<p>Hello all, I am new to this website, as I am turning to this website for advice. I am a first generation college student, and my whole senior year consisted of me doing everything that had to do with this long, college process. My parents are not educated, but they have tried to help me with as much as they can. I am admitted to university of north texas, which was my first choice, and will begin in the fall. I just received my award letter, and was told to appeal by the college planning network(the people who filled out my fasfa). I was offered more loans than grants, and my father was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma(rare cancer) in march, and has not been working since. As for the prognosis, I am not sure, I have read tons of articles about it, and have yet to read something uplifting about it. My father wants to see me graduate college from a university, but we can not afford unt, especially with how are situation is, with him not working at all, bless his heart. I will not let him down, and he does not want to see me start off in a community, or junior college first, so I will respect his wishes and continue on with unt. My question to anyone out there knowledgeable about any aspect of this situation: Should I try to appeal, and in that appeal, should I mention everything that has happened these past couple of months? Will it help? If you need more information, just ask.</p>
<p>Contact the financial aid office, and let them know about this. Ask what documentation you need to send to them in order to have your package changed.</p>
<p>I am sorry to hear this about your dad. When you converse with his medical people, ask about the prognosis. You may want to take a year off, and stay closer to home.</p>
<p>IMHO and only because you asked on this public forum:
Your family cannot afford for you to go to an expensive school.
Your family resources may be needed for your dad’s treatment.
Since he has just been diagnosed last month, his course of treatment and prognosis is still evolving, perhaps staying close to home and helping your family deal with his illness is the best short term plan.<br>
You could ask the university to defer your acceptance for a year, then ask for more money with your new financial situation.
Or you could go to a local cc and transfer in a few years.
He will be proud of you for finishing college, how you start college will become unimportant in the scheme of things.</p>
<p>Your family may need you more at home.
The gravity of his illness may not allow you to plan four years out.</p>
<p>How far away from UNT do you live? Assuming you can get the finances worked out, would you be able to go home as often as necessary to be with your family? Do you think you’d be able to focus on your studies during such a challenging time?</p>
<p>You should definitely file the appeal while you are figuring everything out, but have a plan B in mind in case UNT isn’t right for you at this time.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your dad.</p>
<p>You may need to provide documentation to your FA office to show that your dad can’t work because of his illness. Perhaps the FA officer can use Professional Judgment and change your EFC to 0, then you’d get more aid and maybe more Texas state aid (if your current EFC is higher than 0).</p>
<p>What is your current EFC?</p>
<p>What is the cost breakdown of the school.</p>
<p>What is exactly in your FA pkg? </p>
<p>Are you a Texas resident?</p>
<p>UNT is only 1 hour away, very easy navigational wise. I am a Texas resident, I have always been mentally sound, that won’t be the issue, my efc is 3904, and my award has 10k worth of grants(work study included in that) and 3 different types of loans: direct stafford, both subsidized and unsubsidized, and a direct PLUS loan. My cost if attendance is 21k. I have visited the school several times, it is nearby and it is where my family wants me to be.</p>
<p>You need to find out if your EFC can be dropped to 0 now that your dad is sick and unable to work. If it is dropped, you’ll get more aid.</p>
<p>What is the cost BREAKDOWN for UNT. </p>
<p>What are your parents saying about that Parent Plus loan? How much is that for? Who is going to pay that loan back? That is a PARENT loan.</p>
<p>books and Supplies
500.00</p>
<p>Fees
1,296.00</p>
<p>Housing
3,678.00</p>
<p>Loan Fees
35.00</p>
<p>Miscellaneous and Personal
683.00</p>
<p>PLUS Loan Fees
183.00</p>
<p>Transportation
883.00</p>
<p>Tuition Board Designate
2,667.00</p>
<p>Tuition State
750.00 </p>
<p>The information above is split into fall/spring</p>
<p>The plus loan is 5,655.00 for the year.</p>
<p>Are those the “per semester” costs or the “per year” costs? It looks like those are the “per semester” costs.</p>
<p>Tuition and fees $8,717<br>
Room and board $7,150 – –
Books and supplies $500-- – –
Estimated personal expenses – – –
Transportation expenses – – –
Estimated Total $15,867</p>
<p>Per semester</p>
<p>efc is 3904, and my award has 10k worth of grants(work study included in that) and 3 different types of loans: direct stafford, both subsidized and unsubsidized, and a direct PLUS loan. My cost if attendance is 21k</p>
