<p>$100-125k is upper middle class in America (and the OP might agree with me). When I had 2 in school, S got a need-based grant from a MI public school … and we were in that ballpark. It depends on the school’s packaging philosophy. I know one MI school that definitely would not give a grant at that level - but I know two more that would (or did, in recent years). </p>
<p>No large merit at ACT=25, but certainly some schools where 25 gets guaranteed merit of at least a couple thousand per year.</p>
<p>They would qualify for the Academic Excellence award at Central. $4500 a year-but the kicker is you are required to live in the dorms freshman and sophomore years.</p>
<p>Grand Valley offers a $2000 transfer scholarship if you transfer from an accredited community college in Michigan with a 3.5. They do charge a premium for upper level classes but it is only about $600 a year more. Going to college is going to be doable if they go the community college route and work their way through. Hopefully parents have a change of heart by the time they reach their junior year or it may take a little longer to finish their degrees.
Also to get the experience of sleep away colleges you can visit friends at MSU or wherever on weekends. The experience without the costs!!</p>
<p>I did a quick check on a couple net price calculators. Even if the OP could get a small grant, it still wouldn’t be enough to supplement the automatic scholarships with OP’s stats. There would still be a big gap at the state schools. I still think CC for two years is wise - or commuting to a 4-year (even that will be a tough thing to pay for). I just don’t see how it will work without parent help to go to a 4-year, sleep-away college for all 4 years in this situation. OP can certainly try applying to a couple & see what happens, but it is good to have a plan in case enough free money doesn’t happen. The hard truth is that it probably won’t, so being prepared for what is affordable is key.</p>
<p>Have you looked into CC’s where you can transfer to the four-year college of your choice afterwards?</p>
<p>If you aren’t local, will your parents pay to bring you back and forth? Some colleges are so empty during holiday break that it is a safety issue, and some don’t allow students to stay over winter or summer break.</p>
<p>If your parents are paying for other things, like feeding and clothing you, do they plan to stop that once you get into college? These seem like serious issues for you - point blank ask them “If I go to County College, will you pay my tuition? If I go to County College, will you let me live at home? Will you pay for my food and living expenses?”.</p>
<p>I’m trying to understand, are they kicking you out at age 18, or are they telling you that they won’t pay even for a CC, but you can live at home?</p>
<p>The twins need merit that will cover at least full tuition. Then, if they can share a cheap/safe apt, they could cover most/all costs with their student loans. They could work a lot during the summer and part-time during the school year to cover food and other costs. And, maybe the parents would sympathize with their situation and cough up a few bucks.</p>
<p>I don’t see how this anything else is possible other than commuting from home. A partial tuition scholarship leaves them with way too much uncovered. And Mich publics tend to have high tuition.</p>
<p>You should start at a community college and then transfer to your desired school. Sad that your parents aren’t helping you and force you to miss out on the first couple years at the school you wish to be attending. Since commuting is financially your only choice, you and your twin should attend the same college even after you transfer. Also who is paying for your application fees? Maybe your siblings could give you guys a hand?</p>
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You should start at a community college and then transfer to your desired school
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<p>@gamergirl52 That won’t work. She’d have no way to pay for the desired transfer school unless it’s a school she can commute to. And if she can commute to the “desired school,” then she might as well start as a frosh.</p>
<p>Since the best merit chances are for incoming frosh, she and her twin need to focus on those. The twins do need to focus on attending the same school. The parents are less likely to balk at helping them get to their school if they’re both going to the same school. </p>
<p>I’m still stuck on the fact that they won’t talk to you when you bring it up. What would happen if you wrote them a letter? It could be an email or a hand written note that you put in an envelope and leave on their night stand. You can very politely and respectfully ask them to clarify whether they will let you live at home, pay for food, transportation, clothes, medical care, etc.</p>
<p>By the way, I think you are doing a GREAT job of researching and moving forward on your own.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Well, they could always work over the summer to rack up some cash to pay the extra fees. That’s why I say start at a community college because it is cheaper and they can make money over the holidays/breaks. If they do really well at the CC they can qualify for just as much scholarship opportunities.</p>
<p>Finding a job, going to a local state school or community college is the most realistic way to go. Living at home is a savings $7-12K a year if parents will provide food and other necessities. Save money from work and see if there is enough to transfer to some 4 year school away. Or finish up that way. Most college students are part time with at least part time jobs.</p>
<p>A number of my son’s classmates went to local schools and commuted and many were from very well to do famiies. Living in million dollar homes, making $200K or more.-Families just did not want to pay for the kids to go away to school.</p>
<p>CC and then transfer to a 4 yr can work if we find out where in Michigan OP lives. We have plenty of publics scattered all over the state. OP probably lives in or close to a reasonably sized city and can commute to a four year from home.
She seems to have left the conversation…</p>
<p>m2cks I think the odds of getting much merit are unlikely, so if they attend CC they would only have to come up with 3 grand each which they could make over the course of the school year. Money made during the summer could be saved for the last 2 years. With transfer scholarships that are offered at some of these universities they could finish with their savings and work if they continue to live at home. Western and MSU are probably out due to costs but there are some lower cost options.</p>
<p>Not likely. Transfer scholarships are rarely as good as incoming frosh scholarships. Transfer awards are usually for a fraction of tuition or less.</p>
<p>It is unlikely that they could get the merit they need at the schools on their lists, that is true. But those schools won’t be affordable even as transfers (because transfer merit is usually tiny or almost non-existent). Yes, they can work/save during their two years at a CC, but realistically, I bet they’d only have $7-10k at most after two years of saving…and that’s optimistic. That’s not going to go very far towards that last two years of college.</p>
<p>There was a MomfromTexas thread where she detailed getting free rides for her kids and neither one had great stats. And I think one had pretty modest stats. These kids don’t need free rides (altho that would be nice!)…Getting free tuition plus maybe a bit more would likely be enough. </p>
<p>I think all Michigan publics are out because of cost. They start out with pricey tuition and it just gets worse from there.</p>
<p>They need to think outside the box like momfromtexas.</p>
<p>If they can’t find a momfromtexas solution, then I wonder what univ is close enough to their home that they could commute to. </p>
<p>Are we all forgetting that they can take out federal loans? Wouldn’t that provide the gap money if they live at home, work, and get a small transfer scholarship for their final 2 years?</p>
<p>My apologies if I sounded rude. I was indulging in a joke and a bit of hyperbole, but I remain firm in my belief that America has to get off this lay away mentality. I think the middle class cruelly does suffer more - like the moth that can at least weakly fly and see that flickering light of the elite college. But too often, we indulge our kids with an early lack of academic discipline communicating that “you can always get a college education.” And corporate America gladly plays along fastening the chains of debt to every middle class kid trying to move up.</p>
<p>If they can live at home and commute to college (which one can they commute to), then they might as well try for that right now. Merit would likely be larger now. </p>
<p>But, we don’t know what school is commutable…and we don’t even know if that school even gives scholarships to transfers.</p>
<p>Mich schools have high tuitions…often as high as $14k+ per year. So, even a student loan and some small token transfer award won’t cover the costs. Publics are notorious for lousy transfer merit awards. </p>