<p>Hey guys I am going to attend Bergen Community College in NJ for 2 years, and then will be transferring to either NJIT or Rutgers for Computer Science... I will like to know Will I be able to get financial aid while attending Bergen, and if so how much? I am a African-American Male with a single mother who makes around > $ 65,000 a year. Will I be able to get financial aid? And if so much will it cover? </p>
<p>Thank you... :)</p>
<p>An income of $65k is probably too high for need based federal grant aid (unless you have siblings in school at the same time). But you will be eligible for federal loans of $5500 as a freshman. </p>
<p>If you have good stats you may be eligible for merit aid, depending on what the school offers in the way of scholarships.</p>
<p>Wait, But I truly cant pay for college. Why is it to high, I live in NJ with a single mother which has 2 children… They really wont provide me with any financial aid?</p>
<p>Wait, but did you look at their web pages for costs and their financial aid info?</p>
<p>LokiTar,</p>
<p>What is the Cost of Attendance at that community college? Tuition and fees at our local community college here in Maryland would be fully covered by a Stafford Loan, and most students would be able to make enough money to cover their books, meals, and transportation with just a part-time job. Check through the website carefully, and find out if any merit-based scholarships are offered as well. That could make it possible to avoid the loans.</p>
<p>Someone I know got enough financial aid from fafsa to cover both the cost of books and tuition for both semesters in community college in texas. I’m not sure how all this works though. You should ask your counselor or some knowledgeable person. Sorry if that wasn’t helpful. Have u done the fafsa yet?</p>
<p>Yea I am thinking about putting my fathers income on my FAFSA and stating that I live with him instead of my mother. He only makes around 40,000 a year and has 7 children… 
But if I put that I live with him when I really don’t will I get in trouble? I really need this money, and I dont want to take out a loan for community college, I want to save the loans for the college I am going to after Community…</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the FAFSA is now cross referenced with the IRS</p>
<p>Willful misrepresentation (fraud) is grounds for being </p>
<p>dismissed from college
a felony punishable by jail and fines (because both you and your parents state the information on the fafsa is true)
you will have to repay all monies given to you</p>
<p>you will be ineligible for financial aid in the future</p>
<p>That would be fraud. And yes, it could get you in a lot of trouble (see sybbie’s post).</p>
<p>Your EFC, on which aid is based, is based on the income and assets of the parent you live with. To get federal grant aid requires a very low income. $65,000 is not low income and will probably give you an EFC of around 8000 ish which is too high for the Pell grant (the cut off EFC is currently in the 5200 ish range).</p>
<p>Doesnt NJ also have need based aid with a higher income level than feds? Or have they eliminated that? dont they also have programs for CC transfers to 4 yr schools in NJ?</p>
<p>Unless someone from NJ pipes up, please see finaid counselor at CC in NJ and talk to them. I assume you are NJ resident.</p>
<p>Check to see if you are eligible for TAG (Tuition Aid Grant) for NJ residents.
they have an online TAG estimator</p>
<p>[HESAA</a> - Tuition Aid Grant (TAG)](<a href=“http://www.hesaa.org/index.php?page=tuition-aid-grant-tag]HESAA”>http://www.hesaa.org/index.php?page=tuition-aid-grant-tag)</p>
<p>Bottom line: OP needs to read the Bergen Comm Coll web info for finaid. It’s right there, online. Costs for tuition and RB are each run around $4500. Various aid resources- and instructions- are shown there. After that, he can speak with the cc.</p>
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<p>First…FAFSA doesn’t “give money”. It’s a financial application form. That being said…by completing the FAFSA, your friend’s family contribution MIGHT have been $0. If that was the case, he/she would have gotten a $5200 Pell Grant AND $5500 Stafford loan which sure would have covered tuition/books for two semesters at his/her community college. </p>
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<p>That’s called fraud. Others have explained above.</p>
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<p>If the OP is commuting from home, he/she would be eligible for a $5500 Stafford loan. This would cover the costs of tuition (if this info is accurate and it’s only $4500) AND the costs of books.</p>
<p>I will try anything to stay out of the loan, even it is granted. Try to squeeze some thing out of your summer job or from your parents. I don’t want to see you have a $9,000 debt before you go to the 4 yr college, at that time you will need more help.</p>
<p>OP, assuming you’re a HS senior this year, does your dad live close enough to you that you could actually live with him and stay at the same school? I wouldn’t recommend lying on your FAFSA app - clearly schools will have info from your HS and other sources that would make this easy to spot. But if you do switch custodial parents, I don’t think that would be a problem as it’s very common for teenagers to choose to live with the NCP once they are old enough to make that choice.</p>
<p>Does Bergen offer any merit scholarships? That may be another option you should investigate.</p>
<p>Yea I never knew I could get into so much trouble just for putting that I live with another person when I really don’t… But what happens if move with my dad after HS and put that I moved with him after High school, and put all of my addresses and info as his house? Will I qualify for living with him then?</p>
<p>Not for the 2012-2013 school year. For FAFSA, it is the person you lived with the most in the preceding year. Which for 2011 is your Mom.</p>
<p>2011 is not done yet. Time for OP to check the calendar. If he has spent many days at NCP, it may be possible to change.</p>
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You never knew you could get in trouble by getting money you weren’t entitled to through lying? Really?</p>
<p>If OP were to switch residences, wouldn’t mom lose tax breaks for a dependent- possibly a big chunk of Bergen’s tutition cost? She could lose the college tax credits for any payments she does make. And, child support, if there is any. So often, CC folks tell kids to look at a cc for the cost savings- but part of the idea is also often that the student can take on a part-time job during hs senior year and work as many hours as possible next summer. ?</p>