Please help! Cannot find any "safeties" we can afford, what to do?

College Search & Selection
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<p>We are getting pretty discouraged. D is a junior and has a list of schools she loves, but none would even remotely be considered safeties. Her academic situation is unusual (high intellect and fairly high test scores but low GPA due to struggles with depression) and her financial need is great, but she's not first-generation or minority or anything with a great "hook". I'm really afraid there is no school she'll get into that'll give her enough aid, and THEN WHAT?</p>

<p>Stats:
white, middle class, competitive northeastern high school
PSATs translated into SATs = CR 770, M 590, W 700= 2060 combined
GPA will probably be around 3.25 when she applies due to 12-month struggle with depression, missed school, etc. :(
some EC, not a lot (4 years drama)
demanding course load currently 4 IB classes, 1 honors, 1 CP (math)
very strong writing skills
strong art portfolio
creative, articulate, outgoing: interviews well</p>

<p>current major interests: studio art, creative writing, possibly psychology (art therapy)...i.e. all careers with low salaries so it seems stupid to borrow $100,000+ for college!</p>

<p>EFC= federal 7,000; institutional 6,000
We will have to borrow just to meet the EFC. There are no other resources available at all.</p>

<p>The schools she really likes:
Mount Holyoke (her top choice)
Smith
Bowdoin
Hampshire College</p>

<p>I suspect she'll also like:
Bard
Wesleyan (uncle is alum)
Bryn Mawr
Wellesley
Vassar
Bennington
Wheaton
Sarah Lawrence
Marlboro College
Middlebury
possibly Skidmore (uncle is alum)</p>

<p>I've run the Net Price Calculators on all these schools and more (including SUNY New Paltz, Franklin & Marshall, Alfred University, Wheaton, Connecticut College, Brandeis) and basically all the schools that she seems to have a chance to get into, stats-wise, are way too expensive. All the ones we might be able to afford are way too hard to get into. I'm really afraid that there won't be a school that accepts her and gives her enough aid.</p>

<p>What do people do then?</p>

<p>We've wracked our brains what we can do to afford this. Selling off things on eBay and craigslist, odd jobs, etc. But the schools she might actually have a chance of getting into (Bard, Marlboro, SUNY New Palts, Alfred Univ) all have net prices of $20,000-$30,000. That would mean her borrowing >$100,000.</p>

<p>Everything I have read suggests she should borrow <$35,000. Which leaves the more selective schools with bigger grants. Which she probably won't get into. Argh!</p>

<p>Any advice?</p>

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<p>Are there low cost in-state publics within commuting range?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-12.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-12.html&lt;/a&gt; indicates that University of Louisiana - Monroe may have an automatic full ride scholarship for her stats.</p>

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<p>You’re probably going to have to look outside of the Northeast if she’s interested in schools which give enough financial/merit aid. Additionally, being from the Northeast could have its perks if applying to schools where few students come from that region. I remember at an info session for University of Puget Sound (an academic safety for her with a liberal vibe), the speaker mentioned they were looking to diversify the school not just in terms of race, but also in terms of geographic appeal.</p>

<p>From what I found last year was that less selective schools were far more interested in higher test scores than grades when doling out merit/preferential financial aid.</p>

4

<p>I agree, whenhen, about the test scores. Because that is a measurable item they can brag about in their incoming class (GPAs are more subjective, ECs are a little harder to communicate outward from the college). Working on her math score might help.</p>

<p>But… you are right that she should not take on any more debt than necessary given her potential majors.</p>

<p>Why will you have to borrow to meet EFC? I know EFCs are often somewhat higher than people feel they can pay, but is there something else in your financial profile that the EFC does not capture that schools might consider when offering aid?</p>

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<p>I was on the Susquehanna website the other day because a friend of mine’s child was applying, and noticed that they have a policy of meeting 100% of need for students admitted ED. I don’t know if other schools have that same policy but it hadn’t occurred to me that ED made a difference in cost.</p>

<p>Also, what about some of the state LAC’s – Truman, Minnesota-Morris, etc . . . ?</p>

6

<p>Alfred University Art Portfolio Review Scholarship
Source: Alfred University
Awarded by: Alfred University </p>

<p>Eligibility:
Entering full-time freshmen, transfer, and international students in the School of Art & Design. </p>

<p>Value:
$9,000 per year for NY State residents and $11,500 per year for non-residents. Renewal requires full-time enrollment and a 2.75 cumulative grade point average after the freshman year and a 3.0 for subsequent years.</p>

