Definitely fix the FAFSA. Whether your parents were together in 2015 is irrelevant. If they were separated when the FAFSA was filed, you only need to include your mother’s information, even if they filed a joint return in 2015.
Focus on Edinboro. Hopefully you will get in.
If you get a Pell grant and state grant your costs should be mostly covered, if you commute.
But at Clarion, with cheapest dorm and meal plan, and $11,000 tuition and fees, it will cost at least $22,000.
You will most likely still be several thousand short per year, even with the maximum loan.
And then when you graduate, you will have over $40,000 in student loans to pay back for 10 years.
You could be using that money for rent, or a car at that stage of your life.
Your top priority is to fix your FAFSA, and then find out admission decision from EU and withdraw from Clarion.
Well let’s hope that I get more aid, my mom did not really make a lot in 2015
The only additional aid you can get by fixing the FAFSA is a federal Pell grant of UP TO $5k/year. You can’t afford Clarion on the money you have, and I don’t see how you can afford it even if you do get a couple of thousand from Pell.
Clarion Cost: $22k/year
Grants:
State grant ($3k)
Unspecified Pell (maybe ~$5k)
Total: $3-8k/year
Loans:
Federal student loan ($5500)
Loan for being denied a PLUS loan ($4k)
Total: $9500/year
TOTAL: $12-17k/year
You’re $5-10k/year short with no additional resources, too many loans, and no financial safety net.
You can almost afford Edinboro (~$11k/year) on what you have now:
$3k state grant
$5500 federal student loan (the max you should borrow)
If you qualify for a Pell grant, that will pay the balance of the tuition at Edinboro and may be enough for books too. If you sent in an intent to register to Clarion, I’d formally withdraw.
Listen again. If your parents were already living apart and getting divorced, when you filed your FAFSA…you should ONLY have included your mom’s income info from 2015.
SO…how much did your MOM earn in 2015 that is what matters here.
I am saying fix your FAFSA if it is wrong because it’s always better to get more grants than take out loans, because grants don’t have to be paid back.
Even if it still means that you can’t afford Clarion.
If you get more grants then you need to borrow less money and then in four years you might only have a $100 a month loan payment instead of $400 or $500 a month.
What was the income you put on your FAFSA? If it was more than what your mom earned ALONE in 2015 then it is wrong.
Go to EU with the paperwork on Monday to see if they can help you.
Tell them you did it wrong and your mom is separated and show them her income from 2015 (she probably got a W2 form from her employer).
Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update, I went to clarion last week on Monday and got everything situated W2 wise and they were willing to accept the first fafsa i did which was her info only and was a efc of 101, we will see what happens next, wish me luck
Good luck!!
Good luck. Let us know if they offer more grant aid and you get the Pell.
@6ixx98 do you have any idea of your intended major? Just wondering…
thinking about marketing, pr and journalism or digital media marketing, really love doing stuff online and the music scene, i am sure i will find something that suits me, but even though i got stumped sometimes i want to thank everyone for helping, never thought i would get 90 replies on this!
Clarion and Edinboro are roughly equivalent academically speaking, you can attend either one without worry one is less than the other.
Hopefully you will hear back from both and have an affordable choice - fingers crossed!
@6ixx98 : any update?