In a Deep Hole I Cant Seem to Get Out of

Transfer Students
1

I’ve posted here a couple of times before but now it’s my senior year and its for a different reason.

I’ve been accepted to a college and I already committed as well but the aid that I have gotten is not enough for my mother. My father isn’t really trying to contribute to paying for college and my mother is doing this all by herself. I know that I need to work as hard as I can in the fall, so I can transfer to a college that gives way better aid.

I’m trying to figure out colleges that would be good to transfer to for a psychology major while also receiving good aid which is becoming an extremely daunting process; yeah money and academics are important but I would also like to find somewhere where I can fit in.
I’m also wondered about transferring after my first year.

2

Transfer students are at considerable disadvantage in getting financial aid or merit money. You would be better off taking a gap year and studying hoe to get as much money as possible in the college process and finding the least expensive college for you.

3

Yes, i agree that starting at a college you know you can’t afford is not a good choice.

Freshmen get the best merit aid. Once you lose your freshmen status, there is no way to land a huge scholarship.

Take a step back and ask more/different questions. Let us help you figure this out.

4

@powercropper I will not take a gap year. I want to complete all of my four years right after high school. If I apply somewhere like rice or a top college wouldn’t I get more aid since my mother earn less than 65,000 a year?

5

Most colleges that meet need expect your dad to provide information and pay as he is able. If he don’t fill out the paperwork, or if he will but won’t pay if he has enough income or assets that they think he should, then it wouldn’t matter if you get into a school that meets need

A gap year is better than debt that puts you in a financial hole for many years. If you really won’t consider a gap year, then attend community college for two years and then transferring. Or is there a 4 year within commuting distance of your home?

6

This doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t I get less aid transferring that way as well?

7

Where do you live? If by any chance you’re in NY you might qualify for the Excelsior Scholarship, which would pretty much cover tuition at a SUNY.

My suggestion is that, if none of your acceptances are affordable now and you don’t want to take the advice of a gap year, look at the list of schools that are still accepting applications and apply to an affordable safe school today.

8

In your other thread you have a 33 ACT and 3.8 GPA. Those are great stats. Is your father’s income still $12k? Was your mom able to get a job?

It doesn’t sound like your parents are in a position to help pay for college, but if you handle this wisely colleges might. @myos1634, might know where your stats are worth money.

If you start college at all after high school you’ll lose out on the opportunity to get grant money for your stats. Transfers may get a couple thousand dollars, but most don’t get anything substantial.

If you tell us what state you’re in and where you’ve applied we might be able to help.

9

Would it be better to just decline my acceptance and do internships, work and take cc classes during the year. Basically improving myself and then applying as a freshman to a better college that offers good aid. I already know that my high school transcript will still be evaluated.

10

Freshmen can get merit aid and/or the best financial aid.
Transfers get lousy aid if any at all, even at schools that meet need. There are few if any merit scholarships. Basically if you attend the unaffordable university you will have to transfer to whatever public university in your state is affordable.
CC transfers don’t get any more aid but at least CC is cheap in most states, especially if you can commute. You still lose for the last 2 years but at least the first 2-3 are affordable.
Your stats are worth a lot of money as a freshman and nothing at all financially-wise as a transfer. :frowning:

11

You will not likely get good merit money as a transfer. If you do not qualify for financial aid due to your father’s refusal to fill out info forms or if he has a business, or a wife , that can quash your financial aid at most of the schools that tend to meet full need. They tend to insist on info and contributions from both parents. UChicago and Vanderbilt are exceptions but no idea if their policies extend to transfers, and both schools highly selective anyways.

Really, your best bet is to do research on the schools out there and reapply next year as a freshman. Yes, work, do some directed projects, community service to enhance your resume. If you absolutely can’t stand the idea, then, yes, your current choice is where you should go. You may end up liking it just fine. A lot of kids do. Doubt you’ll find transfer options with money from there or anywhere, however. Not much money for transfers out there

12

If you give us more details we can help with better advice.

What is your home state?
Are you and your parents US citizens?
Which colleges did you apply to, and where did you get accepted?
Did you apply to Questbridge?
Are your mom and dad married to each other? Do they file taxes each year?
Did your parents help you filll out FAFSA?
What college did you commit to? And what is the aid they offered? How much in grants and how much in loans?
Is there any 4 year college within commuting distance?

There are many helpful posters that can advise you. Giving more details will get you more accurate advice.

13

If you decide to decline the acceptance, work for a year, and apply to different colleges for next year, don’t take any community college courses or you will have to apply as a transfer student and will lose your eligibility for large freshman merit scholarships.

14

transfer thing for money aspect scares me.

My d was offered full tuition at our state midwest college. She turned it down, chose an LAC, and transferred back after 3 semesters. This time - state college gave her NOTHING even though she had a good GPA.

kids transfer all the time for lots of reasons. but doing it in hopes of better financial aid (especially merit) just doesn’t happen easily.

15

Where did you apply, where accepted, and where planning to attend? Will your dad fill out the FA paperwork? Your stats are good, you might benefit from a gap year and a new application list, but we need more info.

