@twoinanddone This is just to make things clear because I’m not sure about other states, but in TN all students in any school are given free lunch and breakfast.
Also @thumper1 he was able to because the $10,000 was not the first time he helped he’s actually given a lot of money but with hiss life situation us living with him is not and will not ever be an option. Also I intend to finish school with a 3.65 and a 33 on the ACT. My grades just recently dropped I’m always worried about my mom, but I’m just really scared. Also I don’t drive… or know how to, but I think commuting could be made possible.
Don’t spend a lot of time worrying about who claims you on taxes or that your dad doesn’t respond. There are plenty of FAFSA only schools that won’t care. You will be able to answer the questions on FAFSA with your information and your mother’s 2015 tax returns. Your ACT is what it is now. Don’t plan based on getting a 33. If you do, great, but you need to focus on schools that you can go to with a 27.
Start making your lists. Run the NPC. Find out information about the schools. Get the waivers from your GC. Are you interested in schools like Berea where you could attend for free?
Were we at war then?
Why would that matter? People have been joining the military and stationed overseas in peace times for decades. Many families have kids heading off to college, the military, marriage when there are still quite young siblings at home. It often means the younger children didn’t have those sibling relationships built.
@sylvan why does it matter? Being away is being away especially when you’re in the military overseas.
And just taking a guess but based on a guess of ages for all involved, it is quite likely that we were in Vietnam. (Also possible, though significantly less likely, the Korean War).
Out of everything the OP wrote, that actually made the most sense IMO.
I think you’re very smart for starting the ball rolling on the application process. You’ll need your guidance counselor to send transcripts. S/he can help you get waivers for application fees and the fees to send test scores, and they’d also be the one to mention your family situation. Don’t be embarrassed to let them know you’ve been homeless and that there’s not much contact with your dad. Their job is to help you move forward and succeed.
If you apply to a 4-year college, you’ll probably need a recommendation or two from teachers. Do you have any that you feel comfortable asking? If you have free or low cost options, take advantage of them.
I’d also apply to the local cc so you know you have at least one option. Do you have any idea what you want to study? Sometimes community colleges have small schoarships (a couple hundred dollars) for specific majors. And ask your guidance counselor if there are state grants available for low income students. Our state has them, but not all do.
Good luck with your search. Please keep us updated on your progress. And hugs to your mom. I know it hasn’t been easy.
It doesn’t matter - I was curious because OP said he “went off to war” when her mother was 3 and then that he was stationed in Germany. It’s just not a phrase I would use for a peace-time deployment.
With regard to free lunch. If you had to apply, would your family qualify for federally funded free or reduced lunch?
^ If the OP’s uncle was in those wars then the OP’s mom gave birth to her when she was about 12 at the earliest…
I guess you’re right.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War
25 years ago.
She said he left for the “war” when she was three years old. Which is possible but not for the Gulf war.
But really…it doesn’t matter for college financing purposes.
At this point, the OP needs to work with what she has…a 27 ACT and her current GPA. She needs to also identify colleges where the Direct Loan plus whatever amount of the Pell, will cover her costs.
Someone upstream mentioned the low cost of community colleges in TN. Those should be explored as well.
^What would your point be?
Sorry, not to belabor this (last post, I swear)- the uncle left when the MOM was 3.
The point I was trying to make was that her uncle could have been stationed in Germany and deployed during those two conflicts, since he was much older than her mom and maybe didn’t join air force right after high school or did military service somewhere else first.
There were American soldiers stationed in Germany who were deployed during those two conflicts, I know because my H was almost deployed during Gulf War.
I understood the OP to say that uncle joined air force when her mom was 3, he was later in Germany during a war. Not that her uncle was in a war in Germany when her mom was 3.
Got it!
Then I misunderstood. In connection with Germany mentioned, those two conflicts made sense.
Let’s move on, it’s beside the point.
OP: if the homelessness situation is acknowledged by the guidance counselor, you have a shot at some very good schools, especially if you had course rigor and good grades freshman and sophomore years, as well as first semester senior year.
(if you tell your gc that our spend last year homeless, couch surfing, with your mother living in her car) you would NOT go ‘into the system’.
What’s your senior schedule?
What was your GPA BEFORE junior year?
Study furiously with Khan Academy and real act’s or real serious (found online). Think that each hour spent will result in increasing our score which I’ll translate into more money.
That is not true. Homelessness in and of it self gets you nothing. Op is homeless because he lacks a fixed, adequate and regular home. However, based on what he wrote, he is not an unaccompanied minor/youth (which would make him independent).Op would have to be designated as an unaccompanied minor by the McKinney-Vento liaison at his school…
Definition of unaccompanied youth
Op states that he lives with mo on the weekend. Since schools are also mandated reporters, they should also be reporting that OP is homeless, not living with family. At the end of the day it is about documentation, documentation, documentation.