FAFSA questions

[barkley]

Who is generally getting hurt the most during this pandemic? Those without college degrees. I can agree that not all kids have the aptitude or desire to go to a 4-year school. And that's okay. But statements like yours are somewhat misleading IMO.

i have to respectfully disagree.

i personally know of and hear on our local/statewide (including a nearby state) news of SO MANY professionals that are being laid off or their jobs entirely eliminated. we've seen sweeping eliminations of degreed medical professionals because hospitals are no longer able to do elective surgeries which has been their 'bread and butter' income. our universities are eliminating professors and degreed student support staff left and right-eliminating, not laying off or furloughing. they are combining positions and duties such that even when/if things return to some semblance of 'normal' instruction they intend to carry on with the cost savings they've implemented. public school teachers in subjects that are not state mandated and don't lend themselves to distance learning are being let go. our libraries haven't been open for months so no work for their all college grad staffs (both public and universities). our banks and other financial institutions reopened for a heartbeat but are now only for drive through so their accountants and such have experienced layoffs. 'in house' accountants/bookkeepers/hr staff no longer have a 'house' to be in-and employers are finding that it can be less expensive to outsource and eliminate those jobs. just about every 'professional' industry has been hit hard here.

unless a job requires by law or contractually (often with a government contract) that a particular job be done by an employee with a specific degree or certification a good number of employers are choosing to let higher paid college grads go in favor of retaining less expensive non grads who may already have the skills to take on these jobs by virtue of being existing support staff or are easily trainable on the job (dd's employer eliminated several categories of college educated management and i/t when during a major shutdown they came to realization that their existing staff could do as well if not better absent them).

on average people with 4-year degrees are faring far better right now than those without because their jobs are much more likely to translate into remote work.

i guess it depends on where you live. we have the massive computer industry on the west side of our state (seattle) but they are having issues w/some staff on remote working b/c the insane cost of living creates shared housing such that it's not conducive to remote working/the draw on internet (6 roommates all trying to work at the same time-not an ideal set up). in my neck of the woods the internet is not reliable enough so some employers have cut staff in order to be able to do social distancing w/in their offices. some degree/grad degree human and civil services are precluded from working from home because of laws in place that prohibit legal and personal information from being transmitted via public internet sources. the department of vocational rehabilitation in our region can't do face to face meetings with clients but are prohibited from communication of certain information via the internet so there are massive numbers of staff furloughed and clients placed on deferral lists.



right now in our area there are a wealth of what most consider entry level jobs-but they are offering as much as starting at twice the minimum union starting wage. there are constant ads on radio and television for trades jobs-offering full pay, full benefits, 401k's, paid holidays and vacations-all for entry level opportunities that provide apprenticeships at wages starting at around high $20's-low $30's an hour before overtime kicks in (and given it can take a month or more to get an electrician out to so much as bid on a job-they are doing TONS of ot on nights and weekends right now).


again, i guess it depends allot on where you live.

 

[havaneselover]

i have to respectfully disagree.

i personally know of and hear on our local/statewide (including a nearby state) news of SO MANY professionals that are being laid off or their jobs entirely eliminated. we've seen sweeping eliminations of degreed medical professionals because hospitals are no longer able to do elective surgeries which has been their 'bread and butter' income. our universities are eliminating professors and degreed student support staff left and right-eliminating, not laying off or furloughing. they are combining positions and duties such that even when/if things return to some semblance of 'normal' instruction they intend to carry on with the cost savings they've implemented. public school teachers in subjects that are not state mandated and don't lend themselves to distance learning are being let go. our libraries haven't been open for months so no work for their all college grad staffs (both public and universities). our banks and other financial institutions reopened for a heartbeat but are now only for drive through so their accountants and such have experienced layoffs. 'in house' accountants/bookkeepers/hr staff no longer have a 'house' to be in-and employers are finding that it can be less expensive to outsource and eliminate those jobs. just about every 'professional' industry has been hit hard here.

