If you are instate from MA, did you apply to,some of the other public in MA? You might get merit aid there.
The reason you won’t get need based aid from UMass…with $180,000 income, your total EFC exceeds the cost of attendance…on that income, your EFC would be in the $45,000 range…divide by two…and that’s about $23,000 each.
UMass doesn’t guarantee to meet full need…and even if they did, you would NOT get aid for your family contribution. Schools do NOT give need based aid for,the family contribution. The family has to pay that.
Please…drop this for today…on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, sit down with your parents, and have a frank discussion with them about paying for college.
@ucbalumnus I honestly have no idea, they’ve just made it clear to us that we can’t spend 40k a year on college. At the time of the remodel, our family income was <$90,000 if that helps, and the car purchase was this year, and it was a used Mazda that was probably under 10k. I am very much in the dark about my parents finances
@“aunt bea” going to Umass amherst was the plan to go to a low cost school and shine with grades, but they can’t give me any need based aid, meaning I have to pay 25k a year out of pocket. So 100k after 4 years, despite me being in state.
You have an unweighted 3.91 HS GPA, 1370 SAT score, and 32 ACT score. Surely, there are some large (full tuition or higher) merit scholarships that you can get with that. However, some deadlines have already passed, and others are coming soon.
@mom2collegekids we bought the house in 2002 for less than 230k… but it was when my family was pretty low income. Both my parents were teachers in their early 30’s.
@HRSMom are there outside scholarships, or just for specific colleges? I’ve been scouring the internet for months, and come up with very little potential money from most scholarships.
Too much for you to pay.^^^^
I agree with @Thumper1, drop this for now then on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, start hunting for a school that would pay a good amount of money to have you go to their school. That means using MERIT money. You won’t get need based aid with your parents current income.
Apply ASAP to UMASS Boston where you will likely get a scholarship that covers everything except housing, and UMASS Lowell, where you will probably get a scholarship that covers all tuition and half fees, bringing your costs down significantly and within your parents’ stated budget for you. I mention these as financial safeties. The state U’s (Framingham State, Salem State, etc.) also cost less and can come in within budget if you get summer jobs. Let go of the “dream school” mentality. It doesn’t matter that much where you go to undergrad if your plan is med school.
FWIW, they should be able to afford 40K for you and your twin on 180K salary, especially as they have been used to living on 90K in the pretty recent past. We’re doing it on less and I will have 3 in school, so sorry, no sympathy from me. Priorities.
It is unfortunate when students are blindsided by parents encouraging them to apply wherever and then when acceptances come in saying they are financial impossibilities. Then there are, in other circumstances, parents who refuse to fill out their FA forms (e.g. Profile) orbhsge lots of $ but refuse to pay a penny towards their own childs’ education. Divorced parents with second families sadly all too often walk away from their older kids. This isn’t the case here- merely using these as some of the many examples of sad situations for students whose dreams are dashed. I agree, hurry to find schools whose auto scholarships are still accepting applications (check Arizona state) and get those apps in! Even if all you are able to find out is the amount they will pay for each of you per year, it’s something. But the ball is in your court to find financially affordable schools.
Do what @redpoodles suggests in #52. Ideally, find a campus that allows you to live at home. (If you are close enough to Amherst to live at home, consider doing that).
Then sit down and have a talk with your parents next week along the lines others have suggested. Before that discussion, figure out what you can contribute with earnings from a part time job. Between living at home, getting a job, and adding in merit scholarships, you shoukd be able to get close.
If your parents aren’t comfortable discussing finances, that’s fine. But surely they will want to help you find a way forward? You may need to adjust your own expectations though.
Aunt Bea: I wanted to respond to your comment in #36. I didn’t understand what you said about UC’s and Cal State schools in terms of her have $5,000 per year to spend. My son is a senior and is applying to several UC’s and Cal State. The COA at UC’s is about $30k and Cal State is about $28K. If she only have $5k for each year, won’t she need to borrow $25k? Our family EFC is $23k and I thought that we would be responsible for a minimum of $23,000 per year, so I was confused by what you told this senior about her situation.