My income is about as low as can be - how much can I expect?

Paying for College
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<p>Alright a couple of financial aid questions.</p>

<p>I am coming from the poorest congressional district in America, just lovely eh? So as you can guess my parents don't have much money.</p>

<p>And by parents not having much money, I mean my single mother who lives on disability. </p>

<p>Now here is where my question comes in:</p>

<ol>
<li>My mom gets a check for her and for me. Total income is 15,000 a year. My check stops when I turn 18. So when I apply for the FAFSA form or whatever it is, is that info going to go on it, or will my financial be re-evaluated after I turn 18 and my check stops coming?</li>
</ol>

<p>Hope that made sense, I'm awful at explaining things .__.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My father is currently in court for child support. The case is still in the process but he has been ordered to pay 15 dollars a week until it is settled. He hasn't even been doing that. Whatever the outcome of that is, will the child support finances go on to determine my need based aid?</p></li>
<li><p>I'm looking at pricey schools. Very pricey schools. Such as Boston U, Northeastern, Marist, Syracuse. Total cost for these schools are 50 grand a year.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>As I said, my mom is disabled and is only getting 15 grand a year from the government. That won't even pay for my book fee <_<. If I do get into these schools, how much can I expect to receive in need based aid?</p>

<p>I think that covers it. Also, I am a first generation hispanic student. I guess what the topic and question really boils down to is this: Less than 15 grand a year is what my mom gets, and I want to go to Boston University. You do the math there >_></p>

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<p>Also, just to make sure:</p>

<p>I’ll be applying to Northeastern on early action. So I will know if I get into the school or not early. However, when will I know what they are giving me in need based aid? Will I get that decision in time to compare it to other colleges?</p>

<p>And regular decision schools like BU, Syracuse, etc. Will they send me my need based package along with the acceptance letter?</p>

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<p>Cobra, I don’t think need based aid is going to cover as much as you’d need. First, it sounds like you would be eligible for the automatic 0 EFC from FAFSA. That would qualify you for a full Pell grant ($5,350 this year) and likely a full state grant. I don’t know where you’re from but if you’re a NY resident the highest TAP award is around $5,000 per year. If you qualify academically, you might also receive an Academic Competitiveness Grant ($750 year 1, $1400 year 2). That’s all of the guaranteed grant money available from the government. You’ll also be offered Stafford, and probably Perkins, loans and federal work-study. Perkins loans are subsidized (you’re not charged interest while you’re in school) and up to $3500 of your Stafford loan will be subsidized as well. Stafford loans are capped at $5,500 for freshmen, plus an additional $4,000 if your mom applies for and is refused a PLUS loan.</p>

<p>I don’t know what the need based institutional grants are running for these schools, but none of them promise to meet full need. Also, while only your mom’s info is used for FAFSA, you’ll have to have both parents fill out the Profile for the schools that require it. If you’re from NY, you could apply under HEOP at SU or Marist which would provide additional funding and should get you close to a full ride - see links below. I know that SU and Northeastern also offer merit scholarships (the others might as well) and you can check their websites to see if you’d qualify. Whether you apply EA or RD, you’re likely to get all your financial aid packages in the Feb-April timeframe. Make sure you get all your Profile and FAFSA filings and verifications, if requested, done on time.</p>

<p>Here are a few links to help you - the first has alot of info about gov’t grants, loans, and the process in general. The last is a link to SU’s HEOP site.</p>

<p>[FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/)
[HEOP</a> Elegibility: Marist College](<a href=“http://www.marist.edu/academics/multicultural/heop/elegibility.html]HEOP”>http://www.marist.edu/academics/multicultural/heop/elegibility.html)
[Higher</a> Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)](<a href=“http://oss.syr.edu/heop.php#Fin%20Aid]Higher”>http://oss.syr.edu/heop.php#Fin%20Aid)</p>

<p>You should also find a school, probably an instate public university, that you know you’ll be able to afford through grants and loans. Imho, everyone needs a financial safety and you can always do the first 2 years at a public school and then apply as a transfer.</p>

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<p>i went to BU for my undergrad and am staying at BUSM. from personal experience (not my own but many of my friends), i think BU will meet most if not all of your need. first, if you have very high academics (which you haven’t posted yet), you could get a half-tuition scholarship. but even so, and u can check in the BU CC forum, students who have extremely high need, such as yourself, are extremely likely to have that need fully met. however, though most of that need would be met in grants, some may be met in work-study (~$2-3k) or loans (anywhere from $1-10k). also, though your room and board would get covered under aid, and your work-study (if awarded) would likely be able to pay for books and other miscellaneous things, be prepared that boston is an expensive city and that you’ll have friends who will invite you to do activities, like ice skating on the frog pond ($12) and then lunch afterwards (another $10), etc. absolutely apply to all those schools (as long as you can waive the app fee, which at BU i’m pretty sure you can) but also apply to in-state public schools like the poster above me suggested.</p>

