I looked up the deferral policy at Carleton, and it’s relatively strict - you have to agree not to apply elsewhere during the gap year, and they don’t guarantee approval unless you apply by May 1st. Gap Year Request Form - 2025 But it’s a possibility to consider, for both you and your twin, if you can’t get an adjustment to this year’s aid, but expect to qualify for more aid next year. As I mentioned up-thread, there are gap year options that could still get you away from home, and cover your expenses.
The cuts to food stamps and Medicaid are just… ugh. Sorry.
Ditto! Thinking the same thing. I am glad you put yourself out there, and I know it’s rough, but the good people on here have some tremendous ideas, care, and creativity. I hope there’s a workable idea among the comments here. We are rooting for you.
OP- the best financial aid appeals have a few things going for them.
1- Be transparent. If you will accept Carleton’s offer if they can reduce the parent contribution to what you yourself can earn (this summer?) tell them that. (and of course- then you are committed).
2- Be humble. You are BEYOND grateful that you’ve been accepted, hope to contribute as much as you can to the community and beyond.
3- Be factual. This will be a little hard because you are a teenager- but if you have the relevant data in front of you (cuts to your family’s benefits- by how much every month ?), parents reduced income (be specific- not just "went down by a lot), etc. it will REALLY help you. Financial Aid officers have some discretion-- but within guidelines. So the more specific and accurate you can be about your family’s situation, the better for you.
4- Be polite. Your response to "I’ll need to take these numbers to my boss/colleagues before giving you an answer is “I would so appreciate your help and want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me privately at such a busy time of year for your team”.
As a student you are limited to the federal loans unless a parent or other adult will co-sign for you.
However, you can certainly pay for the parent contribution yourself from your own student income or student savings. The college doesn’t care where that money comes from.
So if you have a summer job this summer you can use that money to pay the parent contribution directly to the college. Your parents don’t need to be involved.
I thought one of your previous posts said you were working at Starbucks. Is that still the case?
I got an interview there but it never actually went anywhere. I’m trying to get a job this summer before everyone’s out and it’s impossible to get one. I didn’t know I could pay parent contribution from my own money, that’s good to know.
A quick tip for you- places like Starbucks, a diner, the 7/11, the local dry cleaning store— you walk in looking energetic an hour after an employee has given notice- you’re getting the job before the manager even bothers to find the file with the applications of people who have walked in over the last three months. It’s human nature. Bird in the hand.
It’s not enough to have an interview. You need to pop in frequently, re-introduce yourself to the person you interviewed with. Remind them you’re available RIGHT NOW and have an excellent work ethic! And always end with “I’ll check back with you next week just in case your needs change”.
Your financial aid offer should include a cost of attendance that has an estimate for books and supplies and for travel expenses – similar to this sample from last year.
The good news is that books almost never cost that much – my own kids usually only spent $100 or so on books each semester – so that $1800 (minus what you actually spend on books) is “free money” because it is what they think you have to pay but you actually don’t – thus making the total cost that much less. The same with travel, although Carlton’s $850 allowance for travel may be tight to travel back and forth to SoCal, so that may be more accurate and in fact it might cost you a bit more in travel over the year, depending on how far in advance you buy tickets and how many times you want to come home.
Can you check to see if they awarded you work-study as part of your aid package? If they did, that’s great – and you can earn more than they estimate – but you also have to know that those jobs aren’t guaranteed and you have to go find them yourself. But there’s usually a computer application that will help you find them.
I would call them and ask them. Make sure you speak to a financial aid counselor, and not just the student who answers the phone, as the latter probably won’t have accurate information.
I was going to mention the winter wardrobe! And it’s not all gently used clothing. There is an appeal sent out to parents (and maybe alums?) with an Amazon wish list for coats, gloves, hats, warm socks, etc. The phrase “Carls helping Carls” is really part of the life there. Students and alums care for each other. There’s also free laundry detergent, free printing. The basics will be covered for you, and people there really care, if you can get the numbers to work.
From what you have shared, I think it would be great for you to be able to live on a college campus. I am very much hoping that Carleton is able to come through for you.
I am generally not a fan of loans, particularly loans that are in excess of federal loan amounts. In your circumstances, however, taking out a small amount of non-federal loans (like $2k/year to cover your parent’s share of the family contribution) in order to get you out of the house and to a supportive environment like Carleton would be a reasonable decision.
OP- before you commit to loans beyond the federally guaranteed amounts, it’s worth investing an hour or so to see if there are local “last dollar” scholarships that might be available to you. These are generally not for a lot of money ($1K or $2K is typical) but they are designed to bridge the gap between what you have gotten from the college and the government, and what you need.
Some will require a short essay (“how going to college will help me and my community”), others just a letter from a social worker, teacher, pastor, etc.
I know the gap between what you need and what you have seems insurmountable right now. But Google; see what comes up in your area. And yes- these are usually local, paid for by community groups for kids in the community.
And if your family isn’t connected to a social worker or pastor-- try the local Boys/Girls club or similar. They may have a “HS to College” club which provides mentoring and assistance for kids who attend- and the counselors and mentors at these programs for sure are aggressive at finding every last possible dollar for students who get accepted to college.
Please OP do this and also what Momof242729 is suggesting. I remember my kid brother taking a Greyhound bus from NJ to his T20 school with no plan other than to throw himself at the mercy of financial aid to get more funding cause it was the only option we had. It worked. As much as i want kids to avoid school loans, you might need to take them on to break away from your environment, and in your case what you might need to borrow is very reasonable. The majority of people are fundamentally kind, and you will find them, especially in Minnesota. Throughout my 4 years of college, I always had a place for holidays when I couldn’t afford to go home and I am sure it will be the same with you. Please push for Carleton. It will work for you.
You brought back many happy memories of students staying at my parents house on various vacations, breaks, holidays etc. I grew up in a college town (not in Minnesota- but in New England where the locals are allegedly “not so nice”) and that’s what people did- opened their homes to kids who couldn’t get home for whatever reason. And our basement was a storage depot to save kids the costs of shipping things home.
Aww, God bless your parents. Any chance I get I have tried to pay it forward cause folks like yours made college for us low income kids a less challenging experience. OP, I promise it all works out.
Yes, I have a couple scholarships I plan on applying to and will do! I also will try to get a job this summer to cut down on my possible loans as much as I can. If you have any open scholarships you recommend, I’d appreciate it too!