unless a job requires by law or contractually (often with a government contract) that a particular job be done by an employee with a specific degree or certification a good number of employers are choosing to let higher paid college grads go in favor of retaining less expensive non grads who may already have the skills to take on these jobs by virtue of being existing support staff or are easily trainable on the job (dd's employer eliminated several categories of college educated management and i/t when during a major shutdown they came to realization that their existing staff could do as well if not better absent them).





i guess it depends on where you live. we have the massive computer industry on the west side of our state (seattle) but they are having issues w/some staff on remote working b/c the insane cost of living creates shared housing such that it's not conducive to remote working/the draw on internet (6 roommates all trying to work at the same time-not an ideal set up). in my neck of the woods the internet is not reliable enough so some employers have cut staff in order to be able to do social distancing w/in their offices. some degree/grad degree human and civil services are precluded from working from home because of laws in place that prohibit legal and personal information from being transmitted via public internet sources. the department of vocational rehabilitation in our region can't do face to face meetings with clients but are prohibited from communication of certain information via the internet so there are massive numbers of staff furloughed and clients placed on deferral lists.



right now in our area there are a wealth of what most consider entry level jobs-but they are offering as much as starting at twice the minimum union starting wage. there are constant ads on radio and television for trades jobs-offering full pay, full benefits, 401k's, paid holidays and vacations-all for entry level opportunities that provide apprenticeships at wages starting at around high $20's-low $30's an hour before overtime kicks in (and given it can take a month or more to get an electrician out to so much as bid on a job-they are doing TONS of ot on nights and weekends right now).


again, i guess it depends allot on where you live.

Your experience is very different from the story the national data are telling.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michae...for-those-with-a-college-degree/#542e4b12e29c
https://www.brookings.edu/research/unemployment-among-young-workers-during-covid-19/
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46554
Workers without a college degree experienced worse unemployment rates in April (e.g., 21.2% for workers with no high school degree) than workers with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (8.4%). The gap between educated and less-educated workers remained in September.

 

[MrsPete]

Your savings are indeed used for factoring if you will receive any financial aid from the school. We had 100K set aside for our son and reported it on the FAFSA. His school's annual tuition was $58,000, so, we had two years saved up for private college. His university gave us $5k in aid! After two years, savings was gone, but they continued to base decisions on that 100K we had reported years earlier.

We intend to put aside money for our not-quite-here-yet grandchild, but I think we may keep it in our names. If the babe's parents continue on their current trajectory, they'll be able to pay for college easily -- but things can happen. If one of them should be disabled, for example, it might be good to have that money in our (the grandparents') names. Hadn't considered that previously.

I've seen our larger in-state at around $30,000. But 50,000 is insane for a program telling kids they should plan to never make half of that.

Agree, but here's the thing: high school seniors aren't known for their ability to make well thought-out, long-term plans. So it's up to the parents to sit down with the students and a calculator and show them how borrowing for such a program (mixed with such a salary) will affect their future. Doesn't mean the kid's stupid -- just that the kid is inexperienced.

I mean, 18-year old me clearly understood that $30,000 and $50,000 are both a lot of money, and she knew one was a lot more than the other, but she DID NOT KNOW (and didn't understand how to get the information) whether a person earning $30,000 could expect to buy a home, drive a new car, and live comfortably -- or whether that person would be struggling to get by. I think that's pretty much average for an 18-year old kid.