<p>How Determined:
Scholarship selection is on a competitive basis and made by a School of Art and Design faculty committee during portfolio review. </p>

<p>How to Apply:
File a completed application for admission and submit a portfolio for review. Students wishing consideration for this scholarship need to complete the admissions process and submit their portfolio by February 1. </p>

<p>If you are non-resident, this would be worth $11,500 annually.
Cost of Attendance for Non-Resident at School of Art & Design: $33,806/annually, with some variation on your choice of Meal Plan. Net C.O.A. would be $22,306 for year. </p>

<p>If you are a NYS resident, this would be worth $9,000 annually.
Cost of Attendance for NYS Resident at School of Art & Design: $27,650/annually, with some variation on your choice of Meal Plan. Net C.O.A. would be $18,650 for year. </p>

<p>Bard, Bennington, Sarah Lawrence & Marlboro will not meet your need, we have had personal experence with all of them in applying for financial aid. </p>

<p>Our personal experience with Alfred University is that they meet a very high percentage of need… Hope this helps!</p>

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<p>Agree with the suggestion to look at public smaller schools where the tuition is $15-20k less than privates and where she may qualify for automatic or competitive merit money (not need-based, but merit based). Most publics will not give financial aid to OOS students, so statements from those schools about “meeting need” generally only apply to instate students.</p>

<p>We didn’t look deeply at these, so I may be off on the names, but generally University of Maryland - College Park, Truman State, University of Minnesota Morris (I think that is the right campus name, sorry), New College of Florida (a distinct place, though crosses over with the Hampshire vibe), Evergreen State are all public LAC type schools. I am also a big fan of University of Iowa for a number of reasons, including that you can plug in your stats and determine if you will be accepted OOS and if you will receive automatic merit money (just under $5k year right now), plus Iowa has competitive scholarships open to OOS students. Iowa is smaller than the big midwest flagships at 18,000 undergrads (I know, hardly the intimate vibe), famous grad writing program, strong Honors program etc., lots of Chicago area kids go there. </p>

<p>I am a Bryn Mawr alum and suspect that your daughter would be competitive for admission as well as potential merit aid, if she can tell a strong story about her progress. At the same time, as a mother of boys, I have not spent much time keeping current on admission trends at BMC, so I could be wrong.</p>

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<p>[Home</a> | College of Creative Arts | West Virginia University](<a href=“http://ccarts.wvu.edu/]Home”>http://ccarts.wvu.edu/) College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University </p>

<p>[Undergraduate</a> Scholarship Office | Scholarships for Nonresidents | West Virginia University](<a href=“Scholarships | Financial Aid | West Virginia University”>Scholarships | Financial Aid | West Virginia University) </p>

<p>[2012-2013</a> Cost of Attendance | Financial Aid | West Virginia University](<a href=“http://financialaid.wvu.edu/tuition-cost-information/cost-of-attendance/2012-2013-cost-of-attendance]2012-2013”>http://financialaid.wvu.edu/tuition-cost-information/cost-of-attendance/2012-2013-cost-of-attendance) Cost of Attendance for non residents</p>

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<p>

No good news, but I hope the other posters have helped with that. Be wary of “meets need” … some schools will meet need by pointing you in the direction of loans. And of course, it’s their definition of what you need, not your definition.</p>

<p>Good luck! I’m sure there will be many options for her.</p>

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<p>What do other people do?</p>

<p>Actually MOST of America’s college kids cannot afford to go away to school. Going away to school is a luxury. Most college kids commute to their local CC or state school.</p>

<p>I know that the CC forum can give the impression that EVERYONE goes away to school. The truth is that those with great stats who need aid can often get accepted to the full-need school and get the funding to go away. Those who can afford to pay can go away to school even if they have modest stats. Those who have good-but-not-great stats who need lots of aid are often the ones who must commute. </p>

<p>If your D works on her SAT (and take the ACT), then she probably could get a merit scholarship somewhere that pays for a good bit of her costs. If she then takes a student loan and maybe you borrow/pay for your EFC, then one of those schools might work.</p>

<p>Does your child have a non-custodial parent? If so, then his income info will be needed for the schools that give the best aid.</p>

<p>current major interests: studio art, creative writing, possibly psychology (art therapy)…i.e. all careers with low salaries so it seems stupid to borrow $100,000+ for college!</p>

<p>Good thinking. Not wise to borrow much if salary will be low. frankly, NO ONE should borrow that much…even if the grad will be an engineer starting at $60-70k+.</p>

