I need helping understanding my Financial aid reward. I'm doing this alone.

From what I’m reading I think I would most likely be safe from those cuts. For one my EFC is zero and my father makes barely $25k/yr from social security, I don’t even think it’s that much I’m not exactly sure. But also it did say it wouldn’t cut most costs immediately so that probably means my 3 years after that bill passes (if it does) will probably be safe, because the government works slower than molasses.

I think your best bet is to cal the college, but I believe that they are giving you the 7500 and the grants would also not need to be repaid. (So an additional $6800) so you would actually be borrowing the loans of $5500 for the year to be repaid and you could also work for $2000 in a work study. The work program offers incentives to on campus employers to hire students, so you would have priority to get a job oversomeone not in a work/study option. You might try calling to see if they would increase your scholarship a bit. Good luck!

2017-2018 Financial Aid
Source

University Scholarship $23,500
CWRU Grant $21,000
Federal Pell Grant $5,920
Federal SEOG (Grant) $1,800
Ohio College Opp Grant $2,832
Fed Work-Study Program $2,500
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan $2,000
Federal Direct Subsidized Loan $3,500
Total $63,052
------What they gave me.
2017-2018 Expenses
Billable Expenses
Tuition and Fees $48,040
Housing and Meals $14,784
Additional Expenses*
Books and Supplies $1,200
Transportation $200
Personal Expenses $1,350
Total $65,574
*These figures represent estimates of expenses.

2017-2018 Direct PLUS Eligibility
Federal Direct PLUS Loan $2,522
---- Actual costs

@Macmo1 That’s the exact numbers from Case Western. I also have another question. Since those are estimates on my additional expenses, couldn’t I live off of like half of those personal expenses and stuff, or should I just actually take a loan out for what they recommend?

You will be billed about $62,824 for tuition, fees, room and board (don’t be surprised if it is a little higher next year; things change). Your account will be credited $55052 in grants/scholarships. You will need $7772 to pay the school, and your loan of $5500 will leave you $2272 to pay TO THE SCHOOL. You’ll also need some money to live on - to get to and from school, to buy toiletries and supplies and OTC meds and new clothes when you need them. You’ll also need to buy books. Will all those things cost $2700 as they estimate? That you control. That is not an unusual amount. You can save a little by not spending, not traveling much, but you’ll need to buy books and a few necessities.

Don’t consider the work study in your calculations. You have to work for that money, and you can spend it as you earn it on the necessities.

If your parent/sister has the $2272 to pay the school (half in Aug, half in Jan) you won’t have to borrow anything and can use your workstudy/summer earnings to pay expenses, to get started with your books. If not, you’ll have to figure it out.

This is really a very good package. Very rarely do schools award aid that doesn’t expect the student or family to come up with something to pay toward the bill.

@twoinanddone Yeah, I figured that the actual school bill and stuff I can pay myself. Just take out max loans + work-study and pay it off. But I’ll probably end up taking some money from my sister for books and other living expenses.

Yes, it is quite generous.
Only about $2,000 of direct costs to cover after loans.

Now compare all your offers side by side. Add up tuition, fees, room and board. Subtract only scholarships and grants.

That will leave the direct cost net price.
That can be covered with $5,500 loan, summer work and maybe sister’s help.

Work study and some of your summer earnings can cover books, travel and incidentals.

You won’t HAVE the work study money at the beginning of the semester. You’ll need at least $1000 from the summer, probably more like $2000 to cover books, move in expenses, necessities until you get your work study job and first paycheck.

This is a fantastic package! You are only required to take the student federal loans!

If your sister will lend you the small amount you will owe plus books, this is a great result!

This is a terrific package. What is called a “full ride”: they cover tuition, room, and board for you.
You DO NOT have to accept the Parent PLUS loan. On the financial aid form, simply don’t check “accept” in front of that, and accept everything else.
In Housing, select the cheapest meal plan (“Classic 17” = 2 meals a day + 3 breakfasts+ some money to get stuff off Case vendors when the cafeteria’s closed - you’ll have plenty to eat like that) that saves $200 per semester. Use the $200 saved for move in expenses.
BTW, bring stuff from home: desk lamp, sheets, towels, rug. Limit your move in purchases to what you really need plus one nice item (like a notebook emblazoned with the Case logo, plus a pen with the Case logo as a present for your sister).
You can earn money to cover the PLUS loan amount - do you have a job? Can you find a job right now and save money? You’ll need about $1,000 to give the school by the end of July, do you think you can earn that between now and then? Can you earn more than that and set it aside?
Your sister’s money for books will help for the first semester. For second semester, do your work study hours and save the money (+ perhaps work a few hours during winter break, if that’s possible. Acquiring tech skills can lead to better-paid jobs, too).

sorry to nit-pick since this is a very good package. But it is NOT a full-ride … your net price is about 10.5k (they packaged loans and ws. That is not free money, you’ll have to pay it back or earn it by working.) Be sure to compare this offer side-by-side with your other schools. download a spreadsheet to help compare your awards.

Thanks for all the advice. But why would I need to have $1-2000 at the start of the semester? I don’t currently have a job but I did apply for a job at the McDonalds down the street where my friend works, hopefully, I’ll work there over the summer. I’m good at saving last time I had a job about 90% of my paychecks went straight to my savings, rest for food and fun every now and then, I have about $300 saved atm trying to have at least $1500

@twoinanddone correctly calculated that tuition, fees, room and board will be about $62,000 and the grants and scholarships total about $55,000

That leaves about $7,000 that the school is charging. Your loan of $5,500 can pay for some of that.

They will apply $2,750 to each semester, so left would be about $2,000 for the year that still needs to be covered, so the school will send a bill to you for about $1,000 a semester.

If you work part time now and in the summer, you can earn some money to contribute to your bill, your fall semester books (rent if you can), your travel costs and supplies.

If you get a work study job at school, you can work around 10 hrs a week and earn your spending money for during the semester, work study award won’t be paid up front like your grants and scholarship, it is earned as you work.

You are going to get a bill for about $31000 in the summer (usually due right when school starts but some schools have a later due date) and your grants will cover about $27500, so you’ll need $3500. If you take out the Stafford loan, you’ll get $2725 (there is an origination fee of 1%), so you’ll need to pay the school $775. Some schools will work with you but really, it is best just to pay everything you owe (there can be a cost for the payment plan, and with such a small amount due, it might not be worth the fee).

You don’t want to be at school and have no cash. You want to be able to go out with your new friends for pizza or go bowling or spend $15 for something. My daughter didn’t get a job last semester and she had NO money, and it wasn’t much fun for her. She won’t make that mistake next fall.

@twoinanddone thanks for all the advice!

Also, someone told me Walmart pays better than McDonald’s, and Wegman 's too. I don’t know if there’s one within accessible distance for you but it may be worth investigating.

@MYOS1634 dude i’ve tried so hard to get a job at walmart before they never even answer back lol

:frowning:
Can anybody review your resume for you? Like the UDayton career center if you’re dual enrolled there or wherever you might be dual enrolled?

@MYOS1634 I made my resume with the resume person at my school, I know it’s not that. I really don’t know why because when I went in and they said apply online. So I apply online then they never respond lol

Hmm… Could it be your address, like, if your neighborhood has a shady reputation?

…What if you put a friend’s or trusted adult’s address as your 'temporary address '? You could ask a friend and try it.