<p>My son changed majors and will have to go a fifth year at an expensive private college ($50,000/year). This school has informed us they will not give him any financial aid for the fifth year. Meanwhile my daughter will be entering college this fall. Is there any way her school would make up for at least some of the shortfall we will experience? I am sure most colleges would assume our EFC would be split in two, half spent at son's college and half at daughter's. However, all of our EFC and then some will have to go to son's school. Also, if I approach the schools that daughter has applied to about this situation, do I do so before or after they send us their financial aid determination?</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice you can provide.</p>
<p>However, all of our EFC and then some will have to go to son’s school.</p>
<p>Have to? No, he doesn’t have to stay at a school his family can’t afford, especially when it would hardship his sisters choice of schools.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I understand your question. If your son is still attending undergrad school, wouldn’t you still list that on the FAFSA form? He would be a member of your household and he IS working on a degree so you would include him as a student who is in college in the count.</p>
<p>To be honest, I’m not sure that your daughter’s school will consider the shortfall of your son’s financial aid. Your daughter’s school will consider HER application for financial aid. It really doesn’t matter what another college is doing when they determine HER aid. </p>
<p>It is very possible that your daughter’s school WILL count your son as a student in college…and her family contribution will be less. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure I have this right…there are MANY students out there who don’t complete college in FOUR years…and my guess is that their parents still list them as college students on the siblings’ FAFSA forms.</p>
<p>BUT as I said…your son’s shortfall in aid from HIS school will likely have no impact on your daughter’s financial aid award at her school.</p>
<p>thumper, I don’t think the question was would the daughters FAFSA note the sibling in college, rather OP wanted to make clear that any funds which would have been split between them, will now go to sons college & they want daughters college to make up the difference.</p>
<p>They are going to split the EFC and then some colleges will take the fact that there are 2 kids in college into consideration. So yes, theoretically the D will get something more than if the son had graduated, but it’s rarely dollar for dollar. Some will ask how much the parents are paying for the other student, I know I came across that question with at least one college when S2 was applying and S1 was going into his senior year. To me, it seems like the OP should be talking to the son’s college about helping out rather than the daughter’s college and the son should be looking for upper level scholarships and on-campus employment. Regardless, it’s an expensive lesson. There’s no way he can complete any major by this spring? Ouch. Good luck.</p>
<p>Must the son be enrolled full-time and for both semesters? Musthe live on campus? If there is an option to pay by credit unit and/or move to cheaper housing off campus, maybe he should consider that.</p>
<p>Can your daughter take a gap year, and enroll when your finances are better?</p>
<p>^ Why not ask the son to take a gap year? It’s his decisions that have caused the 5th year, not the D’s.</p>
<p>Op inheirited enough last year to bring their EFC to $40,000. Wonder if any
is left to pay college expenses.</p>
<p>Yes emerald…I understand what the OP wants. I do not believe it is the daughter’s college’s problem that the son is taking an extra year and is costing $50k to do so. </p>
<p>But I do think the daughters Family contribution will reflect her brother being a student. I seriously doubt that the daughter’s college is going to reduce her family contribution any
more than that…because the family is full pay for the brother. That is my opinion. Certainly the family can ask…maybe the school will help them.</p>
<p>Happymom, I had the same thoughts. I think the son needs to contribute to this, in most cases money can be saved by living off campus and the son should be looking for scholarships and perhaps depending on how things go with the D’s application cycle, take some time off and work until the finances are all figured out. I agree that the burden is not the D’s college to discount tuition because of the choice the older brother has made.</p>
<p>I wonder if son has already changed his major.</p>
<p>Often students mention on CC that they are close to graduation, but want to change their major and they are advised to graduate then work or apply to graduate school in a different major.</p>
<p>My oldest daughters school met 100% of need but would only cover four years of aid. She needed to retake a course, but could not do so senior year. She came home to do so at a less expensive school then went back for her senior year.</p>
<p>I think the son should come up with some ideas being as there are other kids in the family who also want to attend college shortly.</p>
<p>The year after this daughter enters college her sister will go to college, back to back, so I don’t think a gap year would help us. </p>
<p>I have spoken to son’s college three times, twice to the FA officer and once to his department. They say there is no aid possible. They did send my son a list of 100 scholarships; most were for CA residents, women or minorities. He only met the qualifications for three of them. The department told me of one scholarship; it was due the next day and he could not get the required faculty recommendations together in time.</p>
<p>He already lives off campus in the cheapest accommodations I can find him. I don’t want him to gap, since I think it would be hard for him to get back up to speed in upper-level science and math classes (he is a computer engineering major).</p>
<p>Son should do what he can to just graduate this year, and then seek out courses at a state school that will allow him a second Bachelors in the new major he wants. Then he can pursue grad school to round that out. All on his own dime. It really isn’t fair that because he can’t make up his mind, or wants to be a perpetual student instead of having to go out into the real world (this is the fear behind many students who do the “change my major” thing, thus delaying graduation), his sisters should now lose out somehow on their college goals, choices, etc. Did you tell him you would cover the costs of school beyond 4 years for a bachelors? Most schools have the same policy of not covering beyond a 4th year, except in the case where a school for some reason does not offer courses needed, thus making it necessary for students in certain programs to need more time to complete the degree.</p>
<p>Yes emerald…I understand what the OP wants. I do not believe it is the daughter’s college’s problem that the son is taking an extra year and is costing $50k to do so.</p>
<p>==========</p>
<p>Exactly…why would D’s school give more money just because son’s school won’t give any? Maybe the answer is to co-sign a loan for son and HE has to pay for the extra year.</p>
<p>I don’t see D’s school essentially paying for son’s school which would really be the situation if they gave more for D’s school so that you can pay more for son’s school.</p>
<p>This is a wake-up call for those considering other schools that would cut off aid after 4 years.</p>
<p>^^^ *This is a wake-up call for those considering other schools that would cut off aid after 4 years. *</p>
<p>So my stupid question for this thread is how do we find out before our kids’ committing to a school if they have such a policy? Many merit scholarships are only good for four years.</p>
<p>Merit aid at both of my kids’ schools was for four years. It was VERY clearly stated on the letter that was sent with the award…renewable for four years with a 3.0 GPA.</p>
<p>Schools that are providing generous institutional need based aid can do so on their terms. I do not believe most of these schools would fund an additional year. But I could be wrong!</p>
<p>Our kids were told up front… We were paying for the four year plan. Anything above and beyond was on their dime. One kiddo took summer courses one year, and she paid for them. We, like the OP had more than one student attending a private college. We simply could not pay for a fifth year…too much money.</p>
<p>Same here, our funding of college was conditional on finishing in 4 years…and yes, most “awards” state in the award letter that they are for four years renewable every year based on GPA etc. For new college parents, read, read, read…the website, the letters that come from the colleges. If something isn’t clear, call and ask.</p>
<p>“I think it would be hard for him to get back up to speed in upper-level science and math classes (he is a computer engineering major).”</p>
<p>Is there any kind of job he could get now with the background that he already has, where he would use the knowledge he has already acquired? Can he hold down that job while studying part-time to finish off the missing coursework?</p>
<p>Can this student complete ONE major quickly? He could then pursue a graduate degree in the other.</p>