<p>$80,000. And my parents are only saying they can afford about 10-12k per year and the rest will have to come from me whether it be in scholarships or loans. I know $80,000 is a little bit higher than what we could afford, but with my parents income I know they can clearly afford to send me to a private institution. My closest sibling in age is 5 years apart, and our house has doubled in price over the past 5 years, giving us a ton of equity. I'm not sure where all my parents money is going, but I know that they have enough to send me to school (my mom even bought a Mercedes recently). Any advice on what I could possibly do? </p>
<p>So far I've applied to about 15 scholarships, and have only gotten a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond. I am kind of hoping that I can get my parents to loosen up by taking them to visit up north to some of the schools I applied to. I would be fine with going to UF or Rollins, but I still really want to go up north to a better school.</p>
<p>First, even though your EFC is 80K you won't have to pay that - just what it costs for the school. If you go to a less expensive school it's easier to afford. There is always working a job (as many do). It's not easy to carve out a lot of money from living expenses. If you've been given the budget (10-12K) then you have to figure out how you'll make up the extra. If you stay in-state you can afford it (UF is only 16K).</p>
<p>I think maybe your parents are saying 10-12K is all they <em>want</em> to pay for your education on an annual basis. For whatever reason, they have decided that paying more is not a good value. </p>
<p>If UF has an instate COA of 16K, then that just amazingly means that their 11K plus your 5K in loans and earnings will pay the bill.</p>
<p>Even folks with EFC's of $80,000 can have exhorbitant debt. Maybe the OP's parents have significant debt that their income is devoted to...a second home, new expensive cars, vacations, even the home mortgage payments. Perhaps there is a consumer debt issue that the OP's parents don't wish to share with their student.</p>
<p>Yea, they never saved up for me and they are only saving up for my younger siblings starting about a year ago with Florida Prepaid (from which I understand sends them to a FL school also). I'm not sure how luxurious you could call our family, I mean it's not like we own a million dollar house or wear Lacoste and Ralph Lauren clothes all the time while eating caviar. My mom just got promoted which means my dad is quitting his job as they have to move as I go off to college. Our new house isn't going to cost anymore than our old one so we'll still have the same amount of equity (and the same amount of house debt to pay off, which I don't know where we are in that right now).</p>
<p>The only thing that confuses me was a couple years ago when we were going over this it seemed to make more sense. Both of my parents are involved in the home industry which has recently been tanking, and both my parents were worried about job security. But with my mom getting a recent promotion, being laid off seems pretty distant and I think she is making what both her and my dad made for the past couple years. We're really not going to be making more money with this job promotion because my dad will not be working a steady income anymore (well for the time being anyways) but my mom's job will be secure and my dad will be able to do some real estate on the side here (he already has his license). </p>
<p>I really have been considering UF and Rollins, and while I know they are really good schools, I just think that I have worked for so much more over my high school career. I'm still awaiting to see where I get in (Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Duke, Johns Hopkins) but I'm thinking that I'll at least get into a couple since I got deferred from Yale for SCEA. I do plan on working as much as time allows (summer job full time, part time during school year) but I'm not too sure how much that will get me, and I know it won't be anywhere close enough to make up the $33,000 difference my parents aren't planning on paying. </p>
<p>It would be hard to turn down UF's price tag (about 11K after Bright Futures) or a possible full ride from Rollins (I'm a finalist for one). There still is a glimmer of hope for me for going out of state, as my parents have said one thing and then done another plenty of times before (they said they weren't going to ever get me a car for awhile, then they said they would buy me a used one, then they ended up getting me a brand new Frontier), so I'm almost hoping they do that again. They say that it would be so good for me to go to a place like Rollins for free and graduate with no debt, but I don't see they money the WOULD HAVE spent on me elsewhere coming my way.</p>
<p>I really hate to talk about my parents like this too. They really have done a lot for me.</p>
<p>Well it says (I think, there are many different links) that you do not have to apply for finaid at JHU or at Duke to be considered for merit scholarships. So, you may get something there. Obviously the ivies do not give merit aid.</p>
<p>I went and checked if you had to apply for Fin. Aid at JHU or Duke to get merit scholarship consideration, but from what I could tell all applicants were considered whether they submit it or not. Maybe I missed something.</p>