I’m new here, sorry if I’ve made any mistakes. I will attempt to keep this short.
I have no idea if this makes ANY difference, but my family has been receiving social security survivors benefits for 8 years (roughly 53k annually), they’ll officially end next June when I graduate. My mom has not had to pay taxes for about 6 of those years, because of the nature of the income. This year she did file (due to moving to new house), and got about a $2500 refund. I don’t know what I should do it terms of filing for the fafsa? It is favorable to use this year’s tax data? Are you even able to use last year’s data? Does need aid get affected if the income is through SS?
I am just nervous that I won’t get financial aid, and I will need it. I have about 10k in a fund for college, but that’s nothing these days. Mom can afford about 2k each year. When I do enter college, mom’s income will be at poverty level due to her making minimum wage, so could that help with my future years in college for aid? She also earned an associates degree, so I would be a first generation college student right?
I really just can’t afford college, but I am going to be majoring in engineering, so I will have coops to rely on to cut back debt. I can get some merit scholarships, I have a 4.16 weighted GPA with 28 ACT, will be retaking that. I think it’s 3.97 unweighted.
Thank you for reading this. My mom refuses to help me with this stuff, it’s all on me. I had to beg just to get a feel at where I am concerning money for college. I just need a guiding figure as to what I should be worried about. I can take a how-to sessions on applying to college, but they are during late fall, after the deadlines for priority scholarships close. I can try to give other information if needed.
Your 2017-2018 FAFSA will use the tax return information from 2015. FAFSA is moving to prior prior year tax returns for FAFSA.
I woild very strongly suggest you retake the ACT and/or take the SAT. With a higher score on those standardized tests, you will stand a better chance for acceptance to more competitive and generous with aid schools…or eligibility for significant merit aid.
Thank you for the reply! And at one school I would already have the maximum aid of 6k per year with my stats right now. Thing is, even with a little higher score, I would still be forking a lot every semester. No one that I know of will give full rides in Ohio. That’s what I really need. Sure, the more expensive schools will give more aid with a higher score, but I’m still paying a lot. Again, thank you!
If you have a very low EFC per FAFSA, you might get a Pell Grant, and the Direct Loan. These will pay for tuition costs at any number of community colleges. Are there any from which you can commute?
With a 28 ACT score you are not going to find a free ride…but you will get significantly better merit aid with higher ACT scores.
You have a 28 on your ACT and you are a go getter and eager to make this work. Sit down with your REAL ACT Red book and prep steadily for the next ACT. I really think you could get your ACT to at least a 32 with some diligent self-study. Do you think you could do two hours per day about four days per week? You would have so many more options if you got your ACT up a bit!
Even if your mom did not have to file taxes in previous years because her work income was low, if she had federal tax withheld or might qualify for Earned income credit, she might want to see if she could file and get a refund.
Sure, that’s a reasonable explanation for why OP’s mom had to file a tax return and got a refund, but OP said that the requirement for filing a return was “due to moving to new house,” which is a head scratcher. I had the same question that Madison85 did.
**FYI: Lots of colleges require you to fill out the FAFSA regardless, because this is how they make their financial aid package for you! You may get more than what you think. Pell Grants will help out to, and it wouldn’t hurt to take out a federal student Stafford loan (its in YOUR name, and its a way to start building up credit for future, bigger purchases!). Just don’t take out a Parent PLUS loan if they offer it (It falls onto your parents).
Honestly, OP should be focusing on what the posters above have recommended: raising that test score. A score of 30 or, ideally, 32+ would yield much better merit options.
Outside scholarships are typically for high-stats kids with significant hooks and immense community service. The same exact kids tend to win all the big ones: I met several other Coke scholars who also won Jack Kent Cooke, Horatio Alger, Gates, GE-Reagan, etc.
To be a big winner in the outside scholarship scene, you need to be one of those kids. You need a very specific profile. Otherwise, you will not be winning huge amounts. Maybe enough to pay for books, or maybe even room and board, but not a full ride. So I can’t agree that focusing on outside scholarships is a good use of OPs time and effort – it’s just not.
Ok…your mom has a lot on her hands right now. Sounds like the payments are ending because you’re turning 18. Are you a twin? Are there younger kids in the home?
Sounds like a lot of payment for just one surviving child and parent. $50k+ on untaxable payments is probably like earning $60k+…so this is a huge loss for your mom.
Anyway…if all $50k+ is now disappearing and your mom is going to have to rely on minimum wages, then she’s overwhelmed with that so proceed with a plan that will work FOR YOU that will NOT burden your mom.
You need to practice the ACT and also take the SAT to get the best scores possible.
What is your home state?
What is your major and career goal?
Being First Gen is rather meaningless. A ton of kids are First Gen…so many that it doesn’t result in more money or really much of anything.
Okay, thank you all for the replies. I am not sure how this works, but I will just reply using “@”. @thumper1, yes, I will be going full time this upcoming year to my local CC. Ohio will pay for the credits with the CCP program, or dual enrollment while I am in high school. I am wary going to CC then transferring just because it is very difficult to do co ops this way. It may also take even longer transferring, because of the fact that my CC is limited with engineering related courses.
@carachel2. Yes, I studied extensively in January for the Feb test. I will be studying in July and August for the September test. I am driven, I have no issues studying. Thank you for your reply.
@Madison85, @mommdc, @BelknapPoint: I too am unsure as to why she filed. She also purchased a new car too, and did a lot of donating goods and stuff that you can use as a write off. It is very hard talking to her, I wish I hard more info for you! And I hope I can clear up the misunderstanding for the job part you were guessing. She does not work at all, hasn’t worked since about 2005. She was a stay at home mom when dad died. We have just been living off the benefits these years.
@CourtneyThurston Thank you, this is the advice I need. I honestly wish I could be more active in the community and such. It is difficult to find those opportunities those kids had to get the scholarships.I have about 30 hours from 3 years in high school, but nothing outstanding. It is very expensive to get involved at my school, whether non sports clubs or sports. For reference, football costs about $1500, funded fully by students. My district is poor, no volunteering clubs or anything worthwhile on an application. There are also very little scholarships from my high school. I know these sound like excuses, but it just is hard. Many volunteering places have gotten burned by letting hs kids in, and have made it 18+ only volunteering. Churches are surprisingly discouraging to volunteers, too. Soup kitchens and homeless shelters need lots of requirements and tests to be done before letting you volunteer.