<p>My EFC is 07862. My step father's income brings the EFC up but he really does not have the responsibility to pay for College and my mother and him simply can't afford it. I don't think it's that high but it makes me ineligible for the Pell grant and other grants. I was relying on the money to pay for college and now it seems hopeless. I know it's really late but I have very busy with AP classes and dual enrollment so I havent had time to apply to many scholarships or even look into all of this. Is there anyone I can talk to? Like the financial aid people in my town or something? I live in Georgia.</p>
<p>Are you eligible for the HOPE? What are your parents planning to contribute?</p>
<p>You need to sit down with your parents, and talk about how they expect you to pay for your education. What can your family afford to pay? Something? Nothing? If it is something, you need that figure.</p>
<p>Add that to the $5,500 Stafford Loan you can get for your freshman year, and add in what you can earn this summer. That is your basic budget. For GA publics, you can add in any money you will be getting from HOPE.</p>
<p>Are any of the places you have been admitted to within your budget? If yes, well then you are OK. Go to that place.</p>
<p>If none of them are within your budget, then you need to decide if you are going to try to go somewhere this fall, or if you are going to take a Gap Year and reconsider your list. You may want to take a long hard look at the threads here on the topic of guaranteed merit-based scholarships. Some of those could work for you.</p>
<p>Well, they weren’t planning to. Because we seriously considered ourselves lower class. At least my mom and I by ourselves did. I am eligible for Hope, but I know it won’t pay for anything.</p>
<p>I got accepted to Georgia Tech and UGA and Tech is where I want to go. I have applied to some scholarships but have been rejected. I’m going to keep applying but the deposit is on may the first. To be honest I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to do since I’m not well informed at all. I’m considering the gap year but I wish I didnt because I just want to start right away.</p>
<h2>I am eligible for Hope, but I know it won’t pay for anything.</h2>
<p>??? Wont’ pay for anything? I think it pays for about 90% of your tuition. That’s surely something. </p>
<p>Your parents and you need to figure this out. Maybe mom has to work more hours or get a second job. you’ll have to work full time over summer and part-time during the school year. Save that money for school, don’t blow it on stuff.</p>
<p>You can borrow $5500. With that loan, HOPE, summer earnings, and some contribution from mom, you can probably go to Uga or GT.</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re a girl. Contact GT about other sources of money - explain about the stepdad situation. If you have good stats, perhaps they’ll work with you since GT usually wants more girls.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>HOPE ($3600) + loan ($5500) puts you almost within reach to cover tuition.</p>
<p>If you are able to commute to campus, then with full time summer job and part-time (on campus) job during the year, you probably will be able to cover almost everything.</p>
<p>Is you biological dad in the picture? Can he contribute something? </p>
<p>Your mom will probably be able to contribute something too, maybe not much but something. Don’t give up.</p>
<p>GT instate for tuition is $3,641 per semester. so, about 7300 per year.</p>
<p>The amount that you’d get from HOPE is $3181 TIMES TWO (that’s PER SEMESTER!)</p>
<p>So, you’d get about 6400 from HOPE.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.gsfc.org/main/publishing/pdf/2011/hope_award_amounts.pdf[/url]”>http://www.gsfc.org/main/publishing/pdf/2011/hope_award_amounts.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/student/tuition/Spring_2012/Spring12-all_fees.pdf[/url]”>http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/student/tuition/Spring_2012/Spring12-all_fees.pdf</a></p>
<p>Hope is more than $3600 for GA Tech; it is $6363 if you are enrolled in 15 credits per semester. Tuition and fees are projected to be approximately $10380 next fall. Still doesn’t help much with room & board though.</p>
<p>Yes, I was wrong about HOPE. I was looking at the wrong place (private colleges). </p>
<p>In this situation, HOPE plus $5500 will cover more than tuition. Going to Georgia Tech is absolutely possible with these numbers, even if you cannot commute. You will have to get a summer job and part-time job during the year. It will not be much fun, but you are not the only one who has to do that. Many other kids do it too. </p>
<p>Georgia Tech is a great school and with minimal (relatively speaking) financial investment you will have a degree that will open many doors for you.</p>
<p>If the student is a girl with strong stats, she should contact the Admissions director (the person in charge of the whole shebang of enrollment management) and explain her case (stepdad with the bigger income who doesn’t feel he should contribute). </p>
<p>This person has the power to find merit or whatever to give someone that they want. GT wants more girls, so you have that in your favor. Keep the email short and sweet. Include your stats and other pertinent info. Be VERY POLITE.</p>
<p>The OP’s EFC is within the EFC range I feel bad about … too high for need based aid at most schools and too low to be able to bridge the gap. Trying to get some merit from the school is an option. Otherwise, I think commuting to school is something to consider.</p>
<p>OP, have you received a financial aid package from the schools you were accepted to? Was there any scholarships mentioned? Most of the time the biggest scholarships a student gets is through the school that they attend.</p>
<p>Have you looked into the low interest loans that the state is now offering…</p>
<p>Need Based Loan Eligible students can seek a 1% loan to cover any of the costs associated with attending college. These student loans can also be forgiven altogether if loan recipients become certified and teach in a public K-12 school in the STEM field. Each year of service in the classroom will forgive one year of the student loan.</p>
<p>Current HOPE students are not grandfathered in they will see the reduction in the HOPE award beginning this fall, 2011.</p>
<p>Visit the Georgia Student Finance Commission website at GAcollege411 for more details regarding changes to the HOPE Scholarship program.</p>
<p>Sorry, I meant aside from tuition. Hope wont cover anything else, like housing and living expenses</p>
<p>Yes, I am a girl. I believe I have strong stats. Only one B in an AP class throughout high school and the rest are A’s. I will be graduating with 8 AP Classes and two dual enrolled classes.</p>
<p>Ahh I should really look into the scholarships in the school since I’ve been applying to general scholarships that seem to have too much comptetition.</p>
<p>Crhystal…</p>
<p>A student loan, some work study, and money earned from a summer job should cover most of your costs. Have your mom apply for a Plus Loan if there’s a little bit more to cover. But, you need to try to much of this yourself…it is do-able.</p>
<p>Did any of the GA publics offer you any merit? Like Georgia St or Georgia Southern?</p>
<p>Talk to your mom…she may not be able to pay the EFC, but she probably could pay a couple of thousand. Can she work more hours? Get a second job? Are you working?</p>
<p>Set up an appointment with the financial aid department at Georgia tech. I have found that meeting face-to-face with these people can be a real benefit. Thirty years ago, I wanted to attend summer school. The FA found an obscure bookstore scholarship that nicely paid the tuition that summer. With both of my kids, I was able to arrange for better financial situations. Be sure to have all of your parent’s 1040 data. Even better, see if a parent will go with you to the meeting with the papers. And, as someone else mentioned, show a lot of humility. You have a lot going for you with your stats and, perhaps, they will be able to help you.</p>
<p>What should I say or do when I get there? I’m very unsure of what I’m supposed to do because my counselor really doesn’t help much.</p>