edit please! divorced parents, letter to finance office

Olymom
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:21:11 +0000

As hard as it is, you should take the step of informing your dad of what your reality is.

It could be: Dad, You may not realize this, but colleges count your income when figuring out the amount of financial aid they will supply to me. The colleges believe that a father will contribute to a son’s education. I am writing to the colleges to explain that you are under no legal obligation to support me and have chosen not to. At the same time, they are rigid in their own policies and it looks like I will have to finance my college through loans.

College is different these days. Costs have gone up every year. It used to be that a kid could work part time and earn enough to pay tuition and room and board. Today the tuition and room and board cost $XX,XXX a year and I simply cannot work enough hours to pay that myself.

I am between a rock and a hard place. It terrifies me to take out $XX,XXX in loans each year for four years. I am looking for scholarships. In these tough economic times, so is everyone else. If you can contribute to my education, it would be appreciated.
Bob.

So, it is informative. It is not nasty. It lays out your options. It is worth a try. You are not the same person you were last time you saw your dad. He has changed also. Perhaps you can start a new phase (perhaps not, but a polite, informative letter is an effort to do so).
Good luck