<p>I just received an email from one of my girls (an ex-neighbor who is like a daughter to me) that her financial aid is going to be short about two thousand dollars a term. Apparently her father doesn't have good credit and can't get a loan. I'm in the process of selling my house and buying another and don't want to co-sign on a loan for her in the midst of the current mortgage crisis until after my house sells and I buy another house and secure my mortgage(if I need to get a mortgage :) ) I'd do almost anything for my girls. And I'm worried that her sister who has also started college this year may be in the same situtation. The first girl is at Paine College in Augusta, GA and says the campus is far from any thing so its unlikely that she'll be able to find work close by to cover what she's short by. Both girls come from a family in which none of their siblings even graduated from high school, let alone go to college. When they were in high school, they had little support from family for completing high school. So I'm not sure how much help either one will get from their extended family. I've been brainstorming with the one who I talk to more often, ways to save (used books, on-line books, maybe her family would be willing to do UPromise for them). But $4000 for the year is a lot of money for her to find at this point. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>Here is the fin aid area of the web site for Paine College...</p>
<p><a href="http://www.paine.edu/Financial+Aid/%5B/url%5D">http://www.paine.edu/Financial+Aid/</a></p>
<p>Now, here is something interesting for their web site...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your total financial aid, including loans and outside scholarships, cannot exceed your COA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So, is the child's tuition and housing covered and is she being billed for other things which surpass what the COA is to be comprised of?</p>
<p>I figure that your pal needs to go to the fin aid office and just see what she can work out. I refuse to believe that a HBU would not at least try to work with a young adult lady who is trying to earn her higher education. </p>
<p>And, then, maybe...go to an employment agency. Augusta is a medium sized city by deep south standards, and you never know what might happen at an employment agency. </p>
<p>Please guide the kid away from any weird-o car title loan or payday advance loan. </p>
<p>Lastly, maybe she can go part time? You never know unless you ask, really.</p>
<p>If the girl's parent was denied a PLUS loan, the student is automatically eligible for an additional Stafford loan. (Unsubsidized, I believe, and the dollar amount is based on her status- $3500 for freshman, $5500 I think for juniors & seniors.) A Stafford does not require a co-signer.</p>
<p>Try searching the forum, or have her ask her school financial aid office.</p>
<p>Perhaps another poster can offer more specific info, but I'd start looking along those lines.</p>
<p>Here's a link: <a href="http://finaid.org/loans/studentloan.phtml%5B/url%5D">http://finaid.org/loans/studentloan.phtml</a></p>
<p>I would caution the OP against cosigning a loan for a student that is not her child. Find another way to help this young lady.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone, we'll keep working on ways to help her - she sounded so stressed out by this new development. She tells me Paine is too far from Augusta and she doesn't have a car..but I'll talk with her a bit more. And thanks too for letting me know that she doesn't need a co-signer if her dad was turned down for a Plus Loan.
ses, I do consider this girl to be "my daughter" - she and her sister spent more time at our house than they did at their father's house since they were in the 3rd & 4th grade. I fed her and her sister, bought their school supplies, etc. If I'd co-sign for my son(but he doesn't need it), I'd co-sign for my girls. I'd give her the money if I had it.</p>
<p>does she have any additioanl expenses (computer for example) which the finaid people could use ot justify increasing her COA and perhaps her overall award?</p>
<p>I'll talk to her about additional expenses. And I'm now wondering if it was a parent Plus loan her dad was denied...at the end of her junior year in high school she & her sister fled their father's abuse and refused to go back. Child protective services was involved and the girls moved in with a "grandmother" and their "grandmother" received foster care payments - long after the fact I learned that the woman was not a blood relative but was married to their grandfather who didn't want the girls around, but the "grandmother" agreed to take them in.(Yes, there was way too much drama in their lives). I'm not sure how FAFSA (and I'm making an assumption here that Paine College is a FAFSA only school) would view her - is a child in the foster care system considered independent at age 18 in terms of finaid? The girls' birth mother has been in and out of prison & drug rehab for as along as I've known the girls. I'm realizing I need to get more details from her if I'm going to be able to help her, unless of course, I win the lottery and can afford to pay for part of their education. I do know that their "grandmother" has refused to help with college.</p>
<p>This is a link to a page on finaid that may possibly adress the situation. (it is mostly about when parents refuse to help but does discuss abuse situations towards the bottom of the page). It sounds like there is a possibility she may be able to get an overide that allows her to be considered independent. It sounds like a meeting with the financial aid office is the only way to find out for sure. Perhaps you could go with her to discuss the situation?
<a href="http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml%5B/url%5D">http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Some of the more common situations in which financial aid administrators may be willing to override the dependency determination include:</p>
<pre><code>* Parents incarcerated or presumed dead.
- Student was sexually or physically abused by the parents or can document a hostile or neglectful relationship with his/her parents. The student will need to provide copies of protection from abuse orders, court documents, social worker reports, doctor reports, police records, and letters from clergy, as appropriate.
[/quote]
</code></pre>
<p>oaklandmom- Child protective services regulations and guidelines would vary from state to state. I have personal knowlege of how it worked in Connecticut with one of my son's friends. In Connecticut, beyond 18, if the "child" was pursuing higher education (college or technical) and signed an agreement naming the state as ward, the state would cover cost of education if all the requirements were met and maintained. </p>
<p>(This kid was in foster care and got a full tuition talent scholarship to a private, nationally acclaimed conservatory level program based on his musical talent; the state covered virtually all his other costs... room, board, fees, etc. This was a private, not state, university.)</p>
<p>Your "girl" would have to check with child services in her state of residence. Not to get hopes up, but I'm going to assume she would have to have been a ward or under the supervision of the state's agency for this type of benefit to apply. It might be worth investigating.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, swimcatsmom! It sounds exactly like her situation. Physical abuse, court orders, and an incarcerated parent. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the help on CC. I'd written a letter early on for her for finaid. I'd wished I'd realized then that knowing about the neglect could have been helpful. I was so careful as I didn't want to reveal anything that would cause her embarassment. These two girls have been through so much, they both deserve a break from the truly horrid things that have happened to them. I just hoping that a solution can be found to the money issues. I wish she wasn't on the other side of the country so I could go in to the finaid office and help her out. For now, phones and email will do. I'm realizing I want to contact her sister asap as her sister is more likely to walk away from a difficult situation than come to me for help in spite of the number of times I've told them both, I'm here for them, no matter what happens.</p>
<p>thanks violadad, I'm not sure how the state would help - they were helping while she was here in California at a junior college, but she transfered to Paine College in Georgia. But it is something I can look into, maybe California has a program that would help her even though she's in Georgia for school. Both girls work hard and are delightful young women, but not academic stars. There family situation was such that it was more than enough to just survive, there was no time or energy for developing any talent. Their father is here in CA somewhere.</p>
<p>Bless you OM...you personify true love....I wish for great success for these girls!</p>
<p>oaklandmom- If you're not familiar with it, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is going to be a stumbling block if you try to speak with the institution regards specifics of this girls scenario. Even as a biological parent, FERPA will prevent you from getting any specific personal info about this girl's situation.</p>
<p>The girl, if she desires, can sign a release allowing you access to her information or parts of it (financial only, transcripts, etc.)</p>
<p>If you get stonewalled, the college staff is only acting to protect themselves and the institution within the federal regulations.</p>
<p>Your friend can probably access a FERPA release from the Paine website, execute it, and fax or deliver it to the appropriate office to speed the process if necessary.</p>