College financial aid award letters ?

[yoopermom]

So DS and all his friends are starting to get their offers.

One of his friends was over this weekend,and I was shocked by the fact that he's getting a free ride to one of the top state schools(25K/yr) except for under 2K in loans. He lives with his mom, his brother, mom's boyfriend, and the two young children his mom and the boyfriend had together. Mom does not work (in the process of getting disability, supposedly), nor receive child support for the older two kids. So both he and mom claimed no savings, no income, and wham, a free ride. Now he's a smart kid, and I'm sure he'll do well, but don't the colleges wonder how this mother is surviving with four children and "no" savings or income?

For two out of the four colleges our DS applied to I had to send in documentation to show our financial status and taxes, but not them!

Not meant as sour grapes, just wondering how this is all decided...

Terri

 

[Marionnette]

So DS and all his friends are starting to get their offers.

One of his friends was over this weekend,and I was shocked by the fact that he's getting a free ride to one of the top state schools(25K/yr) except for under 2K in loans. He lives with his mom, his brother, mom's boyfriend, and the two young children his mom and the boyfriend had together. Mom does not work (in the process of getting disability, supposedly), nor receive child support for the older two kids. So both he and mom claimed no savings, no income, and wham, a free ride. Now he's a smart kid, and I'm sure he'll do well, but don't the colleges wonder how this mother is surviving with four children and "no" savings or income?

For two out of the four colleges our DS applied to I had to send in documentation to show our financial status and taxes, but not them!

Not meant as sour grapes, just wondering how this is all decided...

Terri

Are you sure that all of the award money is needs-based grants and scholarships? He could be doing work/study or getting merit-based aid.

Every school does their FA awards differently. Unless your son applied to the same school where this kid is "getting a free ride", there's no sense in even trying to compare awards. Just focus on how you're going to pay for your own child's expenses.

 

[yoopermom]

Yes, they're both going to the same school. The other boy did get work study ($1500/semester) plus the small student loan. Neither him nor my DS got any more merit based than the other (both in top twenty but not top ten in their class).

I'm really happy for him, but I'm just wondering if they "audit" ever, because his home situation really isn't too good. He's really pulling himself up by his bootstraps, and I hope it all works out for him.

Terri

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

So DS and all his friends are starting to get their offers.

One of his friends was over this weekend,and I was shocked by the fact that he's getting a free ride to one of the top state schools(25K/yr) except for under 2K in loans. He lives with his mom, his brother, mom's boyfriend, and the two young children his mom and the boyfriend had together. Mom does not work (in the process of getting disability, supposedly), nor receive child support for the older two kids. So both he and mom claimed no savings, no income, and wham, a free ride. Now he's a smart kid, and I'm sure he'll do well, but don't the colleges wonder how this mother is surviving with four children and "no" savings or income?

For two out of the four colleges our DS applied to I had to send in documentation to show our financial status and taxes, but not them!

Not meant as sour grapes, just wondering how this is all decided...

Terri

How is this any of your business? You have no idea of what is really going on.

 

[yoopermom]

How is this any of your business? You have no idea of what is really going on.

It's only my business in that I've helped this boy do all his applications and FAFSA, because his parents won't help him. I warned him that even though I have an education degree, this is NOT my area of expertise, so he should be honest and just hope for the best. He is over the moon about how much he was offered, and I hope it will all work out for him. I did forewarn him that the colleges may ask for proof of what he listed.

I did refer him to the college's financial aid officer when he had questions about whether it would be the same every year or not....

Terri

 

[NotUrsula]

Simple, really. Apparently, their source of income is Mom's BF, correct? If he is not the boy's father and his mother is not married to him, then he has no legal obligation to support the boy, and therefore his assets do not count in this case. It is perfectly legitimate not to list them. If mom or this boy do not have any savings of their own, then they are telling the truth. (Remember, there is no such thing as a forced joint asset in a domestic partnership situation.)

From there, the choice of how much to offer is up to the school. I'm sure that in this case the package includes a Pell Grant, and probably also some work-study. If his parents would not help with the applications, then I'm guessing the kid needs the money, because they probably won't help with that, either.

BTW, I *did* get audited for my student aid award, even back when it was easy for parents to simply declare you independent and bow out. The aid offer suggested that my mother sell her home and get a cheaper car to finance my education -- which was when I pointed out that she didn't own her home, and did not have any car to trade down on. Given that I lived in a very rural area, they found that fishy, but it happened to be the truth. They also mistrusted her age, because in the 60's it was unusual to have a child at age 48 (retirement-aged parents are given a much lower EFC.)

 

[LauraR]

It's only my business in that I've helped this boy do all his applications and FAFSA, because his parents won't help him. I warned him that even though I have an education degree, this is NOT my area of expertise, so he should be honest and just hope for the best. He is over the moon about how much he was offered, and I hope it will all work out for him. I did forewarn him that the colleges may ask for proof of what he listed.

