FAFSA questions

[MrsPete]

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!

Wow, your financial journey through college sounds so much like mine: big family, zero financial support, lots of pieces coming together to get you through -- part time occasionally, a job that provided room and board. It took me seven years to earn two degrees, but I didn't borrow anything. If I could go back in time, I can see some things I could have done more effectively, but overall I'd make the same work-hard-today-and-avoid-borrowing choices.

Hey FAFSA experts, hoping for some direction! FAFSA completed, success! In the application she entered about 10 schools.

Ten schools is too much. Ten schools essentially means you haven't been selective enough. Junior year is for considering 10 schools; senior year is for having it narrowed down to a select few that could work well. Most aid is not school-based, so that shouldn't be a big consideration.

I suggest she look at schools in three categories:

- Her dream school. If everything could come together in her favor, where would she want to go? Apply to that school, even if it seems like a stretch. For someone, the planets align: the unforseen scholarship, etc. Try.

- Two realistic schools (three, if she absolutely must). Probably state schools, realistically close to home. These are schools that are affordable, schools where she is pretty sure to be admitted /likely to be successful. Put the bulk of your effort into these schools because she probably will attend one of them.

- Her safety net school. For someone, the whole world will fall apart senior year -- having taught seniors for almost three decades, I've seen it happen: parents lose jobs or become ill, unexpected pregnancy, I even taught one student who developed cancer senior year, and I taught two (separate) kids whose families lost everything to fire senior year. And I've known a lot of seniors who assumed money would fall into place -- and it didn't. These things aren't likely to befall your senior, but someone's world will suddenly and unexpectedly fall apart senior year. IF that person is your daughter, what could she do to start her post-high school education all on her own? Community college? Part-time at a nearby university? Online classes at the university she will attend later? Again, someone's world will fall apart senior year; having a plan in mind ahead of time can make it more bearable.

 

[tvguy]

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.

As @dreamer17555 said, you almost certainly won't hear from a school until they offer admission and that offer is accepted. They aren't going to waste their time putting together a financial aid package for a student who isn't willing to commit to their school. 10 schools is too many. 3 or 4 tops. Remember, in the student aid world, parent and student loans and work study all carry equal weight with grants and scholarships. We had an excellent High School College counseling program, and as the counselors put it, a University is going to make sure they do everything they can to help a student they have admitted to finance their education, but that help may not be in forms you would prefer.

 

[barkley]

keep in mind-if your kid applies to 10 schools then that's about $50-$75 on average for each application. kind of a waste of money if it's a school they truly aren't interested in, don't have the grades for, or is simply in no way within what you/your kid can/want to spend/go in debt for a degree.

another thing to research on any college that's under consideration for fall 2021-when is THEIR scholarship/financial aid submission period. many colleges do a super application for everything they administer so despite filling out a fafsa you won't even get considered for in house scholarships or work study opportunities without completing theirs. the university my dd graduated from had their computer system set up such that if you had your application submitted, even if it was pending review you could access the on-line super scholarship application. so if you didn't get your application turned in until after the cutoff for those scholarships you were s.o.l. until midway through your first academic year to apply for your second academic year (and those freshman scholarships are much more generous and plentiful-they like to make it attractive that first year to get your hooked).

 

[dreamer17555]

As @dreamer17555 said, you almost certainly won't hear from a school until they offer admission and that offer is accepted. They aren't going to waste their time putting together a financial aid package for a student who isn't willing to commit to their school. 10 schools is too many. 3 or 4 tops. Remember, in the student aid world, parent and student loans and work study all carry equal weight with grants and scholarships. We had an excellent High School College counseling program, and as the counselors put it, a University is going to make sure they do everything they can to help a student they have admitted to finance their education, but that help may not be in forms you would prefer.

They will send out aid packages once you have been admitted (even if you have not committed to that school yet). In fact some privates schools are known to bump aid the longer you wait...

Ten schools is not too many at all! Especially with what is currently happening and everything is so up in the air. So apply to 2-3 reaches (academically, financially, etc), 3-5 match schools, 3-4 safety schools (hopefully you are in the running for wonderful merit at these.

With many colleges being test optional and hemorrhaging money it is better to cast a wide net- this is not a normal year. See what offers you get (both in acceptances and merit).

Also random tip- Do NOT have your student write about Covid. Nope. Don't do it. It is going to be the most overdone essay ever. Always good to avoid the 4 D's- Destination (mission trips), Divorce, Death, and Depression. A really well done essay will always stand out but it is a good idea to be original if possible.

 

[dreamer17555]

My daughter applied to seven schools and ended up accepted to all (with scholarships) and fell head over heels for what started out as a safety school. Lists can and will change. It is okay.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

She will be playing waterpolo so she has applied to all the privates she's been talking to (those were all free), and has yet to apply to the state schools. She did not like a single UC that she visited. She listed the privates and state schools on the FAFSA but haven't heard from any of them yet as far as what she might qualify for. Also have not heard about any admissions yet. She should get into them.

 

[Southernmiss]

Admission or acceptance to a college doesn't come from the FAFSA. The student needs to apply directly the school.

The Fafsa might garner standard solicitation mail, but not usually offers.

In our experience with 4 kids, most recent one last year, applications for scholarship considerations need to be completed by the first week of December of senior year. Each school will have their own deadlines.

The student needs to go to each school's website and find out how it works for that university.

 

[mjkacmom]

They will send out aid packages once you have been admitted (even if you have not committed to that school yet). In fact some privates schools are known to bump aid the longer you wait...

Ten schools is not too many at all! Especially with what is currently happening and everything is so up in the air. So apply to 2-3 reaches (academically, financially, etc), 3-5 match schools, 3-4 safety schools (hopefully you are in the running for wonderful merit at these.

With many colleges being test optional and hemorrhaging money it is better to cast a wide net- this is not a normal year. See what offers you get (both in acceptances and merit).

Also random tip- Do NOT have your student write about Covid. Nope. Don't do it. It is going to be the most overdone essay ever. Always good to avoid the 4 D's- Destination (mission trips), Divorce, Death, and Depression. A really well done essay will always stand out but it is a good idea to be original if possible.

Or sports, ds17’s first essay was about a soccer comeback, he found another topic.

 

[crisi]

The first round of acceptances usually comes out in December. The kids who are in that pool usually applied before a deadline in October - because it will take the school a few months to go through the applications and essays. The second round will be in Spring. Since mine applied early decision in October, we had all the information - an acceptance letter along with the merit package, before Christmas for that school. Make sure you pay attention to deadlines.