So many kids, so little money

<p>I volunteer at the local high school helping kids out with their college and financial aid applications. I met with another girl today whose story is like SO many others.</p>

<p>She really wants to go to college. She has a decent GPA (3.7), but no APs or other advanced classes. Her SAT scores are not great, approximately 1700/2400. She's a 4 year athlete, but not a competitive one as far as colleges are concerned.</p>

<p>Her parents are divorced. She bounces between them. Both are low income. She doesn't even have enough financial support from them to pay for her application fees. I haven't seen any hard numbers, but from what I know I expect she'll get a full Pell grant.</p>

<p>One thing she doesn't want is to live at home and go to community college.</p>

<p>This is just one example of a situation I see over and over and over. It's hard to even know what to tell these kids. It gets so discouraging because they come in and they just want to go away to college SO badly, they've been very capable students through high school, and college feels like their ticket to something better. The big obstacle is of course MONEY.</p>

<p>Often I also talk to kids who are not quite this low income, but their parents are not willing and really can't afford to help them at all.</p>

<p>I knew when my kids were young that they would need super high stats to get the kind of aid they would require, so they had me on their butts from Day 1. Helicopter Mom Extrordinaire. And things have worked out for them because of that.</p>

<p>These kids I meet with now... no one who had the long range view took on the role for them, and quite a few of them probably wouldn't achieve on the necessary level to get into the selective schools with amazing financial aid even if they did have someone on the job from the get-go. But they are strong students and have done well and have ambition... but so few options.</p>

<p>Some days it's quite sad. I mean, they can't even afford the regional state u.
:(</p>

<p>^^^</p>

<p>It’s still a good idea to encourage these kids to at least try to get grants/aid to go to either their local CC or state U - even if they have to live at home. They should be encouraged to work full-time during summers and breaks to earn as much as they can - waitressing pays well for college kids.</p>

<p>But it’s still important to encourage even going to a CC. And this is why…being in college is not like high school. When “commuting,” they can literally use their home as a hotel. Go to class in the morning, study in the school’s library, go to a part-time job, do some campus activities, and so forth - return home at end of day to go to bed. A commuting college kid (with a bad home life) doesn’t need to spend that much time at home. Just enough to sleep and move on.</p>

<p>Perhaps at some point, thru F/A and a part-time job, the student can move into a cheap campus apartment shared with a roomie.</p>

<p>Yes, it would be “nice” if all kids could afford to “go away” to school, but no one can justify such a mandated benefit at the expense of everyone else. It’s not as if a viable education can’t be had by - at least at first - go to a local CC and then transferring to a state U.</p>

<p>Mandated benefits… not sure where that came from.</p>

<p>My point was that it’s a difficult situation for these kids and it’s sometimes quite discouraging to even try to help them.</p>

<p>It is hard, and I can see why it’s so discouraging. These are intelligent kids who just don’t have the support and guidance that luckier kids get from their parents, never mind the money. </p>

<p>The most important thing you can do is keep impressing on them the importance of higher education, no matter how long it takes them or how hard it is to pay for. They have got to go to college, or at least get an AA degree or some kind of advanced technical training. They are too smart to be wasted and they have a chance thanks to their hard work to make something of themselves, and better their future and the future of their communities. </p>

<p>For the girl that doesn’t want to live at home, it’s hard. She probably would qualify for good financial aid, but there are a lot of costs to living away that arent’ covered by those things, like travel, personal expenses, etc. I mean the best thing you can tell her is that she shouldn’t let having to deal with a less than perfect college situation stop her from going forward with her education. She might not get hte college experience of her dreams, but she should get a degree if she can. It’s only four years, it goes by fast, but that degree will last her in good stead for a long, long time.</p>

<p>Thanks, SmithieandProud. I needed to read that. :)</p>

<p>It’s personally frustrating to me because quite a number of these kids are smart enough and conscientious enough about their classes that they could have more options with even a little support and attention from their parents over these critical years.</p>

<p>I have one girl who will also be a full Pell grantee, but her parents (divorced) have been supporting her and paying attention to things. They’ve stayed on top of her academically (from homework to self-study for the SAT) and they’re very involved in this college app process, learning how FA works - and I think this girl is going to get at least full-tuition to the honors college at Flagship State U. Maybe some housing too, plus we’re working on outside scholarships.</p>