I've heard kids make decisions about college for stupid, stupid reasons. Examples of things my high school seniors have said to me:
- I want to go to graduate from [insert our state's flagship university - a real power house] but I also want to attend [insert Florida university]. So I'm going to Florida first, then I'll transfer back here for my last two years, and my diploma will bear the name of the school I want. When I pointed out that this meant paying out-of-state tuition for all four years, the student said, "Yeah, but that doesn't really add that much cost, does it?"
- I remember one student who was very anxious to attend a certain college because the on-campus apartments had granite countertops. (I've heard lots of students say they wouldn't attend this-or-that university because the dorms aren't nice enough, but this granite-countertop concept was over-the-top.)
- I remember one student who was excited about attending a super-pricey /lackluster academic school because they offer check-outs of X-Boxes (I think it was X-Boxes) at the desks in the dorms. I pointed out that this university costs 3Xs as much as our very reasonable state universities, and with the price difference the student could buy a new X-Box every week and still be ahead -- student didn't get it /insisted that the X-Box check out costs nothing!
- I remember a student who was dead-set on attending a certain college because they have a nice game room with no-cost pool tables.
- I've heard lots of students reject this-or-that university because they don't allow freshmen to have cars on campus.
- I remember one student who was willing to go into debt to attend a school up North because she'd "always had a vision of herself walking down the street in a snowy college town in a cute little coat and scarf".

Oh, my, my students say some ridiculously short-sighted things.

I think College is necessary ...

Eh, only 25% of all Americans have a BA or BS (though 30% claim they have a degree -- this number is climbing. So college can't really be "necessary" if the majority of Americans don't have it.

On the other hand, if you say that (pretty much) everyone needs something beyond high school, I'll agree. Trade school, military, apprenticeships are all ways to gain this training.

There's no way to guarantee that any degree would result in a well paying career.

Well, a lot of degrees are good for "becoming a better you", but very clearly don't lead to jobs.

... Dental hygenist is a good example of a high paying job not needing a 4-year degree ...

Point 1: Do consider that things change. This is a job that's become "saturated" (at least in my area). That is, PEOPLE KNOW that it's a career-oriented job that provides a good salary, steady hours, and benefits -- and now new grads can't get their foot in the door.

Similar jobs that people don't talk about as much: Respiratory therapist, Radiology tech, Surgical tech. These all require an Associate's Degree and are more /less similar in pay /benefits to Dental Hygenist.

It's kinda like people say, "Become a plumber! It's a good-paying job in the trades, and people are always willing to pay what the plumber charges." It's true, but NOT EVERYONE can be a plumber. The world doesn't need that many plumbers -- but it also needs electricians, trim carpenters, and HVAC people.

Point 2: Dental hygenist isn't really a high-paying job, but it is a high-paying job compared to other jobs that require the same education.

Workers without a college degree experienced worse unemployment rates in April (e.g., 21.2% for workers with no high school degree) than workers with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (8.4%). The gap between educated and less-educated workers remained in September.

It's always been true -- at least for a century or more -- that people with a degree ON AVERAGE earn more money and are less likely to be unemployed. Of course, exceptions exist; for example, the plumber is likely to earn more /be employed, while a lot of peope with music degrees work at Best Buy and teach guitar to kids in the evenings.

 

[tvguy]

Eh, only 25% of all Americans have a BA or BS (though 30% claim they have a degree -- this number is climbing. So college can't really be "necessary" if the majority of Americans don't have it.

Google disagrees.

Bachelor's degree	34.98%

 

[MrsPete]

Google disagrees.

Bachelor's degree	34.98%

Try the US Census.

Even if you accept 35%, that still leaves 2/3 of Americans without a degree. The point is that a degree isn't "necessary".

 

[havaneselover]

We intend to put aside money for our not-quite-here-yet grandchild, but I think we may keep it in our names. If the babe's parents continue on their current trajectory, they'll be able to pay for college easily -- but things can happen. If one of them should be disabled, for example, it might be good to have that money in our (the grandparents') names. Hadn't considered that previously.
Agree, but here's the thing: high school seniors aren't known for their ability to make well thought-out, long-term plans. So it's up to the parents to sit down with the students and a calculator and show them how borrowing for such a program (mixed with such a salary) will affect their future. Doesn't mean the kid's stupid -- just that the kid is inexperienced.

I mean, 18-year old me clearly understood that $30,000 and $50,000 are both a lot of money, and she knew one was a lot more than the other, but she DID NOT KNOW (and didn't understand how to get the information) whether a person earning $30,000 could expect to buy a home, drive a new car, and live comfortably -- or whether that person would be struggling to get by. I think that's pretty much average for an 18-year old kid.

