Fed Financial
Help me with understanding financial aid! Please?
I'm going to a private college in California. I live in Alabama, i have one brother, parent's are married, and my mother is currently pregnant and will be delivering in June. My parent's combined income is 92,000 dollars and I worked this year and made 10,000 dollars. The college in California has a cost of 46,000 a year. (St. Mary's college of California) I got the scholars at entrance scholarship which is 12,000 dollars a year... I'm so worried that I won't be able to finance this. I don't think they will take into consideration that my mom will be having a child this year and I don't think I'll get any free money( grants, scholarships) my EFC is 18,000 dollars... I really need to get down to my EFC at least, hopefully more. What are my odds of getting this much financial aid.. If I can get down to 18,000 a year I can take out loans and my parents will pay some. I really need some help. Do you think I can call after I get my fafsa and explain my moms condition and get more aid? I have 5 schools that I have sent my fafsa to... St. Mary's College of California, Santa Clara University, Dominican University of California, University of La Verne, and Spring Hill College. All of those except the last are in California. I can't stay in Alabama... it's just not happening. I absolutly hate it, I can't survive in Alabama any longer, I've waited 18 years to get out and finally I have a chance. I'm okay with going into 30,000 dollars of debt, I'm okay with working 25 hours a week during college and I'm okay with living off of air and water as long as I am out of Alabama and in California with the most of my family. I just need to get my enough money to bring me to my EFC of 18,000 dollars... my parents will help me by paying about 24,000 for all four years and taking out about 10,000 in loans... of course I could maybe get them to higher those numbers a bit. And I'm okay with going into 30,000 debt... that's like a new car which is great for 4 years of college Santa Clara is basically out of the picture as they have only given me 4,500 a year in scholarships and their cost is 50,000 a year... on the other hand Dominican University is a bit cheaper and offerend me 15,000 but I don't like that school as much as St. Mary's. I've never visited the University of La Verne but they offered me 14,000 and their cost is about 40,000 a year but they are located in greater L.A. and I have no family there which would be harder on me. I have family that lives only a few hours away from the Bay area where the other 3 Californian colleges are at. I really don't know what to do. I just wanna break down and cry cause I've sacraficed so much for this over 4 years of highschool and now I'm stuck cause my parents make to much and aren't ablt to afford 18,000 a year. I need help and I don't wanna go into SOOOO much debt but I will do that before I stay here in this shit hole Alabama
Public Comments
- here is what you need to do. 1. Add a couple of schools to your fafsa that are cheaper NOW... a few fall backs, just in case things don't work out. 46K is ludicrous, ahem... anyway... 2. check your fafsa and make sure you have the correct number of "people in the household". Include yourself, your parents, any siblings that live with your parents and those that don't and are in college and are also reporting parents income on the fafsa. And also include the unborn baby in this number. 3. Never judge a college by the "amount" of scholarship money you get. But by the total loans you have to take out for the 4 years you'll be there. A scholarship of 2,000 a semester may sound horrible, but if it pays for EVERYTHING, it is really the better deal compared to 12,000 St Mary's. Graduating with a debt of 34X4=136K. Ouch! Who wants to be burdened with a 1400 per month student loan payment after you graduate.. be sure you major in something that would support that. I don't know about getting more aid for mom being pregnant, at a school that costs 46K a year, I'm sure every single kid there gives some sob story... I wouldn't hold your breath.
- You can go to http://www.all-about-scholarship.com or http://e-how-2.info/2008/02/25/how-to-get-scholarships it's about scholarships information. Good luck