<p>so, did you get about $8k in grants and $2k in work study? </p>
<p>$5500 in Stafford?</p>
<p>$5600 in Parent Plus (what are your parents saying about that? Who is going to pay that back?)</p>
<p>You need to try to get Professional Judgement to have your EFC dropped to 0 since dad is too sick to work.</p>
<p>6k in grants, 4k in work study, 5500 in Stafford, 5600 in PLUS.</p>
<p>My father is very uncomfortable with the PLUS loan, he is putting all of his eggs in the appeal basket. He did say he would do it if he absolutely had to, but I don’t have the conscience to do that to my family…I can’t.</p>
<p>Your family is going through a lot right now, and I’m sure they are clinging to hopeful thoughts to get through the tough stuff. That being said, my family would have loved to see my daughter at a very expensive school, but realistically we just couldn’t swing it. What your family wants/dreams and what they can really handle right now are probably two different things, and reality really bites right now, but it is what it is. If you can’t pay the bills, you won’t be at UNT for long anyway. If I had to choose ways to spend money, I’d rather go on a memorable vacation with my dad than spend it on sitting in classes during such a time, in all honesty. Think carefully. There is no shame at all in taking a few classes at a local community college, being around for your dad and mom during this time, and then pursuing college full time later. You’ll save money, get precious time with your dad, be available to help your mom who could be facing great stress, and be around to make memories you will have the rest of your life. Priceless, and worth more than a degree from anywhere…</p>
<p>We don’t have that kind of attitude. We are all going to fight this, we are not resorting to a bucket list, I am still gathering information about his prognosis. He wants us to live our everyday lives, and most importantly, he wants one of his children to grow up and be something. If he wants me to attend UNT, which is only an hour away, that’s what I’ll do, If we can’t get a successful appeal, if nothing else, I’ll take all of the damage. I do appreciate all feedback, and will continue to appreciate all feedback.</p>
<p>$4k in work study is a LOT. You won’t have that money til you earn it, week after week. You may not be able to work enough hours to earn that much.</p>
<p>Is your dad going to help with the appeal? It’s ok to have parents help with an appeal for money.</p>
<p>As you can see with the cost breakdown listed above, the direct costs to the school is a LOT less. You can control some expenses. Buy books online, used, etc.</p>
<p>How much can you earn over the summer?</p>
<p>He will help as much as he is able to, I can net approximately 2,500 over the summer, right before I move in.</p>
<p>UNT is in-state for Texas. COA should be around 21K per year not per semester. This should be tuition, room and board per year.</p>
<p>Can you live at home? Would you consider UT Dallas or UT Arlington?</p>
<p>The “per semester” statements were in regard to posts 8 and 9.</p>
<p>The COA doesn’t have to be $21k. The basic costs are about $16k which includes $1k for books. Try to buy books online and/or used.</p>
<p>Have your most articulate parent call UNT FA office to discuss your dad’s change of employment status because of his serious illness. Request Professional Judgment to have your EFC lowered to 0. Your parent may need to fax documentation about the illness and the employment change. </p>
<p>If you get your EFC changed to 0, your Pell Grant will increase to about $5900 (don’t remember the exact new amount).</p>
<p>Your Texas aid may also increase (how much of your aid is Texas state grant?)</p>
<p>If your “free money” grants increase to $9k total, then with your summer earnings, and your Stafford loans, you can cover your basic costs. Set aside some of your WS earnings to pay for some of Spring costs if necessary.</p>
<p>Try to work as much as possible this summer. If you’re thrifty and you get the EFC change, you may not need the Plus loans. </p>
<p>WS will cover day to day expenses, but the student should be thrifty and set aside as much as possible. BE SURE to contact the school to find out the procedure for getting a WS job and do that EARLY. Those who wait often can’t get a WS job or they don’t get a 'good one". </p>
<p>Dallas and Arlington would likely cost the student MORE money since it sounds like those schools are further away from home. He lives an hour away from UNT. He really can’t commute to any univ…at least that’s what I’ve guessed from the posts.</p>
<p>Dallas and Arlington would likely cost the student MORE money since it sounds like those schools are further away from home. He lives an hour away from UNT. He really can’t commute to any univ…at least that’s what I’ve guessed from the posts. >></p>
<p>The Dallas/Fort Worth metro area is hour or less from UNT. If an hour north of UNT, he’s in OK. An hour west and the college in Wichita Falls is closer than UNT. South and east - you are in the metro area or near schools in Sherman, etc. If he’s within an hour of UNT, there are closer schools to where he lives, so commuting could be a definite possibility.</p>