I did refer him to the college's financial aid officer when he had questions about whether it would be the same every year or not....

Terri

Good for you for helping him out! It doesn't sound like he has much of a support network....

 

[wishesuponastar]

Yes, that was very kind of you for helping him fill out his applications.
I hope your son gets some help too.

 

[fan4wdw]

I think its natural to feel a bit of "sour grapes" & BELIEVE me I understand perfectly. It seems your son's friend's mom has found a legal way to "beat the system". My daughter is a senior in college & we have paid completely out of pocket. We didnt qualify for anything other than loans and have scrimped and saved to avoid having to do that. We are a part of the overlooked middle class where we dont have enough money to just write a tuition check and we make too much to get financial aid. Its very frustrating

 

[cvjw]

It's very simple - if you have no savings/income, you get much more help with paying for college than if you saved for college. I have just been told by my son's counselor and a representative from the State of Georgia that even academic scholarships are really need based. So basically if a kid worked his whole life to try and get a scholarship to a good school, if his parents have tried to live within their means and save money for retirement, they are expected to spend that on college tuition - they aren't eligible for as much in academic scholarships. Makes me wish that we had just blown all of the money that we have saved - DS would be going to college for free.

 

[fan4wdw]

It's very simple - if you have no savings/income, you get much more help with paying for college than if you saved for college. I have just been told by my son's counselor and a representative from the State of Georgia that even academic scholarships are really need based. So basically if a kid worked his whole life to try and get a scholarship to a good school, if his parents have tried to live within their means and save money for retirement, they are expected to spend that on college tuition - they aren't eligible for as much in academic scholarships. Makes me wish that we had just blown all of the money that we have saved - DS would be going to college for free.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Pigeon]

It's very simple - if you have no savings/income, you get much more help with paying for college than if you saved for college. I have just been told by my son's counselor and a representative from the State of Georgia that even academic scholarships are really need based. So basically if a kid worked his whole life to try and get a scholarship to a good school, if his parents have tried to live within their means and save money for retirement, they are expected to spend that on college tuition - they aren't eligible for as much in academic scholarships. Makes me wish that we had just blown all of the money that we have saved - DS would be going to college for free.

Part of that may be that you are talking about state schools, which typically have lower tuitions than private schools.

We're planning on sending our kids to the state system. We will get no financial aid whatsoever, other than to be offered a Parent Plus loan at ridiculous rates. If we hadn't saved anything, we'd be pretty much in the same boat. We'd never get any merit or need based aid because of our income, which isn't terribly high, but isn't terribly low, either. Our state system hands out very little merit aid.

They'll also apply to some private schools and they'll get some grants, but nothing that will make the private as cheap as the public. They are good students, with lots of extracurriculars and community service, but they aren't going to be valdictorian either.

There aren't too many kids today who go to school for free. There are a great many kids who graduate up to their eyeballs in debt, in part because their parents didn't save.

 

[Southernmiss]

Very fortunate that DS did get a full academic scholarship to an instate school. His school does a financial audit on us each year anyway even though his scholarship is pure merit.

You never know, the audit may be coming for both your son and his friend.

 

[Sandi]

It was good of you to help this child out with his forms. We just went through the FAFSA for DD and we know she won't receive anything. She is an only child, both DH and I work, and have saved for her to attend college. It's kind of annoying to answer the "savings" question and know that it could be zero if we managed money as poorly as others or spent money beyond our means. At the same time, I wouldn't trade places with those people.

 

[anniemck]

I can say this.... I have three daughters, their father is a firefighter and I was at the time that my oldest started college only making $15k a year as a travel agent having just returned to the industry after being out for several years, and recently divorced. FAFSA went by MY income due to the fact that I had custody of the girls. They received everything available to them and did not have to take out loans at all, until my oldest decided she wanted to do a semester abroad internship (and then changed her mind, and paid the funds back already), and my middle was working on her bachelors and it was a private college so not as much funding available, she is still in school and finishes over the summer with her bachelors but has already been paying her loans back. Youngest hasn't taken any loans and is almost finished with her associates, however NOTHING has had to come out of our/their pockets for school because it went by my income.
I myself am a student now, changing careers, and working on my degree, the job market where we live is non existent and travel is a minimum 60 miles each way to even think about getting a job, but I am trying. Student loans are now helping me out, and I have started the repayment on them as well so that I do not have as much to worry about after graduation.
I guess my point is, FAFSA goes by the custodial parents wages/taxes, if there isn't an income, they do ask for an audit from time to time, I have done it 3 times since 2006 when my oldest started college, it isn't a big deal, they want income tax return copies (now called a transcript that comes straight from the IRS), and I had to have my MIL write a letter last year stating that she covers the electric/water here at the house as a way to help us out (school was questioning my $1300 income for the year prior). MIL does things for all her kids the way she wants to do them, she would rather pay utilities and know that there is nothing needed than have the kids inherit and pay taxes on it after she is gone.