I've heard kids make decisions about college for stupid, stupid reasons. Examples of things my high school seniors have said to me:
- I want to go to graduate from [insert our state's flagship university - a real power house] but I also want to attend [insert Florida university]. So I'm going to Florida first, then I'll transfer back here for my last two years, and my diploma will bear the name of the school I want. When I pointed out that this meant paying out-of-state tuition for all four years, the student said, "Yeah, but that doesn't really add that much cost, does it?"
- I remember one student who was very anxious to attend a certain college because the on-campus apartments had granite countertops. (I've heard lots of students say they wouldn't attend this-or-that university because the dorms aren't nice enough, but this granite-countertop concept was over-the-top.)
- I remember one student who was excited about attending a super-pricey /lackluster academic school because they offer check-outs of X-Boxes (I think it was X-Boxes) at the desks in the dorms. I pointed out that this university costs 3Xs as much as our very reasonable state universities, and with the price difference the student could buy a new X-Box every week and still be ahead -- student didn't get it /insisted that the X-Box check out costs nothing!
- I remember a student who was dead-set on attending a certain college because they have a nice game room with no-cost pool tables.
- I've heard lots of students reject this-or-that university because they don't allow freshmen to have cars on campus.
- I remember one student who was willing to go into debt to attend a school up North because she'd "always had a vision of herself walking down the street in a snowy college town in a cute little coat and scarf".

Oh, my, my students say some ridiculously short-sighted things.
Eh, only 25% of all Americans have a BA or BS (though 30% claim they have a degree -- this number is climbing. So college can't really be "necessary" if the majority of Americans don't have it.

On the other hand, if you say that (pretty much) everyone needs something beyond high school, I'll agree. Trade school, military, apprenticeships are all ways to gain this training.
Well, a lot of degrees are good for "becoming a better you", but very clearly don't lead to jobs.
Point 1: Do consider that things change. This is a job that's become "saturated" (at least in my area). That is, PEOPLE KNOW that it's a career-oriented job that provides a good salary, steady hours, and benefits -- and now new grads can't get their foot in the door.

Similar jobs that people don't talk about as much: Respiratory therapist, Radiology tech, Surgical tech. These all require an Associate's Degree and are more /less similar in pay /benefits to Dental Hygenist.

It's kinda like people say, "Become a plumber! It's a good-paying job in the trades, and people are always willing to pay what the plumber charges." It's true, but NOT EVERYONE can be a plumber. The world doesn't need that many plumbers -- but it also needs electricians, trim carpenters, and HVAC people.

Point 2: Dental hygenist isn't really a high-paying job, but it is a high-paying job compared to other jobs that require the same education.
It's always been true -- at least for a century or more -- that people with a degree ON AVERAGE earn more money and are less likely to be unemployed. Of course, exceptions exist; for example, the plumber is likely to earn more /be employed, while a lot of peope with music degrees work at Best Buy and teach guitar to kids in the evenings.

So, average wages for dental hygenists are $77,200 nationally compared with an average annual wage of $53,900. I have a hard time seeing how that's not high paying. Demand is projected to grow nationally at twice the average rate over the next ten years. Also, the current unemployment rate is 3.2 percentage points below the unemployment rate for all occupations. Finally, nationally it looks like one-year demand is about 18k (includes growth, retirements, etc.) but degrees awarded is only about half that. So I don't really get the saturated comment. But this thread is full of anecdotes and not a whole lot of data.

 

[havaneselover]

Try the US Census.

Even if you accept 35%, that still leaves 2/3 of Americans without a degree. The point is that a degree isn't "necessary".

ACS 2014-2018 says 32.9% of Americans have at least a Bachelor's degree.

 

[tvguy]

Try the US Census.

Even if you accept 35%, that still leaves 2/3 of Americans without a degree. The point is that a degree isn't "necessary".

