<p>In addition to more national aid programs like QuestBridge, there are a few local scholarship programs in my area. Each one says that applicants’ families should have an income that exceeds $60,000. Here is a quote from the QuestBridge site:</p>
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<p>So what about larger families? My families income is closer to $90,000 to $100,000 per year but my parents have six dependents not just two. Is there a possibility that I may be considered? I am really more interested in local scholarships in particular. Has anyone with a family income of higher that $60,000 (or other threshold) been considered for some of these scholarships based on income, even when their income exceeds the normal limit?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
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<p>First…I think the Questbridge quote means that the incomes are LESS than $60k usually…not that they EXCEED $60K annually.</p>
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<p>Are there six children in your family…or are you counting your parents in the total number…I’m confused.</p>
<p>Is there a “contact us” place on the scholarship sites? If so, ask THEM this question.</p>
<p>I think that the OP just forgot the words “does not.”</p>
<p>Dependents are people who do not make [significant] money and therefore depend on the members of the family who do. They might not be children.</p>
<p>Part of it may depend on if your parents will be paying for siblings to go to college, etc. Multiple children in college is definitely a special circumstance that may help you with QuestBridge type aid. People with family businesses and multiple homes/properties are special circumstances as well according to many colleges. There are many special circumstances, so I second the recommendation to ask QuestBridge or other organizations directly - but be more descriptive than you were in your original post.</p>
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<p>I’m a little confused by this…and I don’t want the OP to be misled. </p>
<p>VERY often, multiple homes are viewed as extra ASSETS not debits to families with students going to college. Re: family businesses…very often it’s the deductions for small business owners that are added back in as income that are troublesome for family owned business folks when their kids go to college.</p>
<p>The term “special circumstance” is being used on this thread. This generally pertains to very unique situations that are not reflected on the financial aid forms and MIGHT be considered by the colleges in the financial aid awarding process. </p>
<p>ONLY those who are in charge of determining the criteria for awarding particular scholarships can answer the OPs questions. The reality is there are MANY different kinds of local scholarships (which is what the OP is asking about) with MANY different criteria for selection. There may…or may not be allowances made if a family has more than a certain number of dependents. SO…I go back to my original suggestion…contact those who are awarding the scholarship and ask them.</p>
<p>Ah, that’s true, sometimes they are assets. In my family, the business isn’t doing very well in this recession, so I’d say it is actually a detriment to our income. But it is very likely that a business would do as businesses are supposed to do and <em>make</em> money haha.</p>
<p>Sorry to potentially mislead! I just couldn’t think of factors that would generally skew the EFC down, and tried instead to make a general point of financial aid sort of things not being easy to calculate…</p>