School uses figure

Paying for College
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<p>*Another child received a pell LOAN. *</p>

<p>I don’t think there is such a thing as a “Pell Loan”. </p>

<p>What is the EFC for each of your children who are undergrads? Each undergrad should have his own EFC.</p>

<p>Of course, I am still suppose to maintain a home for them.</p>

<p>Yes, it is a bit crazy that child support is reduced/goes away when kids are out of high school when the “custodial parent” still has to have a home large enough for them to come home to when they’re not in school.</p>

<p>Can you move to a cheaper place and have the kids go to their dad’s when they’re not in school? </p>

<p>Since you’re not working, are you getting spousal support?</p>

<p>*Child right now with loans and their earnings will be contributing $20K. *</p>

<p>Ok…it sounds like this child earns so much money that his EFC is too high for Pell.</p>

<p>You’re right your comment regarding child support after age 18 doesn’t help and your previous comments didn’t either. I am just looking out for my kids.</p>

<p>Ok…we know that you’re frustrated and you’re in a precarious situation with health and an uncooperative exhusband. However, some of your posts have been rather rude. Thumper and others are really trying to help you. The people here (like thumper, swimcat, etc) have lots of experience and they could just decide to ignore your concerns. They can help you, so be pleasant.</p>

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<p>Well ,there are perkins loans.
How have you determined that student makes too much money - by me saying that they’re contributing $20K for this school year - is any of that loans? How much? Also, isn’t this year’s award based on 2010 earnings/financial information as one poster indicated?
Getting posts telling me that what I’m posting isn’t accurate is rude and frustrating. It’s insulting. Even health insurance had to be thrown in there - believe me, I’m well aware of the Obama Plan - like I said it’s how I recently got insurance after being unable to afford it for over a year which resulted in more progression of my disease. And, the question regarding my kids staying on their dad’s plan has been asked by me of more than one lawyer. Besides, what does health insurance have to do with financial aid? (Two of the kids do have health issues>) Why was the comment even made? (It’s clear that poster has no idea what emancipation and divorce are all about.) Sorry if I seemed rude. My disease has left me with cognitive impairments.
Dad has no interest in seeing these kids so they won’t be living with him - besides, given the court’s logic, Child support would be nothing if they weren’t living here at all. He couldn’t even make it to their high school graduations, remember any of their birthdays, holidays, etc.
Your comment that each child has their own EFC is helpful (other posters said all three kids should be getting pell grants as I also thought although it seems a bit crazy that if a kids makes about $3000 a year it makes them non-eligible for a pell grant or loan.)
Sybbie - you have been helpful - thank you!
No one has any comments about speaking to someone in addition to the Financial Aid Office?</p>

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<p>I thought that there was a dependent student income allowance of like $3k before it started to go towards the EFC. Am I mistaken?
And everyone who files a FAFSA is eligible to take a Stafford loan. I’m not sure what you mean by they’re non-eligible for a loan. Were you referring to a Perkins loan or something like that?</p>

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<p>If your son in question did not make an exorbitant amount of money which would have knocked him out of eligibility for Pell, I would give the financial aid office a copy of your other child’s financial aid award with the pell grant.</p>

<p>RomaniGypsyEyes is right, a Dependent student has $5250 income protection. 50% of income over that amount goes to the EFC. After that unfortunately once he is over the protection threshold, half of what he makes go to his EFC.</p>

<p>for example your son made $10,000 . 5250 is protected. leaving a balance of 4750. His EFC would increase by 50% or 2375. If this plus your your EFC is more than 5274, then he would not be Pell eligible.</p>

<p>I also recommend sending a PM to Kelsmom, who is a former financial aid officer. Perhaps she can shed some light on your situation</p>

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<p>^There is no pig in my name… lol. RomaniGypsyEyes. </p>

<p>nlay- Is there any way you could have accidentally filled out the FAFSA wrong for two of the kids? It just seems so strange that one was Pell eligible and the other two were not especially since it’s not a school-given grant, it’s a federal grant.</p>

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<p>My bad, correction made :)</p>

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<p>I agree with RomaniGypsyEyes again. If you are low income or on disability, I would be shocked if you did not apply for an automatic zero EFC.</p>

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<p>I also thought although it seems a bit crazy that if a kids makes about $3000 a year it makes them non-eligible for a pell grant or loan.)</p>

<p>No, it doesn’t. The first $5k or so that a student earns doesn’t affect EFC.</p>

<p>My comment was in response to this…</p>

<p>*Child right now with loans and their earnings will be contributing $20K. *</p>

<p>I may have mistook your words to mean that the child must be earning about $10k or so if between loans and earnings the kid is contributing $20k. I can see the student having Stafford and Perkins loans up to about $10k, so I don’t know where the other $10k is coming from if not from his earnings. </p>

<p>Getting posts telling me that what I’m posting isn’t accurate is rude and frustrating. It’s insulting.</p>

<p>When you write posts that say things like your child is getting a “Pell Loan” (which doesn’t exist), then people are going to appropriately correct you. No one is doing so in a rude manner. And, it’s not insulting…if you had all the answers you wouldn’t be here with your questions.</p>

<p>Yes…an attempt for an auto 0 should be made…however, perhaps the OP has to itemize or file in such a way that that is impossible. </p>

<p>It’s also hard to help when we don’t really have a clear pic of the situation…your income, your assets (savings, investments, etc), your child support, any other income/payments that may be influencing your kids’ aid eligibility. We also don’t know what each child’s EFC is. If each child filed a FAFSA, then each has his/her own EFC.</p>