The US Census data is 10 years old. No, not necessary but can open doors.

 

[barkley]

Your experience is very different from the story the national data are telling.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michae...for-those-with-a-college-degree/#542e4b12e29c
https://www.brookings.edu/research/unemployment-among-young-workers-during-covid-19/
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46554
Workers without a college degree experienced worse unemployment rates in April (e.g., 21.2% for workers with no high school degree) than workers with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (8.4%). The gap between educated and less-educated workers remained in September.

again, i think it's highly dependent on where a person lives. UW Medicine has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 locally and globally but they've done massive staff cuts including 1-8 week unpaid furloughs for 5% of their staff (1500 professionals).

no matter where we live-i think it's going to get worse before it gets better-across the board, and i strongly suspect some employers will do as they did during the last recession and use this as an opportunity to streamline some job classifications, combine others and use this as a justification for permanent pay cuts (i retired from civil service in 2004; between the furloughs and wage reductions that occurred during the recession that followed many of my same seniority/same classification coworkers were not back to their pre-recession wages as long as 10 years later IF their jobs hadn't been eliminated altogether).

 

[havaneselover]

again, i think it's highly dependent on where a person lives. UW Medicine has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 locally and globally but they've done massive staff cuts including 1-8 week unpaid furloughs for 5% of their staff (1500 professionals).

no matter where we live-i think it's going to get worse before it gets better-across the board, and i strongly suspect some employers will do as they did during the last recession and use this as an opportunity to streamline some job classifications, combine others and use this as a justification for permanent pay cuts (i retired from civil service in 2004; between the furloughs and wage reductions that occurred during the recession that followed many of my same seniority/same classification coworkers were not back to their pre-recession wages as long as 10 years later IF their jobs hadn't been eliminated altogether).

That's why I'm sharing national data

And I don't pretend to know what will happen. Way too much uncertainty with the election and the pandemic.

 

[afan]

again, i think it's highly dependent on where a person lives. UW Medicine has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 locally and globally but they've done massive staff cuts including 1-8 week unpaid furloughs for 5% of their staff (1500 professionals).

But are you talking only about the main UW Medicine campus? Because I can got 10 minutes down the road to one of their clinics. They've turned into a big network of doctors over the past two decades in the Puget Sound area. So to say 1500 are furloughed isn't that much if you are talking about the entire network. Plus, being a teaching hospital they are going to have elective procedures that people couldn't have done. Comparing their research side, being the forefront of covid, and the business side of needing to have money coming in to pay people, and those people needing to be able to do their jobs, like elective surgery, to get that money coming in are two different things and not at all related.

 

[mistysue]

Well, a lot of degrees are good for "becoming a better you", but very clearly don't lead to jobs.
Point 1: Do consider that things change. This is a job that's become "saturated" (at least in my area). That is, PEOPLE KNOW that it's a career-oriented job that provides a good salary, steady hours, and benefits -- and now new grads can't get their foot in the door.

I agree with so much of what you said- especially about jobs changing. Market saturation destroyed how I view our university system. I grew up in an environment where everyone had to go to college; it was simply what you do. I saw way too many people burned.
The big thing that everyone needed in my year were more teachers, we had nowhere near enough teachers. I can't even count how many people I know within a couple years of me who got their teaching degree and never got a job in a school due to saturation. Career waitresses and customer service reps with certifications and even masters degrees in a field that was a "sure bet" at the time. By the time they were 5 years out from school now they were rejected because there were fresher candidates.

There are certainly responsible or irresponsible decisions an individual could make, but it rubs me the wrong way for anyone to suggest that it's a sure shot if you pick the right field. People pick perfectly and the world shifts, some make horrible decisions and luck out.