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<p>Wow, thanks for all the insights and comments!</p>

<p>acbalumnus- we’re Maine residents and I did the Net Price Calculator for our state school, UMaine, and it was still $16,000, or as much as the NPCs gave for schools like Mount Holyoke, Brandeis, Franklin & Marshall, and more than Hampshire or Skidmore. So she’d be borrowing $10,000 a year to attend a school that’s a horrible match for her. Frankly she’d be miserable there and it’s way too far away to commute :(</p>

<p>whenhen, that’s good to her about test scores being more important than GPA at less selective schools. She may be able to improve on those when she takes the real SATs. And we’ll consider further away schools… but that will add a lot to travel expenses, too. And she REALLY doesn’t want to be so far away.</p>

<p>intparent, I am not sure why the EFC is more than we can afford. The numbers I plugged in are all correct, but of course they only take into account income and not expenses. All I know is that we live very frugally -no vacations, no restaurant meals, shop at Goodwill for clothes, drive old cars, no credit cards - but our living expenses are slightly above our current income even so. Bad economy, skilled trade jobs, expensive property tax we pay to live where D can go to a good school, that sort of thing. We have crappy health insurance and have had thousands of uncovered expenses the last few years. On paper, almost $60k probably looks fine, I guess. But the reality is that there’s no extra for ANYTHING. I’m digging through the basement for things to sell on eBay to try to save a few thousand extra to cover the EFC.</p>

<p>curiousJane, SLUMOM, thanks for the suggestions of schools and the Alfred arts scholarship info! I will look into all those further. Midwestmomofboys, I’d looked at some of those, notable New College of Florida, which was still going to be quite prices $20s I think… ugh.</p>

<p>mom2collegekids, I know. It just seems like such a waste since she’s SO bright. Plus, you know, MY kid! Teachers and others have been telling her, and us, how remarkable she is since she was a toddler, no one ever questioned that she wouldn’t go to a great college. I feel like such a horrible parent for not figuring out some way to pay for this earlier. In retrospect I can’t really imagine what we’d have done differently, but I still feel terrible.
And, no other parent… we’re married.</p>

<p>Thanks all- continue to weigh in please! it’s helpful and good to feel not so alone.</p>

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<p>Midwestmom, I think you mean St. Mary’s in MD. College Park is a big flagship type school. </p>

<p>I’d add Mary Washington to the list of small state schools.</p>

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<p>staceyneil, I would certainly keep Alfred University on the list. Your D would probably receive need-based aid and merit aid. And actually your D would have a “hook” at Alfred University, as AU wants more students from outside NYS. </p>

<p>Keep track of all of your out of pocket medical expenses for the years you are applying for financial aid! Keep a running list by the month (including premiums paid) and add it all up at the end of the year & send it in to the FA Offices to schools your D is applying to or the one she has enrolled in. (make copies of the bills & put a summary on the top) If you have high out of pocket medical expenses the FA Office may consider that a special circumstance & maybe you will receive a little more instiutional aid.</p>

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<p>Thanks! Great advice.</p>

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<p>Ha, I used University of Mary Washington’s NPC and they gave me 0 for grants/aid. But I will keep it on the list and show it to D anyway. It was one of those very non-comprehensive NPCs so maybe it’s just wrong…</p>

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<p>Yes, I was also going to suggest St. Mary’s College of Maryland (public honors college in Maryland, but a very LAC-type feel).</p>

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<p>Don’t forget to consider the possibility of starting at community college and then transferring. Planning for two years of significant tuition rather than four changes the calculation quite a bit. Sometimes financial circumstances demand this compromise. It can work out well for some students.</p>

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<p>staceyneil:
We are Maine residents also, and I understand that it is slim pickings in our state for a student who is interested in the Arts. Has your daughter thought about starting at a local
school and then transferring? I’m thinking of U-Maine Augusta. The cost is $7000-8000 per year, and your daughter could get many of her core curriculum credits. I am familiar with the Community College offerings, and I am not sure your daughter would find what she wants there. My son is planning to major in the performing arts and we are looking primarily out of state also. I do think U-Maine Farmington is a gem of a liberal arts college and may be worth looking into if you haven’t already.</p>

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<p>Forgot to add that U-Maine Augusta does not have on-campus housing, hence the lower price.</p>

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<p>Thanks intparent. I looked at St. Marys. It’s as expensive as the private LACs for the most part! >$56k. They’d giver her just <$28k according to the NPC, so that leaves it way too pricey -in line with SLC, Bard, Marlboro :(</p>