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<p>Sadly I won’t be eligible for scholarships that schools offer. It’s not that I’m a bad student, just not good enough for scholarships. I have about an 88.5 average. My EC’s are amazing. But SAT’s kill me. I have a 1600. </p>

<p>I am from New York. </p>

<p>From what I understand about HEOP is that it is for kids who have lower than normal grades and such. With my stats that would mean:</p>

<p>I’m not good enough for a scholarship, and I’m too good for Heop… ._________.</p>

<p>Or am I okay for HEOP?</p>

<p>Looking at BU and Syrcause, about 50% have their full need met. Syrcause slightly better. However, I really have my heart set on BU or Northeastern. Northeastern’s financial info wasn’t posted on collegeboard.</p>

<p>And another question. If I go to a SUNY like New Paltz, can I stack things like the Pell and TAP grant? Or can I only have one? And can I have a grant in addition to need based aid?</p>

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<p>And another question: since I am eligbible for HEOP, does that mean I can look at slightly more competitive schools I would not get into? Random example:</p>

<p>I won’t get into NYU or Columbia. But if I go in as a HEOP student, does that give me a chance?</p>

<p>Or do I have this program all wrong?</p>

<p>Also, if there’s anybody with a similar financial situation or income, please do chime in. I would be interested to see on how much an income of 15,000 gets me.</p>

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<p>Well, cobra, my income is higher than yours (about $25,000) but I also have a single mom and an automatic 0 EFC. There are three options for low-income students: cheap public universities with lots of debt (since you could still get about $10,000 per year in loans), merit aid from lower schools (which could also result in a lot of debt), and need-based aid. With your statistics, I’m afraid you really aren’t going to qualify for schools that meet 100% of your calculated need with no loans included.</p>

<p>Boston University does have excellent financial aid, but there’s a glitch. Not only do they look at your financial need, they cross-check it with your academic achievements. Take a look at the following chart: </p>

<p>[Boston</a> University - Office of Financial Assistance - Applying for Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming.html]Boston”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming.html) (hit the link "Probability of Receiving University Scholarships and Need-Based Grants)</p>

<p>With your current statistics, you’re barely in the bottom tier. Let’s say you retake your SAT and score much higher, as well as bump up your SAT a point or two the first semester of your senior year. According to this chart, you might get $38,725 in grant money each year (I found this out by going to the last bracket, first column, and finding the fiftieth percentile). That sounds like a lot, but it leaves you at least $11,563 per year in loans ($46,252 overall). That’s not overwhelmingly bad - just bad - but there are definitely ways to minimize that debt. I know that going to a community college is unsavory so I’m not going to suggest that. State universities may also cost you a lot of money in loans. </p>

<p>I would definitely apply to BU. BU is very upfront about their financial aid policies (and pretty generous) and you could very well be rewarded. Definitely do not apply ED anywhere.</p>

<p>Remember that those students with 100% need met at Syracuse and Boston University are probably students with very little need, so that the percentage of students with full need met is actually bloated. Need can also be met with loans. BU might meet your full need by way of $50,000 per year in loans. That’s not something you want. Also know that the more desirable you are in terms of academics and ECs, the more money you are likely to get (since those schools will “want” you).</p>

<p>Many people on this board will tell you to graduate no more than $25,000 in debt (or whatever the full Stafford load is). I would say that given an out-of-pocket contribution is impossible, aim for less than $40,000. However, if you plan on going to grad school, definitely stick with that lower figure.</p>

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<p>Thanks, that post was very informative.</p>

<p>When it comes to grades and SAT’s, they are good but not great. My strongest point is my EC’s, which are impressive. And since I plan on going into Journalism, hopefully I can cook up a kick ass essay.</p>

<p>I’ll be trying to piece together all the scholarship money I can as well. One of my main goals is to get into Northeastern with a debt that’s not too high and then possibly pay off some of the debt while I am still in school via the co-op program. But that all depends once again on the packages I receive. </p>

<p>One of my main concerns is that there seems to be no such thing as a financial safety. For example:</p>

<p>New Paltz is 16,000 a year. BU is 50 grand. However, BU will give much more money. So I might end up having to pay 10 grand a year for each school.</p>

