FAFSA changes coming...

[crisi]

In my state they are considering combining the community college and university system to correct the issues you mention.

They did that here years ago. The problems still exist. Its hard for community colleges to have the rigor, or the expensive labs - to support STEM. Its hard to find STEM professors willing to teach at community colleges in practical fields like engineering - where they can make a lot more money in private industry.

 

[crisi]

I have found the NPC to be pretty accurate. The problem I had was the NPC is really just for year 1. It is hard to estimate how much aid will change after that. One school DD1 really looked at we saw so many people on college confidential say not to expect the same amount of aid after year 1, so she eliminated that one. She ended up at a state school with scholarships. Scholarship makes it so much eaiser as you know what to expect from year to year. Other 2 go to schools that don't really have many scholarships. So far DD2's aid has been fairly consistent, won't know about DS 2nd year for a few months. I am scared what will happen to DS after he is the only one left. We will have 2 years of that, and existing students aid packages don't come out until summer each year so you have little time to prepare.

Scholarships can be tied to GPA though - and while your high achieving high schooler may not have any problems meeting the GPA requirement - they may also end up in the hospital their freshman year with a congenital heart problem, end up on medication that screws up their mind, and potentially lose that scholarship (my kid's college has been very understanding). Or have a horrible break up with a boyfriend. Or discover college is a lot harder than high school. Or run into that professor who thinks 60% of the class should get a C. Or just have horrible issues with homesickness. Watch the GPA requirement on a scholarship.

 

[WVMomof3]

Scholarships can be tied to GPA though - and while your high achieving high schooler may not have any problems meeting the GPA requirement - they may also end up in the hospital their freshman year with a congenital heart problem, end up on medication that screws up their mind, and potentially lose that scholarship (my kid's college has been very understanding). Or have a horrible break up with a boyfriend. Or discover college is a lot harder than high school. Or run into that professor who thinks 60% of the class should get a C. Or just have horrible issues with homesickness. Watch the GPA requirement on a scholarship.

Unfortunately, yes, we are well acquainted with how the GPA tied to scholarships can mess things up. I had to laugh at @QueenIsabella's last post. I would have posted the exact same 5 years ago. But life sometimes surprises you and I was happy we discussed what happened if scholarships were lost beforehand. DD never wanted to discuss the reasons, but I just have to have faith that sometimes life's tough lessons are the ones that make the most impact. She did great the rest of her college years but just had a little loan souvenir at graduation that was not anticipated beforehand.

But yes, you just reminded me that I have thought what is worse, fretting over GPAs or EFC numbers. I will just be happy when they are all done!

 

[crisi]

Unfortunately, yes, we are well acquainted with how the GPA tied to scholarships can mess things up. I had to laugh at @QueenIsabella's last post. I would have posted the exact same 5 years ago. But life sometimes surprises you and I was happy we discussed what happened if scholarships were lost beforehand. DD never wanted to discuss the reasons, but I just have to have faith that sometimes life's tough lessons are the ones that make the most impact. She did great the rest of her college years but just had a little loan souvenir at graduation that was not anticipated beforehand.

But yes, you just reminded me that I have thought what is worse, fretting over GPAs or EFC numbers. I will just be happy when they are all done!

We certainly didn't expect "I'm in the hospital with cardiac issues" - nor the eighteen months that followed that have been trying to balance ADHD meds (stimulants) with heart issues and PSTD from high school.

 

[MrsPete]

Does anyone have experience with a website called Edmit?

I'm not familiar with Edmit, but I googled "Is Edmit free?" and I got a link about costs. As a general rule of thumb, most teachers and college financial aid officials will say you shouldn't pay anyone to find your scholarships; however, I worked with a teacher's aid a couple years ago who used some sort of college placement help, and she swore it was money well spent. Regardless, recognize what you're getting into.

I'm just confused by the big discrepancy of what we might pay.

One of the hard things about picking a college is that you have to make your decision before you know for sure about all scholarship, etc. My oldest didn't get her big scholarship until July after high school graduation.

school DD1 really looked at we saw so many people on college confidential say not to expect the same amount of aid after year 1, so she eliminated that one.

Yes, you have to be careful of that! Some schools do bring kids in with big freshman scholarship ... and they count on those kids not wanting to transfer. It's game-playing, and you have to be on the look-out for it because your 18-year old won't.

Scholarships can be tied to GPA though - and while your high achieving high schooler may not have any problems meeting the GPA requirement - they may also end up in the hospital their freshman year with a congenital heart problem, end up on medication that screws up their mind, and potentially lose that scholarship (my kid's college has been very understanding). Or have a horrible break up with a boyfriend. Or discover college is a lot harder than high school. Or run into that professor who thinks 60% of the class should get a C. Or just have horrible issues with homesickness. Watch the GPA requirement on a scholarship.

Having taught high school for almost three decades, I've heard this type of story more than once! The most common, of course, is that college IS a lot harder than high school, and Mama isn't supervising your daily studies any more.