<p>Family. It makes all the difference.</p>

<p>For some one getting the Pell, there may be state grants, ACG/Smart (for this year & next only??) as well as some other school opportunities.</p>

<p>Could the athlete play at a DIII school and get some merit plus need aid. If she could get into one of the small $30k COA schools, get $5k Pell, get $5-10k state (depends on the state) maybe $10-12k merit, that is 2/3 of the way there. Some small LAC type schools may have the budget.</p>

<p>Check out Baylor, I recall some one getting a great need based aid plus merit package there when my DD was looking. Very little out of pocket or loans for a low EFC kid from what I recall hearing:<br>
merit aid based on stats: <a href=“https://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=68152[/url]”>https://www.baylor.edu/admissions/index.php?id=68152&lt;/a&gt;
finaid calculator: <a href=“https://www.baylor.edu/finaid/index.php?id=40251[/url]”>https://www.baylor.edu/finaid/index.php?id=40251&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If that is not the right fit, there may be other schools with both stat based merit discounts and actual non-gapped need based aid?</p>

<p>If they can manage to get grants/loans and select the college fairly carefully so it’s not terribly expensive and is not in a super expensive area yet they select an area where they’re likely to be able to get a job they should be able to still go away to college. It s/b possible to earn enough from the p/t job to pay living expenses. They won’t have it as easy as some others but it can be done. I think these kids should be encouraged to consider these options although they’ll need to look at them realistically and realize it’ll be some work but they’re young and bright and s/b able to handle it.</p>

<p>Thanks, somemom. I would love any ideas, like Baylor, that anyone has. Schools in the NW are mainly what we need. I’m doing a lot of research already into Linfield, Willamette, U. of Portland, St. Mary’s (learned about this on on CC!), Seattle U., Lewis & Clark, and U. of Puget Sound.</p>

<p>Still, although these are terrific options, they don’t really have the deep pockets.</p>

<p>One problem is kids like the girl I met with today, can’t just apply w-i-d-e-l-y because they can’t pay all those app fees. We need to be really targeted to their most likely chances in terms of FA and it’s so hard to predict that.</p>

<p>Think a little further north, perhaps? Like, say UBC? For kids with pretty good grades, Canadian colleges can be a great bargain, and being able to live in Canada means a favorable exchange rate. Plus Vancouver’s only a few hours north of Seattle. Though I would check into what being an American student does to your ability to work on or off campus. </p>

<p>PLU is an option, so is Washington State University Doesn’t neccessarily have to be the one in Pullman either, they have extension campuses especially if you want to study something in the healthcare field. UW may even be a good thing to look at if they’re grades are really good and you think they can hack it, but Seattle is definitely the most expensive of the Washington state living choices. Western Washington U in Bellingham, obviously. </p>

<p>George Fox in Western Oregon. Hmm, trying to think if there are some gems we didn’t think of but I’ll throw it back to the crowd.</p>

<p>

Won’t a lot of colleges waive the app fees for financial hardship?</p>

<p>even if they don’t say they waive the fees on their website, it’s worth a call to admissions. Keep up the good work.</p>

<p>My daughter (now a freshman in college) was able to get fee waivers on her Common Application apps through her counseling office. She did not qualify for free/reduced lunch (no CollegeBoard fee waiver) but for apps she qualified for the NACAC waiver:
<a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/CareerDevelopment/Resources/Documents/AppFeeWaiver09.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nacacnet.org/CareerDevelopment/Resources/Documents/AppFeeWaiver09.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If the kids are interested and qualified for the military, they could get up to full funding through ROTC. Some schools with ROTC programs are not super-selective.</p>

<p>Would they be interested in something like Berea College? This solidly-ranked (#68) LAC in Kentucky charges NO tuition, and accepts only students whose family income falls within the bottom 40% of US households. All students work an on-campus job for 10 hours/week. And an SAT score of 1700 would be, while not outstanding, within their middle-50% range.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.berea.edu/[/url]”>http://www.berea.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Does the state you are in have state grants? In my state, beyond Pell, students who are NJ residents and go to school instate can be eligible for substantial state grants through the TAG program, if they are low income. Those, plus the Stafford Loan, plus Workstudy, plus summer earnings, should cover a state school. </p>