<p>Ahh, this is just a difficult thing in general.</p>

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<p>Hey, I can affirm that BU aid is pretty good. But maybe you can post your ECs, those might help you get a scholarship or perhaps into another school. You stated that they were very good, so that could help your case. Also, you should take into consideration that BU will have a very high cost in terms of city life and transportation. As someone said before, you might be excluded from some important activities. </p>

<p>Also - what program do you want to go into, some take more than four years to gain a degree. My program (BME) is supposed to take 5 years to complete =/ and thats just for a Bachelors. So its a hassle to my family.</p>

<p>Last - maybe you don’t wanna consider this, but community colleges are a great place to get started and gain credit that you could transfer to a public university. I realize that you may not receive the best education and the “college life”, but you would get a decent education at a cheap cost. Than maybe consider BU for grad school, when you get things covered by your employer for tuition.</p>

<p>Heck, you could probably start in community college than transfer to BU and get a BU degree a lot cheaper. Either that or take community college courses during the summer to save on the cost, though it would put a lot of pressure on you.</p>

<p>Hey man, in the end, you should feel proud of yourself regardless for enduring hardships like this. Its inspirational and it shows that you have what it takes to succeed!</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

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<p>This thread has been really informative for me and I’m glad to hear that everyone agrees that your EFC will be 0. In my opinion financial aid is for people in your position. If you apply early anywhere and you are accepted you will receive their estimate of how much financial aid you will receive from them at the same time. The final awards will come later. Someone should correct me it I’m wrong but I’m not sure it is a good idea for you to apply early anywhere because you need to be able to compare financial aid packages from the schools you are accepted to and in my experience those awards vary greatly.</p>

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<p>Check out the Posse Foundation: [Participating</a> Schools — The Posse Foundation](<a href=“http://www.possefoundation.org/our-university-partners/participating-schools/]Participating”>http://www.possefoundation.org/our-university-partners/participating-schools/)
DD1’s school has a number of student from NY, Boston and Chicago. I understand that scholarships are offered. Those are some very good schools.</p>

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<p>Your financial safeties would be your local state colleges. SUNY and CUNY tution comes to under $5K a year, I believe. You continue to live with your mother and work parttime. With a zero EFC, your tuition would be covered by PELL, you would also be eligible for some NY grants. If there is any gap, you could borrow. $5k a year is doable.</p>

<p>As for your reach schools, go right on ahead and see what you can get. Certainly don’t count them out. Also check out some midrange schools such as SUNYs where you can live at school. THe cost would come to about $20K, but you might get half of that in outright grant with PELL, state grants, and the college’s financial aid. You can borrow and earn the rest. Tight but doable.</p>

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<p>According to the student aid on the web, Northeastern on average meets 21% of need. </p>

<p>[Student</a> Aid on the Web](<a href=“http://www.studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/campustour/undergraduate/67/Northeastern_University/Northeastern_University4.html]Student”>http://www.studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/campustour/undergraduate/67/Northeastern_University/Northeastern_University4.html)</p>

<p>Even though your stats are competetive for Syracuse and Marist, and you have a good chance of being accepted, you should still check off the HEOP box. That way, in the event that you are not accepted you will still be considered under HEOP.</p>

<p>Under HEOP you do have a better chance of acceptance at your reach schools. Columbia is probably still too much of a reach, and based on posters on this board NYU gives lousy financial aid (not sure about HEOP students though). You should definately consider Colgate and COrnell for HEOP, as both meet 100% of need, and are not as big of a reach as Columbia.</p>

<p>If you go to a school in NY (public or private) you will be eligible for both the TAP and the Pell, and as another poster mentioned, possibly the ACG, and the SEOG (supplemental Educational opportunity grant - the amount varies from school to school) You will also be offered subsidized stafford loans and probably Perkins loans and work study. Since your stats are in the top 25% of New Paltz you may get an academic scholarship. My son’s stats were only slightly higher and he was offered $2500 per year from a SUny.</p>

<p>Don’t forget to apply for outside scholarships. There are plenty of need based ones.</p>

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<p>Don’t even consider NYU. Their financial aid is lowsy. It’s a cool school, but that would be almost a waste of money (except I hope you know you can get application fee waivers).</p>

<p>Do you work after school? If you work a lot and your family is low-income, it looks very good on you, especially for schools that consider ECs closely. I would say your only financial safeties are community colleges, which are not at all unlike the schools in the SUNY system.</p>