But those other things can happen too; examples I've heard personally: a student who developed cancer, multiple students who got pregnant, two students who were injured in a car crash and couldn't finish their semester, a student who was hospitalized for diabetes and was distracted while learning how to manage it, several students who were sideswiped by romantic relationships, athletes who essentially become slaves to their team and scholarship, two different girls who left school because their mothers were dying ... all sorts of things can happen to derail an otherwise serious student, and a bad semester /bad year can mean losing a scholarship.

 

[crisi]

I think as well that high achieving high schoolers often end up at fairly selective (or even very selective) schools - where college IS a LOT harder than high school. Suddenly you aren't vying with 10 other people who equaled you in SAT scores, grades, and study skills - the entire class is students like you - and then you get the professor that grades on a curve. Now, if your kid went to one of those high schools where 60% of the class is in honors, or in an IB program, and every year the school sends a few students to Ivy League schools, they may be prepared....being the valedictorian of your rural North Dakota high school with a graduating class of 60.....maybe not.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Paying two things forward that people posted here and helped us when we were at this stage:

https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Free-Outstanding-Education-Scholarships-Mooching/dp/1591842980

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jenna-levine-26-graduate-_b_823081

Good luck to all!

 

[MrsPete]

I think as well that high achieving high schoolers often end up at fairly selective (or even very selective) schools - where college IS a LOT harder than high school. Suddenly you aren't vying with 10 other people who equaled you in SAT scores, grades, and study skills - the entire class is students like you - and then you get the professor that grades on a curve. Now, if your kid went to one of those high schools where 60% of the class is in honors, or in an IB program, and every year the school sends a few students to Ivy League schools, they may be prepared....being the valedictorian of your rural North Dakota high school with a graduating class of 60.....maybe not.

I think for the vast majority of students, college is harder than high school. For general students, even community college is going to be a "step up", and the I-just-want-to-pass-and-get-out-of-here group doesn't go on to college.

The exception might be an AP student who opts for community college (and good reasons for that choice exist).

 

[Makmak]

I’m in higher Ed and I see MAJOR trends toward limiting opportunities and choices especially for those that need financial aid. There is emphasis on speed to graduate the students and not on allowing them to explore and grow and find a career they will find rewarding. For example, many institutions are forcing students to basically pick a major at admission and then forcing them
Into very limited choices off a list for electives and financial aid will not apply to anything not in their list. In other words they can’t try out a computer science class to “see” if they may want to go in that direction because they are a political science major and that computer science class is not in their list of options. They’d have to completely change their major before financial aid could apply. Many are afraid to do that so they don’t get any opportunities to explore options. A student with parents paying can take whatever they want. To me, this limits the opportunities of students that didn’t have lots of cool classes at their high school and may want to figure out what they like.... and forces them to just follow a path. This is done in the name of efficiency and fast graduation rates. This aligns with new limits on financial aid, which has been on the table for a long time. The thinking is is if you have less money you’ll pick a “safe major” and take only the classes you need for that major and graduate quickly boosting “efficiency ratings” .....this is what happens when politicians run education.

 

[havaneselover]

I think for the vast majority of students, college is harder than high school. For general students, even community college is going to be a "step up", and the I-just-want-to-pass-and-get-out-of-here group doesn't go on to college.

The exception might be an AP student who opts for community college (and good reasons for that choice exist).

Things may have changed but this was not at all my experience at a public ivy in the mid '90s coming from a very competitive public school in the NE.

 

[mefordis]

If there is any chance of scholarships you might want to fill it out. My daughter's UFC scholarship required it.

How do I know if there is any chance of scholarships? What is usually the min GPA that they award scholarships? TIA!

 

[dreamer17555]

How do I know if there is any chance of scholarships? What is usually the min GPA that they award scholarships? TIA!

Look at the common data set for each school. If they are in the top 25% they are in the running. Keep in mind FAFSA allows a student to take out the federal student loan if they wish to.

 

[Donnainnj]

How do I know if there is any chance of scholarships? What is usually the min GPA that they award scholarships? TIA!

She got a scholarship that covered most of the out of state premium at the time, $11,000 a year. I don't know exactly if the normal criteria was used in her case because she went to a county academy that you have to test into and has an honors standard plus for all their classes. She had good grades, but not strait A's and I think her ACT was 28.

 

[supersnoop]

How do I know if there is any chance of scholarships? What is usually the min GPA that they award scholarships? TIA!

Private schools are incredibly likely to hand out scholarships to almost everyone. My kid has about a 3.3 GPA with great ACT and SAT scores and is getting scholarship offers of over half tuition, room, and board.

 

[Theta]

Private schools are incredibly likely to hand out scholarships to almost everyone. My kid has about a 3.3 GPA with great ACT and SAT scores and is getting scholarship offers of over half tuition, room, and board.

Congratulations! Did your child get the scholarships for undergrad or grad school?