 

[barkley]

There are certainly responsible or irresponsible decisions an individual could make, but it rubs me the wrong way for anyone to suggest that it's a sure shot if you pick the right field. People pick perfectly and the world shifts, some make horrible decisions and luck out.

and some b/c they are choosing fields/careers in the teens find that by the time they are either finishing their majors (and feel they are too late in the program to change majors) or are a few years into it-that they are entirely unsuited to it.

i graduated from high school in 1979 and when our 10 year reunion came around there were a significant number of people who had graduated from college w/the major they chose in high school but were not working in that major. come our 20th reunion it was the minority that was working in their major-with many having gone back for new degrees. by the 30th-really, the only ones working in their major were those few entirely dedicated or so far in student debt due to going into law or medicine they felt they had no choice. my oldest child graduated high school in 2013, and i'm seeing the same thing with her peers-they, felt pressured to decide on a major in high school and despite losing interest/seeing poor work prospects during their college years decided they couldn't change paths. few if any of them are working in their major fields.

i really wish that students were not called upon to declare a major until midway through their junior year in college.

 

[yeahdisney]

I realized I left off a category I needed to report. When I went back in to correct that value: I was looking at a question before it. I realized the 0 that is the preset answer got blended into my now- incorrect answer.
FAFSA my nemesis.

 

[QueenIsabella]

DH was working on this last night. I know, because he came looking for DD17's SSN. I have no idea how far he got with it...

 

[crisi]

and some b/c they are choosing fields/careers in the teens find that by the time they are either finishing their majors (and feel they are too late in the program to change majors) or are a few years into it-that they are entirely unsuited to it.

i graduated from high school in 1979 and when our 10 year reunion came around there were a significant number of people who had graduated from college w/the major they chose in high school but were not working in that major. come our 20th reunion it was the minority that was working in their major-with many having gone back for new degrees. by the 30th-really, the only ones working in their major were those few entirely dedicated or so far in student debt due to going into law or medicine they felt they had no choice. my oldest child graduated high school in 2013, and i'm seeing the same thing with her peers-they, felt pressured to decide on a major in high school and despite losing interest/seeing poor work prospects during their college years decided they couldn't change paths. few if any of them are working in their major fields.

i really wish that students were not called upon to declare a major until midway through their junior year in college.

There are a few professions where you need the matching degree - its hard to be an electrical engineer without a degree. But there are LOTS of jobs that don't have a corresponding major. I was a Project Manager for a number of years - there isn't a major for that. You can be a developer in IT without a CS degree - its going to help you get your foot in the door, but it isn't necessary. Business Analyst. Process Analyst. Security Auditor. Salesperson. Management jobs certainly don't require a management degree.

 

[tvguy]

There are a few professions where you need the matching degree - its hard to be an electrical engineer without a degree. But there are LOTS of jobs that don't have a corresponding major. I was a Project Manager for a number of years - there isn't a major for that. You can be a developer in IT without a CS degree - its going to help you get your foot in the door, but it isn't necessary. Business Analyst. Process Analyst. Security Auditor. Salesperson. Management jobs certainly don't require a management degree.

Well, the trend in my industry is Managers with little or no experience in our business, but a degree in management. Managing a TV newsroom these days is less about Journalism and more about knowledge of dealing with EEOC, recruiting, employee conflicts, scheduling, and negotiating pay.
Although my immediate supervisor does an amazing job handling everything including Journalism, with just a High School diploma.

 

[MNswimmer18]

I have so much to add! Where to start...

I have a bachelors in a field I will probably never work in because I moved back home (I did informational interviews - in home state - before I graduated and they said they wouldn't hire me because I didn't go to the Universtiy here). I did apply to some places, but didn't get a call back. Wish I knew that when I switched my major! Though I will not work in the field, the jobs I've had had all required a bachelors. The positions I had in college is what really helped me get my post collage positions.

The FASFA was so frustrating my parents didn't have any money (I helped pay for food/bills while living with them, I helped them figure out how to pay down dept when I graduated), and they still had 5 kids at home, and they still said my parents needed to contribute a ton! They didn't give me a penny (not that I was expecting them to, considering I had been helping pay bills since I had my first job).