<p>I understand that your ex won’t take the kids in during summers/etc, but maybe you’ll have to move to a cheaper place…even if it means the kids all have to share a room over the summer…if you don’t have the money to keep your bigger place, then that’s the reality of the situation. Your kids will have to understand…and soon they’ll be moving on to their own permanent homes.</p>

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<p>One of my kids schools gave them a Pell loan; it was indicated on their financial aid package from more than one school. (In fact, this student transferred schools this year - from a LAC to another LAC - more than one school included a Pell Loan as part of their financial aid package, although some schools were major universities.)
So if you like, we can continue to bat that term around, or appropriately correct each other. After all, the issue of the term “Pell loan” is the most important issue here.</p>

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<p>Sybbie - regarding the income threshold - does it matter how many are in school? Seems like it should. I’m going to pull out each of their FAFSA’s to compare. My oldest child made a little over $3k last year (2010) - this school year (May 11- May 12), they intend to earn more. One made about $1500 and the other, even though they seriously looked, couldn’t find a job.</p>

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<p>I would suggest your student speak with the Dean of Students…and his advisor in his department. Explain to them that because of a significant change in financial circumstances, he is at risk of not being able to return to college to complete his senior year. Perhaps one of them can help him in some way.</p>

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<p>Each child has his own income threshold…about $5k each child…that each child can earn and it not affect EFC.</p>

<p>Each undergrad’s FAFSA should indicate that there are 3 in college (including himself). By indicating that there are 3 undergrads on each FAFSA, then the EFC for each child should be lowish…if you have a lowish income and few assets.</p>

<p>For instance…</p>

<p>if you have one child only in college and that child’s EFC is $12k (and he only earned $4000 that year)…then…if you have 3 kids in college (and each only earned about $3k each)…then each child’s EFC should be about $4k each.</p>

<p>This is assuming that the children don’t have assets.</p>

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<p>PELL GRANT</p>

<p>PERKINS LOAN</p>

<p>Try googling “Pell loan” and it doesn’t come up because that isn’t the correct term.
Maybe you have made similar errors on the FAFSA if you are not sure of correct terms. Could you have included money each student earned as part of your earnings instead? That would be easy enough to do.</p>

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<p>Google all you want on this critical facet of this issue.</p>

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<p>nlay, people are just trying to help you. Seriously. They’re trying to make things easier on you and your kids. You’re obviously stressed and they’re trying to help. There is a possibility that your kids are eligible for more than they are currently getting, and they’re just trying to figure out some inconsistencies.</p>

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<p>The critical point of this thread is that you are trying to figure out why your need wasn’t met. Do look at the FAFSAs from the previous year and compare to this year. If there are substantial changes such as increased medical expenses, lack of child support that was there previously…things like that do gather the documentation and talk to a financial aid officer. However the FAFSA only addresses the distribution of federal money and it’s fairly easy to guesstimate how much each of your children should have received. Institutional money that the colleges distributes cannot really be computed unless it’s an automatic award that is published. Again, a Financial aid officer should be able to explain how and on what basis the institutional aid was awarded. Finally if the student is at a Profile school then need is calculated differently than for federal aid and again a financial aid officer should be able to talk you through how your aid was determined and you should be able to ask for an appeal using the documentation of what has changed from last year to this year. Finally the school can meet need or not meet need and schools that meed need generally publish that fact. Unfortunately most of us are having a difficult time parsing the situation together to give you any advice. It sounds like something changed between year 1,2,3 and now. Either costs went up and your student was at a school that does not meet need or your situation dramatically changed and it’s not reflected in the paperwork you submitted. Either way most people are trying to “guess” what is going on in order to help you.</p>

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<p>…* besides, given the court’s logic, Child support would be nothing if they weren’t living here at all*. …</p>

<p>Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work? If the children don’t live there at all, why would there be child support? Child support is not alimony!</p>

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<p>Have you tried talking to the Dean of Students or the Student’s advisor? That might be another route to try.</p>

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<p>This seems like a very complicated situation, and I’m sorry you have so much on your plate.</p>

<p>I can’t tell from your posts how far away your kids are. Have you been able to meet in person with someone at the school about this? Because it sounds like it might be useful to have someone go over all the documents with you to help figure out what is going on.</p>

<p>In the Boston area, TERI College Planning Centers provide free one-on-one help in filling out FAFSA and other applications–their focus is low-income students but they will help anyone, according to a presentation at our high school. I have not used their services, but they are part of the National College Access Program, which has members/services across the country. Perhaps there is an agency in your area where someone could meet with you? Or maybe they might have another suggestion.
[National</a> College Access Program Directory](<a href=“http://www.collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory/]National”>http://www.collegeaccess.org/accessprogramdirectory/)
[TERI</a> College Planning](<a href=“http://www.tericollegeplanning.org/]TERI”>http://www.tericollegeplanning.org/)
Outside Mass. 1-617-536-0200</p>

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<p>Your information about your income, assets and child support received should be the same on all 3 FAFSAs. All 3 FAFSA should also represent that you have 3 children attending college.</p>

<p>The only place the differences should be is in the income that each child earned.</p>

<p>For example</p>

<p>child 1 - oldest child made a little over $3k last year (2010) - His FAFSA will reflect this</p>

<p>Child 2- One made about $1500 -His/Her FAFSA will reflect this</p>

<p>Child 3 -other, even though they seriously looked, couldn’t find a job. - There will be no income because this child had no earnings.</p>

<p>Even with work, the income that all of your kids made is protected and should not affect their EFCs.</p>