it more likely you’ll get the scholarships you need.
Does your school have access to an online public school or virtual school? In the Upper Peninsula those are popular and generally free of charge. It’s likely not too late to enroll in an online class.
What classes are you currently taking?
With an idea of your course rigor we can better suggest colleges.
What percentage students go to college from your high school?
Do you know your EFC?
Can your parents set aside even $100 a month for you?
Read this website extensively as there are lots and lots of good advice.
- you get a boost for coming from the UP
@romanigypsyeyes : any advice?
This is so weird that I only get like half of my mentions. I only clicked here because of the OP’s name.
Sorry, OP, but you’re not anywhere near low income for the UP. It might feel that way because of the medical bills but your FAFSA EFC won’t reflect this unless you can get a professional judgment. The UP is tough though because no schools are within commuting distance for the most part especially with the brutal UP winters.
OP- look into Tech, EMU, WMU, GVSU, and OU to start. You can probably get into MSU but you won’t get a penny of merit aid and likely zero in need based aid as well. U of M will give you need-based but it is a pretty big stretch to get in- even being from the UP. Definitely apply though especially if you can get tippy top test scores.
I don’t know as much about NMU but that would be a logical choice too- definitely easier and cheaper during breaks and whatnot.
What do you want to major in? (Did I miss it?) What kind of college do you want? Would you consider a private like Kzoo?
Another idea is to take CLEP exams. CLEP credits can take the place of general education requirements at four year colleges. They can save you a lot of money. Go to the College Board website for more info.
Here is a good school in Upper Peninsula that offers some courses online and also has dual enrollment http://www.mtu.edu/online/undergraduate/cost/
You should take a look at the Midwestern Student Exchange program: http://msep.mhec.org
There are some good deals there, from $6,000 tuition at Univ of MN-Duluth to University of Kansas (a really great school) at $13.8K in tuition.
You could cover UMN-Duluth tuition with a Federal loan, but you or your family would still need to cover $7K+ a year in room and board. Can they help at all? You will need to start working and saving now if you plan to go away for college.
You may find your best options are still in-state but this gives you some others to look at. Good luck