For some reason, they let me go to my choice out of state college without the money to pay for the first semester. I actually looked at transferring home after the first semester, but I'm glad I didn't. I managed to stay there, graduate, and I had a lot less dept then my friends did. This is what I did.

• Got a job that paid room & board (others mentioned RA). Most can't do this freshman year, but after that. My job, I was able to start partly through my freshman year.
• I signed up for diferred payments. This allowed me to pay my bill in several chunks.
• I had a great work study job. This was not one I could study at, but lead to great opportunities.
• I had my car with me, but parked it really far away at the cheepest lot.
• Halfway through my sophmore year I got a job like an RA, but for the appartments. The were different levels and one of the ones I had paid for our rent, and paid me on top of that. Then got the grounds keeping job with them as well.
• My sophmore year I was able to go part-time and get residency. There was a lot of paperwork and rules involved. Each place is different, so that would need to be looked at before going to college. This saved me so much money! My first two years (and second was part-time remember), cost more then my last three! I did go to school in the summer that year to not get too far behind.
• I also got a job offsite at a school.
• During my 3rd year, I was asked at my work study position to apply for a full-time opening they had. I did and got the job. Part of my job was supervising the work study students in the evening, so that allowed me to go to some classes during the day and work in the evening. This was awesome because they paid for a lot of my schooling. And I had much better health insurance! And I was able to start putting money away for retirement while still in college. And that is the job that really got me interviews when I graduated
• My 4th year, I was really feeling tired of all the work. I was able to drop down to just my full time position in March. Thankfully, with my full time position, I was able to not take out any loans for the last two years. Which worked out well, because I got married in May of my 4th year, and ended up having an emergancy major surgery shortly after we got back, and there's no way I would have been able to keep it all up!
• I did get a few scholarships and grants, but not a lot. I probably could have gotten more, but didn't have the time to put work into it.

With all that said, I graduated in 5 years, moved back home, bought a house (with my husband) a little over a year after graduating, and paid off my student dept within 9 years. Honestly, most of my friends also took 5 years to graduate.

Now I will add:

I'm really glad not to have such high college dept when I graduated. I'm glad were able to buy a house so soon (though honestly, rent around here would have been about the same as our mortgage). But, I did miss out on a lot. I worked a lot of weekends and hours. That really cut down on hanging with my friends. There were a lot of things I missed out on. So if you can help a little that would be great. But I would let them know what you will be paying for - a dollar amount, or books, etc. There were kids I met that didn't have to work or pay for anything and they messed around and didn't do the best in school because they weren't invested and didn't care if they had to take the class again.

Our kids are young, but I didn't want my kids to work as hard as I did in college. So this is what we're doing - anytime someone give cash (birthday, Christmas, any other holiday) I round up and put in an account for them. My oldest (6), already has more in her account then I did when I went to college. I think it's important to work during college because the skills they learn there will help them in the long run, but I don't want them to miss out on so much.

Someone mentioned how college is good for life. I totally agree. I was able to grow so much (and a lot more then if I stayed home - not that that was an option). Also, the friendships I made are amazing! The closest group I have is from my freshman year dorm. We are still all such good friends. If my kids go to trade school, I'd probably encurage them to get an appartment with friends after their first year if not during their first year. Living in that type of environment is so good for growth, and there isn't many chances to do it.

Sorry for the long post! I'm have so many feelings when people talk about paying for college!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Hey FAFSA experts, hoping for some direction! FAFSA completed, success! In the application she entered about 10 schools. So now we will hear from each school as far as grants/loans/whatevers, is that right?

Also, she hasn't applied to all of those schools. Should she have done that first? Should she do it now, or after we hear from each school?

We are flying kind of blind here. Her highschool is big and really isn't doing much to help with this or providing much direction.

 

[dreamer17555]

You can apply after filling out FAFSA. Schools will not send out aid information until she is accepted. Look at schools deadlines. Early action schools are great but be VERY careful with Early Decision as it is binding if accepted.