college_ruled

Penn State costs $25k with room and board, and offers very little financial aid for in state students.

Holding all else equal, it is better to have parents who can't pay, versus won't pay. However, very rarely is "all else" equal.

Low income students have the opportunity to apply to the Questbridge program, and are eligible for federal work study and pell grants.

Project on Student Debt: What's the Bottom Line? lists schools who do their best to be affordable to low income students.

Have you thought about the service academies for nuclear engineering?

JustAMomOf4

A $0 EFC qualifies you for the maximum Pell Grant and FSEOG if you apply early enough. There are some other grant programs that you might qualify for - some require a certain major, gpa and class standing: TEACH, ACG and SMART grant.
You also may be able to get a grant from Va but I honestly don't know how their state grant program works.
Of course you will also qualify for federal student loans as well.

Old Dominion has a Nuclear Engineering Technology major.
What is your math SAT? Have you thought of joining the Navy?

mom2collegekids

The disadvantage to having a 0 EFC is that too many schools either can't meet need at all..or they can't meet need without lots of student loans.

IF a student borrows around $12k per year, and ends up with a debt of $50k, his monthly repayments are going to be about $600 a month for 10 years. That's like 2 extra car payments ( in addition to a person's own car payment) for 10 years. How many young workers can afford to pay for 3 car payments all by themselves?

It might not be so bad to have a 0 EFC if a student can live with his family and commute to a state school with low tuition, or can get accepted to a top ranked school that meets 100% of need without loans.


Personally, I don't like low income kids taking out student loans because -

1) they are at most risk for needing to drop out before they get their degrees (making repayment often impossible.

2) their families can't help with repayment of student loans

3) their families can't often help them with unexpected expenses during their college - a pricey car repair or some other pricey expense - which can also lead to dropping out of school early.


What are your stats? Looking for merit money might also be a solution.

hmom5

The direct answer to your original question is that for the vast majority, a zero EFC means very little college choice. To read on CC it's a great thing, and it is if you can get into the top 20 or so colleges with great aid, but that's not the reality for most.

You need to study the list of schools that meet 100% of need for all students and then sort for those where your stats fit and that have your major.

Schools That Say They Meet Full Need - US News and World Report

college_ruled

I think the better way to look at it is, "financial aid tries to minimize the disadvantage of being low income."

Also, this: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-...ncial-aid.html

hmom5

It may try, but for the vast majority of Americans it fails. We should be ashamed.

mom2collegekids

^^^

higher education isn't a right. I think America does try to do a good job providing some options for lower income kids.

However, a gov't system that would provide free higher education would likely result in something that resembles our public k-12 system with people forced to attend a certain college because that's what they're zoned for (unless you can opt out by paying for private.)


That said....as it is...the FAFSA system stinks. It encourages people to lie, hide assets, etc. It doesn't include a father's income if he doesn't have custody - even if his income is strong AND he's been in the child's life. (Frankly, the child-support enforcement system is what we should be ashamed of...we wouldn't have as many low income kids if their bio dads were forced to support them.)

momofthreeboys

I agree with Momof2 in that our system tries to accomodate as many people as possible. Zero EFC is a hurdle but one that is possible to navigate. The OP should carefully investigate options including a plan that includes 2 years at their local CC and a transfer as well as other options with schools that meet as close to full need as possible. Like a previous posters says, sometimes on CC kids or parents think it is a benefit when the kids have a true statistical chance at some of the loan free schools, but for the vast majority no money for colleges is much more a hurdle than a benefit.

mom2collegekids

>>>>
Like a previous posters says, sometimes on CC kids or parents think it is a benefit when the kids have a true statistical chance at some of the loan free schools, but for the vast majority no money for colleges is much more a hurdle than a benefit.
<<<<

This is a problem here on CC. I've seen many cases where the first thing someone posts is...apply to HYPs, you can go there for free. When in reality, admission is like playing the lottery, and HYPS probably has very few truly low income kids.

The other problem here on CC and elsewhere is that people think F/A is free money. They think, "If I can just qualify for F/A, I can go for free or get a lot of free money." Most have no idea that they will likely receive an F/A package that has a big gap, expects them to borrow thousands of dollars in student loans, and/or has declared that their family has an unaffordable EFC. "Need" is not defined by the family.

speedo

If there is a bright side to 0 EFC it is that the student is forced to make realistic decisions. At some point even much wealthier apps have to make some decisions based on their finances. For low incomes college application is that time. My oldest D wanted to go to a large college and study journalism/broadcasting but at our income level her choices were very slim- kind of like this op's. Towards the end of the process we all became realistic about our finances and she ended up getting a very good finaid package from a LAC. Turned out fine. My youngest D wanted to go to a large state school - football, frats etc. No could do. She had to face up to things and went elsewhere, so far so good. The important thing when you are low income is to make sure you carefully choose your colleges of application. Don't waste time and money on places you are not likely to get into and don't waste time on schools whose aid profiles indicate you can't afford to go there. For D2 we ended up with a list of schools that seemed like good financial/academic possibilities - the beauty of the internet and sites like this. When the dust settled she had several options and made her choice from them. At 0 EFC that's the goal of the process - to have several sensible options come May. Without super stats, at 0 EFC that's quite a challenge

mom2collegekids

>>>
Without super stats, at 0 EFC that's quite a challenge
<<<

Yes! without near-perfect stats and a hook that catches its bait, any low EFC student is going to have a challenge. But, a similar challenge can also be found with students whose parents have high EFCs that they can't afford. Those, too, limit choices.

Coolbrezze

OP I have a efc 0 myself and have no intentions on attending a community college which you don't have to either ( as other posters were suggesting you should). There are tons of universities out there where having good stats and a efc 0 benefits ( possibly full ride in some cases). Simply have to seek out the schools.

mom2collegekids

^^^

There are likely some, but not a ton without high stats. Good stats and 0 EFC is not going to give you a "ton" of choices.

speedo

Sadly I have to second that opinion

momofthreeboys

Agree with posts 28 and 29. People are not suggesting CC + transfer as the only choice, they are saying that it should be one of a series of possibilities. Also agree that there are possibilities out there but not "a ton" for a student with no college finances already in place and a less than superstar application.