Looking for advice or reality check

Parents Forum
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<p>Welcome to the parents forum of the CC.</p>

<p>it's not easy having to go through this as a single parent. But you should definitley look at all of your options. look for a good mix of reach match saftey schools along with a good financial safety. Check out the financial aid policies of all schools you are looking into. </p>

<p>Do they meet 100% of your demonstrated need? (gapping can place you in a bad financial situation)</p>

<p>Is the demonstrated need met through the bulk of scholarship/grant aid or loans (schools can meet 100% of your demonstrated need while giving you all loans)</p>

<p>Look at the average amount of debt that a student graduates with.</p>

<p>Look at what you own State U programs offers as far as honors colleges,especially if you live in Michigan NC, MD, VA, TX some of few states which have excellent programs for their instate students. Also if you live in these states check out programs like Georgia Hope Scholars and Florida's Bright Futures which give beg merit money to the state U for high performig students .</p>

<p>Check to see if your state U has reciprocity agreements with public universities in other states. </p>

<p>Example:
(DC TAG) is available to students who are residents of Washington, DC, enrolled in participating colleges throughout the United States. The program pays the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition up to $10,000 per academic year, with an aggregate total of $50,000 per student. Eligible DC students who attend the University of Virginia may receive up to $10,000 per academic year. The amount of the DC TAG is not based on financial need. However, in some cases, other assistance students receive may be considered in determining the actual amount of the DC TAG award. </p>

<p>If father has been absent all of child's life and has not contributed, schools will ask you to will out a non-custodial waiver form. Different schools will ask for different things, schools that D applied to accepted letter from Guidance Counselor attesting to how long they have known child and parent and to their knowledge father has not been in the picture.</p>

<p>Other side of the coin, if you know where the father is or are getting a support order, then you should by all means use the courts to obtain an upward modifcation of your support order to include a contribution for college. many colleges operate from the stand point that both parents have a moral and social obligation to help provide for the college educations of their children. Father will be responsible for filling
out financial aid paperwork and income will be considered for college.
You can always write letters explaining your situation.</p>

<p>While you attending school willnot help your daughter's EFC, if you are still in school, your daughter attending college will impact your EFC.</p>

<p>Northstarom gave you some excellent advice about being willing to look into a second tier school where daughter will be at the top of the applicant pool and very desirable so she would be in an excellent position for merit money.</p>

<p>Start doing your research, because one thing I found to be absolutely true is if you think the cost of edcuation is expensive try the cost of ignorance. This stems from the fact that people are not vigilant in seeking all the information they can and making the most informed decision.</p>

<p>All the best</p>

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<p>Haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if I am repeating, but I thought it was important to note that private schools vary greatly in terms of how they deal with an absent or uncooperative parent The experiences noted above may or may not ring true at other schools. The only way to know for sure is to ask. </p>

<p>We knew a family where a psychologist recommended the child have no contact at all with the parent who had lots of assets, who wouldn't have paid in any case anyway. A letter detailing the problem from the health professional was sent to the first choice school and aid was given based on the custodial parent's income only. But other schools where the student applied did not handle it the same way and their aid would have been far less, as they insisted on considering the absent parent's income anyway. So ask!</p>

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<p>"We knew a family where a psychologist recommended the child have no contact at all with the parent who had lots of assets"</p>

<p>Just to get aid? That's very troubling, Wish. I would hope that parents would refrain from making life-impacting parenting decisions based around finanical aid or other financial relief.</p>

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<p>I just wanted to thank you for your reply to my post. I have been overwhelmed with the number of responses I have already received that have been full of information links, advice and such valuable information. This site is wonderful and my daughter and I look forward to learning much more from this site and finding the place that is right for her.
Tricia</p>

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<p>Momsdream, You've misunderstood, or perhaps I wasn't clear enough. This was not done to get aid!!!</p>

<p>After a very messy divorce caused in part by one parent's very inappropriate and risky behavior, the child, then a young teen, saw a psychologist. Among the psychologist's recommendations was that the child not have any more contact with the non-custodial parent. Years later, when it came time to apply to college, the custodial parent worried that the assets of the non-custodial parent would be considered, although that parent had been gone for a long time and would not have paid for college in any case. When the custodial parent discussed the situation with several finaid offices, most said they would have to consider the noncustodial parent's assets anyway. The first choice school however saw it differently and the student was indeed accepted by the first choice.</p>