Hi All,
As S and I are discussing the college lists, we’re making sure there’s some talent and financial safeties. Financial aid “access” (because you never really know until it happens) is a factor. Then I read the news:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/#dept-2
Here are some key points:
- Cuts $3.7 billion in grants for teacher training, after-school and summer programs, and aid programs to first-generation and low-income students
- “Significantly” reduces federal work-study aid to college students
The thing about a BFA is that you can’t really transfer without starting over. Freshman year financing looks good, and you project it will be consistent. Then, BAM work-study is cut, or aid is cut…
I worry.
I know this is a question for the schools, but if a student had to take a semester off on a BFA program (to work to pay for remaining years. or medical issue) how would the school handle that? Would they just track with class behind them? I’m wondering if anyone on the curve ahead of me has asked this question. Also, Do you think it’s safe to assume that a school with a larger endowment can “weather the storm” if federal aid sands shift?
I would post this in the financial thread, but I think transferring is seen differently with the lens of a BFA.
at Roosevelt, you can take a year leave for any reason – from you’ve run out of money to you got cast in a national tour. The kids who leave for better things usualy don’t come back, but I know a girl who started in my S’s class who is now the year behind him because of this. (She’s still sort of an honorary senior socially at least.)
One of my D’s classmates had to leave for medical reasons. They put her on deferment and she is eligible to start again this Fall. She was about mid-way through 1st semester freshman year.
For work study, nice as that is, I don’t think it would matter terribly; you can get still get jobs. The only difference between regular work and work study, is that work study doesn’t impact your financial aid award. Although in some schools it’s easier to get a work study job than a regular job, it wasn’t in the schools my kids went to. The maim thing is that the level they estimate is extremely difficult to do while majoring in theatre. My kids all qualified for work study and did it but they worked 6-10 hours a week. They used this money for all their incidentals.
As far as cuts in grants for first generation–That does seem like a big deal, although usually they grandfather things in. And I’m thinking that if you’re high need, they could re–categorize you & give you money out of another pot. It’s hard to say. I mean my older D was hit by the repercussions of the financial crash of 2008; lots of colleges not only stopped being need blind, but also stopped their commitment to no-loan. So she ended up graduating with a loan when she wasn’t going to, going in. But it’s still a small loan. And my younger D had the opposite happen, when Northwestern added more money to her grant senior year because of a re-commitment to no loan.
I guess I wouldn’t over-stress on this . So much is not knowable. I would just deal with the information I had right now, and as you say, make sure to have a range of schools.
As far as letting you take a leave for financial difficulties–I’ve never heard of a school not allowing this. I’ve known several students who have had to, and in each case, the college worked closely with the student to try to make it possible for him/her to stay, and if it proved impossible, they were supportive of them returning. For a BFA be aware it would most probably require the student wind up with a different cohort than before.
Good luck. The whole financial aid/cost thing is very stressful, but I try to deal with it one step at a time.