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<p>Well here is a thread I had posted earlier, with my grades, ec’s, etc. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/737567-not-greatest-student-ever-what-my-safety-school-options.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/737567-not-greatest-student-ever-what-my-safety-school-options.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I know a couple of people here did mention the community college route. That is something I just can not do. I need to get out of the area where I live in desperately. And the college life is something I would love to experience soon. </p>

<p>So let’s say I apply to Marist on HEOP. If I get in do I get in as a regular non HEOP student? And then if I get rejected I then go on the HEOP list?</p>

<p>I’ll be checking out Cornell and Colgate. Any other schools I have a shot under HEOP? Really looking for something with a good journalism program as well as possibly business.</p>

<p>Believe me I’ll be applying for every source of aid and scholarships out there. It’s just the whole process seems gigantic and I’m having trouble on where to even start with so many options .___.</p>

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<p>You do need to cast a wide net if you need money. I would not give up on the dream schools; just be aware that they are reaches and see how things pan out. Just make sure you have some realistic options out there such as the SUNYs. </p>

<p>Talk to your guidance counselor about possibilities as well. He may have info on schools that have been generous in aid to students from your high school. Some liberal arts colleges that are seeking diversity and males, and have a good stash of financial aid might be some good selections too. Muhlenberg is a school I 've been hearing about as well as Wheaton in Massachusetts. Perhaps Goucher in Baltimore. Keep open eyes, ears and mind as to the possibilities.</p>

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<p>You sound like a solid applicant; I suggest you look at a school like St Olaf’s – look for schools that need and want diversity --Hampshire, possibly --. I know some students who received awesome aid at those two schools.</p>

<p>For journalism, try U of Missouri at Columbia.</p>

<p>Go off the beaten track.</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!</p>

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<p>The standards for HEOP are set by each college but, overall, they are “inadmissable under normal academic standards”. The standard is going to be different for each school, so you likely wouldn’t qualify for EOP at a SUNY but a private college might be a different story. Say, for example, you were to apply to Cornell and your gpa + test scores were not high enough for consideration under normal standards. Instead of being rejected in the “first cut”, your application is reviewed separately with HEOP applicants. Each school has only a limited number of EOP/HEOP seats each year so you are essentially competing with those applicants who come from a similar economic/academic background. </p>

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<p>You should ask admissions or the HEOP office at Marist but I believe it’s usually the other way around. You receive the determination of eligibility for HEOP/EOP status first from the school and then receive an admission decision. In other words, if your stats make you ineligible for HEOP, your app is reviewed with the general pool or, if you are eligible, your app is reviewed with HEOP apps.</p>

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<p>I feel very confident in saying that you would not pay $10K per year at any SUNY. First, your TAP and Pell grants alone will be over $10K. SUNYs also give SUSTA (supplemental TAP grants) to low EFC students and have SEOG (supplemental federal grants) to award as well. Some of them offer full tuition scholarships for disadvantaged/minority students (UB has the Acker scholarship which is a combined merit/need/minority opportunity), and have other programs which give/heavily discount computers, etc. In short, SUNYs do try to make college affordable for low income residents and I’ve heard from low EFC OOS kids who got awesome FA packages from SUNY schools as well. </p>

<p>There are several SUNYs with journalism, or strong related programs (see link), so don’t discount the possibility of at least starting at a SUNY…you might find that you get a solid education and it’s more economical in the long run not to have Stafford loans your first year or two! And, while you wouldn’t qualify for much in merit money right now, your HS stats won’t matter when you’re applying for a transfer scholarship.</p>

<p>[The</a> Journalism Certificate Program :: University at Buffalo](<a href=“http://www.journalism.buffalo.edu/]The”>http://www.journalism.buffalo.edu/)</p>

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<p>I know a couple of people here did mention the community college route. That is something I just can not do. I need to get out of the area where I live in desperately. And the college life is something I would love to experience soon.</p>

<p>Just my two cents, but you would probably be coming home anyways for the summer right? I would say if you don’t want to go to CC, you might as well take a couple of courses there and get some credit. I know plenty of people, many of whom go to ivy league quality schools, who take CC courses to save on time and money.</p>

<p>Just take classes at a cheaper school in general to get some nice credits… Thats about the best advice anyone can follow in your situation.</p>

<p>EDIT: OH, I COMPLETELY FORGOT!! You should also consider ROTC. They give out free degrees with a contract to serve in the armed forces for a while. You could go to school for FREE and not have to worry about debt. Its worth looking at. Even though you need to work in the armed services for the equivalent time or more, but you will build up your resume with military, etc. experience.</p>

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<p>At most top colleges, you won’t get credit from community college courses.</p>