 

[megsoro]

The FAFSA is messed up system. I attend a private art school, and pay completely out of pocket. I graduated high school with. 3.5, which netted me zilch in merit aid. My father has been disabled for 5 years (2 years before school) and my mother is in an industry that's constantly downsizing and laying off. But at 55, a career change isn't an option when shed have to go school herself, meanwhile she has another child heading to college in two years. I survive off of a small pell grant (400 a semester) and maxed out Stafords, as my parents didn't meet the PLUS requirements. If I can't pay the balance out of pocket, I don't go to school that semester. Welcome to the new world, but I refuse to rack up debt like my peers. (Who use loan money to buy vacations, booze, and video games)

 

[crisi]

It's very simple - if you have no savings/income, you get much more help with paying for college than if you saved for college. I have just been told by my son's counselor and a representative from the State of Georgia that even academic scholarships are really need based. So basically if a kid worked his whole life to try and get a scholarship to a good school, if his parents have tried to live within their means and save money for retirement, they are expected to spend that on college tuition - they aren't eligible for as much in academic scholarships. Makes me wish that we had just blown all of the money that we have saved - DS would be going to college for free.

It wouldn't have worked - unless you simultaneously took much lower paying jobs.

The thing with aid - do you really want to have no job, be applying for disability and living off whatever your boyfriend provides? That doesn't spell "financial security" to me. I'd much rather pay for college and have a decent income.

 

[OHJulie]

I can say this.... I have three daughters, their father is a firefighter and I was at the time that my oldest started college only making $15k a year as a travel agent having just returned to the industry after being out for several years, and recently divorced. FAFSA went by MY income due to the fact that I had custody of the girls. They received everything available to them and did not have to take out loans at all, until my oldest decided she wanted to do a semester abroad internship (and then changed her mind, and paid the funds back already), and my middle was working on her bachelors and it was a private college so not as much funding available, she is still in school and finishes over the summer with her bachelors but has already been paying her loans back. Youngest hasn't taken any loans and is almost finished with her associates, however NOTHING has had to come out of our/their pockets for school because it went by my income.
I myself am a student now, changing careers, and working on my degree, the job market where we live is non existent and travel is a minimum 60 miles each way to even think about getting a job, but I am trying. Student loans are now helping me out, and I have started the repayment on them as well so that I do not have as much to worry about after graduation.
I guess my point is, FAFSA goes by the custodial parents wages/taxes, if there isn't an income, they do ask for an audit from time to time, I have done it 3 times since 2006 when my oldest started college, it isn't a big deal, they want income tax return copies (now called a transcript that comes straight from the IRS), and I had to have my MIL write a letter last year stating that she covers the electric/water here at the house as a way to help us out (school was questioning my $1300 income for the year prior). MIL does things for all her kids the way she wants to do them, she would rather pay utilities and know that there is nothing needed than have the kids inherit and pay taxes on it after she is gone.

I would love to know how you can take all of those great vacations you have listed with income of $1300 a year. Please share your secret.
My husband and I both work full time jobs, pay almost 100% of our son's tuition and are lucky if we can take one inexpensive vacation a year.

 

[delmar411]

So DS and all his friends are starting to get their offers.

One of his friends was over this weekend,and I was shocked by the fact that he's getting a free ride to one of the top state schools(25K/yr) except for under 2K in loans. He lives with his mom, his brother, mom's boyfriend, and the two young children his mom and the boyfriend had together. Mom does not work (in the process of getting disability, supposedly), nor receive child support for the older two kids. So both he and mom claimed no savings, no income, and wham, a free ride. Now he's a smart kid, and I'm sure he'll do well, but don't the colleges wonder how this mother is surviving with four children and "no" savings or income?

For two out of the four colleges our DS applied to I had to send in documentation to show our financial status and taxes, but not them!

Not meant as sour grapes, just wondering how this is all decided...

Terri

When you make under a certain amount you don't have to provide all that documentation. Neither my husband or myself have to provide financial details for our FAFSA forms. Our EFC is zero so we get full pell grants plus our state gives us over $3k each plus we often get this good student grant that is a few hundred. It covers everything except some books and parking. All those grants are given simply based off the FAFSA and that form is auto filled by the IRS. We have an income obviously but it counts number of kids and number of people in college, not sure what else it takes into account though.

I do have to list the child support I get for my oldest which is added into the calculations somehow.

Without those grants we wouldn't have been able to go back to school. I graduate in a couple months so I'm very grateful for the grants.

 

[xCourxCorex]

I would love to know how you can take all of those great vacations you have listed with income of $1300 a year. Please share your secret.
My husband and I both work full time jobs, pay almost 100% of our son's tuition and are lucky if we can take one inexpensive vacation a year.

Um.. ouch. I'm pretty sure PP meant 1300/month (1300 x 12 = 15,600 like the 15k she had stated in the beginning of her post)... and why does is matter to you how she gets $ for vacations? Sheeesh. Maybe her MIL/other family provide the trips.. either way it's really none of your beeswax.