 

[supersnoop]

Congratulations! Did your child get the scholarships for undergrad or grad school?

The kiddo is starting their undergrad work. Grad scholarships depend much more on the field of study. My wife’s masters and doctorate were both entirely covered by scholarships, but it’s not a “money making” field.

 

[crisi]

Mine got an amount to put everything in about the same range in merit from every school they applied to - $15k a year from the $50k a year schools and $25k a year from the $70k a year schools. Their ACT score was a 34, they were an AP Scholar with Honor, had a decent weighted GPA (but not awesome) and had completed enough college course credits to enter college as a Sophomore (but didn't). They also had a decent slate of activities and volunteer work, including leadership positions.

 

[MrsPete]

I’m in higher Ed and I see MAJOR trends toward limiting opportunities and choices especially for those that need financial aid.

I have mixed feelings on this concept.

Things may have changed but this was not at all my experience at a public ivy in the mid '90s coming from a very competitive public school in the NE.

Public ivy is not a real term -- came from a book /can't remember the title. It's something people have made up to mean "very competitive, high-quality public school" - probably your state's flagship school. Ivy League is a specific group of schools.

How do I know if there is any chance of scholarships? What is usually the min GPA that they award scholarships? TIA!

You can't know for sure whether your student will qualify for scholarships -- you just have to apply and see how it goes. The criteria for scholarships varies widely: almost all require strong grades, but some require financial need, some require that the student comes from a specific area or plan to study a specific discipline. Some are based on community service or participation in specific clubs. And let's not forget athletics.

Private schools are incredibly likely to hand out scholarships to almost everyone.

Yes, in my experience teaching high school seniors, this is true. I'm thinking of a student of mine from 3-4 years ago: she had a GPA of less than 2.0, so I was surprised when she told me she'd been offered a scholarship from a lackluster private school.

Also, it's wise to be cautious though: some private schools give out freshman-year only scholarships to "hook" new students, and then those students face the choice of paying full price or changing schools.

... AP Scholar with Honor, had a decent weighted GPA ... college course credits ... They also had a decent slate of activities and volunteer work, including leadership positions.

What I'm reading here is "well rounded high school experience". That's the kid who's most likely to get a scholarship. Grades alone won't do it -- I've known more than one student who's literally never made a B /was shocked that no scholarships materialized. Extra-curriculars, a progression of leadership experiences and community service all make a student's high school experience well-rounded.

Another thing that helps with scholarships -- and it's so obvious: type the application /make sure it's neat and readable, fill the application out completely, and don't bother to apply if you aren't qualified. Seriously, over the years I've been on multiple scholarship committees, and the meetings always start the same way: we go through the applications and reject the incomplete forms. I've literally never been in a scholarship meeting that didn't begin with discarding multiple forms right off the bat.

 

[havaneselover]

I have mixed feelings on this concept.
Public ivy is not a real term -- came from a book /can't remember the title. It's something people have made up to mean "very competitive, high-quality public school" - probably your state's flagship school. Ivy League is a specific group of schools.
You can't know for sure whether your student will qualify for scholarships -- you just have to apply and see how it goes. The criteria for scholarships varies widely: almost all require strong grades, but some require financial need, some require that the student comes from a specific area or plan to study a specific discipline. Some are based on community service or participation in specific clubs. And let's not forget athletics.
Yes, in my experience teaching high school seniors, this is true. I'm thinking of a student of mine from 3-4 years ago: she had a GPA of less than 2.0, so I was surprised when she told me she'd been offered a scholarship from a lackluster private school.

Also, it's wise to be cautious though: some private schools give out freshman-year only scholarships to "hook" new students, and then those students face the choice of paying full price or changing schools.
What I'm reading here is "well rounded high school experience". That's the kid who's most likely to get a scholarship. Grades alone won't do it -- I've known more than one student who's literally never made a B /was shocked that no scholarships materialized. Extra-curriculars, a progression of leadership experiences and community service all make a student's high school experience well-rounded.

Another thing that helps with scholarships -- and it's so obvious: type the application /make sure it's neat and readable, fill the application out completely, and don't bother to apply if you aren't qualified. Seriously, over the years I've been on multiple scholarship committees, and the meetings always start the same way: we go through the applications and reject the incomplete forms. I've literally never been in a scholarship meeting that didn't begin with discarding multiple forms right off the bat.

I don’t really care if it’s a “made up term.” I went to uva. It was and is one of the top public universities. My point is I went to a very strong public high school in ct and was bored in my first two years in college. I was able to graduate at 20 with highest distinction. And I was accepted to UPenn so I know what an Ivy League school is.

 

[MrsPete]

I don’t really care if it’s a “made up term.” I went to uva. It was and is one of the top public universities. My point is I went to a very strong public high school in ct and was bored in my first two years in college. I was able to graduate at 20 with highest distinction. And I was accepted to UPenn so I know what an Ivy League school is.

This is all well and good, but I try to use the right word in the right place.