<p>I work at a reasonably low priced private college. My students are almost all Pell recipients. Their scores/grades average lower than the student you describe. Many come from difficult home circumstances. Government and college grants (the latter on the skimpy side as we are a very low endowment institution), get them through tuition. However, many take out loans (sub and unsub)adding up to 10K a year, to cover the dorms. Not sure that’s a good idea. However, they all live close enough to us or another college that they *could *commute if they chose to.</p>

<p>So, though I don’t know your state’s situation, in NJ, at least, a low income student can go to a four year school, and can finance (though riskily) campus residency.</p>

<p>I am not in any way saying it’s easy. My students move heaven and earth every day to get their education. It is far more difficult for them than for more fortunate young folk (like my own kids). Some don’t make it, at least now. (some finish their educations when life gets more do-able). But many do. I guess my message is, don’t let the young woman give up hope–there may be a way.</p>

<p>I helped a friend’s niece a few years ago with some coaching from some great CCers. Her story was miuch like the one you post. She is at a CSU with a basically full ride. They also have a EOP, economic opportunity program, which is set up as a support for kids in these situations. When they go to campus the EOP department helps with class scheduling, etc. Things that a parent would coach on from home if a parent were home and capable. In this young woman’s case one parent is in and out of jail. The other is not very capable.
Do you have a local school that would be an option? What about your instate school?</p>

<p>If she wants to stay in WA, WWU could be a great choice for a smaller option, beautiful setting, smaller public, nice people there.</p>

<p>I know Whitworth does a FREE online early app, but if they are $30-35k, Pell $5k, Wa State grant is what $6-7k??, not sure about the viability of ACG/Smart (just read they may be going away) but SMART was giving $4k for the final two years of a high achieving science major. They have a merit program of around $12k annually. In reality the student would probably still be $15k out of pocket even with all the need aid.</p>

<p>What about fee waivers? PLU? Seattle U? Reed gives great aid, I have heard</p>

<p>I think a lot of financial aid departments would be willing to share with you their usual aid package for a kid with $XYZ EFC, so maybe a call to the financial aid director at each school?</p>

<p>On the Canada thing, there are international fees on top of their base tuition and you have exchnage rate risk. I am not sure of any of the Pell type aid transfers there, but I am pretty sure the WA state grant will not be able to be used out of state.</p>

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<p>I didn’t mean to offend in any way. :)</p>

<p>My point (which may have been written poorly) was that although it would be nice if all low-income (and middle income) kids could have the right to “go away” to school thru some kind of funding. However, such a right would be too expensive of a burden on the taxpayers. Therefore, the best option is to take advantage of whatever is available in one’s local area, study at school, sleep at home, and do one’s best. It may not be the “preferable” option, but even middle income kids don’t often get their preferred choices, either. I know many middle-income kids with undesirable home lifes that would like to also go away to school. Sadly, it’s not affordable for them, either. :(</p>

<p>I understand the discouragement you may feel when trying to offer advice to these kids. But, with some creative ideas - seeking all sources of aid, having a part-time job, and/or living minimally at home - these kids have some options.</p>

<p>You’re doing a great thing helping these kids… :)</p>

<p>BTW…isn’t there a thread that has names of schools with free apps?</p>

<p>One other idea is the Washington State Dollars for Scholars scholarship program.</p>

<p>Oh, Lewis & Clark has also given some great merit aid to some kids I know, but not sure how high scoring a kid must be.</p>

<p>It seems like the long range solution to this problem is to have this talk with the freshmen. Hold an assembly and let one of the kids tell their story- if only they had tried a little harder to get top grades, they would qualify for aid at lots of schools (think questbridge), now they are stuck with CC, so if you want to go away to college, work hard now. </p>

<p>For this years kids, have them look at Cal Maritime Academy- 99% of grad’s come out with jobs that are in the $70,000 per year neighborhood, and they do offer FA.</p>