16

What you WANT to do and what you might NEED to do are two different things. Your financial situation means you need to consider what you and your mother can afford. Your plan to transfer into a top university has no guarantee of happening. The chances of getting into a top 20 college by transferring are even lower than getting in as a freshman, so you can’t count on that happening. And even if it happens, there is no guarantee you will get the money you need.

Starting college with plans to transfer immediately will not get you off to the best start. If you are determined to get into top colleges, you need excellent prof recommendations. You get to know profs by spending time with them, participating in lectures, and getting great grades. Top colleges will expect you are involved on campus.

As others have said, taking CC classes rules out your chance of replying to colleges for freshman admission. You have good grades and test scores, and will probably be eligible for some good merit scholarships.

In your shoes, I would take a gap year. Work, volunteer, do things that interest you, and make a solid plan for financing college. Reapply this fall with merit scholarships in mind. Post her on CC in the search and selection forum for suitable colleges that may even give you a full ride for 2020.

Have you discussed all this with your mom? Are you aware that your father is expected to provide information in order for you to get financial aid from the college and/or government? If you can’t get him to cooperate, you need to take steps to address that too.

Many students focus on getting into college but don’t come up with an adequate plan to pay for it. Sadly, it’s expensive and there is no getting away from having to pay something, even if a student gets a full ride. There are expenses apart from college itself that need to be considered, such as transport, health insurance, laptops, books, backpacks, toiletries while at college, etc… It’s not part of your original plan, but people have to change plans all the time. Take a gap year and reapply. Good luck.

17

@confusedK You have a lot of good things going for you to qualify you for high merit from many colleges. Not sure what happened in your college application process to leave you without an affordable option. There are many helpful folks on this forum that can help you find an affordable college, if you are willing to give more details.

You could just need more guidance with college applications and essays, or you may have a complicated family situation (divorced parents? father with a business/farm/other unusual situation, parents refusing to file taxes or fill out required financial paperwork). You can type your info in a post, or if you have enough posts, you can Private Message another poster and communicate off line about your situation.

One option is to apply to colleges that are still accepting applications, but they may be out of the high merit aid awards. Worth checking into that option if you are determined to start school immediately. The other option is to find work now that will allow you to save up your money and reapply in the fall for August 2020 admissions.

You should be eligible for Questbridge, which is an incredible program to check out. Is there any 4 year college near your home? Saving the housing costs would cut your costs greatly.

There is great hope for you! Don’t despair, don’t settle for the short term. You have worked hard and have the stats to prove it. You have a good chance of finding a very affordable college. Let us help you.

18

Finances for colleges have certain rules. You can’t say “those rules aren’t fair” or “I don’t want to play by those rules” and still expect to afford a college.

Rules are;

  1. Parents are expected to pay the bulk of college costs
  2. Colleges don’t care if one parent doesn’t “feel LIke” paying
  3. But if they don’t make much money, according to the rules of college, then you can get some need based financial aid
  4. Colleges give the most merit financial aid to freshman…because merit attracts better students, better students have better SAT scores, which looks better for their Stats

So you have to figure out how to play within those rules. Some strategies:

  1. Find lower sticker price schools. Your instate public colleges are some of those. The SUNYs are not bad for OOS students.
  2. Go to a less “Prestigious” school where they would give you more merit
  3. Go to your CC and then State U. Ours has free tuition for CC students who were top 15% of their class and then they can get more scholarships when they transfer to the State U.
  4. Try to avoid student loans (above the $5500 federal loan) as much as possible. They cannot be discharged in bankruptcy . Parents must co-sign them (and have the credit score to allow that).

So you notice that start at higher price good school and transfer to cheaper school is not an effective strategy.

19

I have not researched the New Rice and JHU financial aid policies for students with family income below a certain threshold, but both schools have always insisted on Non Custodial Parent financial information, and includes that in assessing financial need. Unless you can get a NCP waiver, which is not easy to get, Profile schools tend to insist on that info. That your father has not, will not contribute doesn’t matter.

If you can take off the year, you can work on getting that waiver. You can also look for big merit money in case that you cannot get that waiver. The problem is that most all meri money disappears for transfers. Also, there is no guarantee that you will do really well at college and those grades become the main focus of transfer apps, not your test scores or high school grades and accomplishments. Do take the transfer disadvantage seriously. It is real., especially in terms of merit money. Most of it is for first year students. Not transfers.

You can check out the list of colleges that still have openings and have merit money still left and give them a go if any appeal to you. But, really transferring is lowering your chances for money regardless from what school.

20

How about University of Alabama - Huntsville? Though it is known more for STEM, it does have a psych. major. I think you can still apply and would be eligible for full tuition. If you take the $5500 Direct Loan, you would have around $5000 more to pay in direct expenses (room and board). Can you earn $3-4000 this summer? Can your mother contribute $3-4000 to cover the remainder of direct expenses, books, and some travel/personal expenses? You can also work part-time during the school year to cover any additional personal expenses.