Hi!
So I’m a questscholar and I’m a competitive applicant at many schools that guarantee to meet full aid/ no loans type packages. Which is all fine and dandy except for the fact that the cost of attendance does not include many things. For example, moving to New England will require me to invest in a good coat, boots etc.
Many of these schools also have policies that prevent students from getting off campus employment so it is very difficult to cover these incidental expenses. I was an emancipated minor so the only way I can get money is through my own employment and I know that I want, and will need, money for everyday expenses.
How does one go about getting stipends or receiving scholarship aid to help pay for everyday expenses?
Anyone else having a similar problem?
How about summer employment? I don’t think any schools would prohibit the students working in the summer.
Some of these colleges have funds that are available to help low-income students with these kinds of expenses. Once admitted, you can also reach out to the college’s local alumni group and see if there might be any support in that direction.
Have you looked into local scholarships as well? Many colleges will let you apply an outside scholarship to one-time costs that you document, such as a computer or necessary winter clothing. Some will reduce the college’s own grants, but I’ve often seen them be very flexible when working with a student in your type of situation.
Good luck on the match! Are you thinking through other options as well? What state do you live in now?
Not sure about stipends or scholarships, but you can buy winter coats and boots etc at a low cost at Goodwill or the Salvation Army in New England. Many items are high quality such as from LLBean and even used will last you for years.
My interpretation of “full aid” was meeting the expenses of the university-tuition, etc.
In my experience, the incidentals had to be covered by my family (not an option) or by me.
Your education is an investment, not just by the university, but also by you.
You cannot expect every single item, that you need for your daily living needs, to be covered by the university.
I cleaned student rooms and also took in sewing to help with my incidentals because I needed cash; it wasn’t much but it helped me, with my coupons, get toothpaste/floss, soaps, shampoo, bike repair, etc.
Who pays for your clothes and other incidentals now?
You could get an on campus job…many students work 10 hours a week or so. Agreed, you should have a summer job.
Even in chilly New England, you won’t need real winter clothes until November. Until then, a hoodie,many a fleece jacket will do the trick. My DD grew up in New England and never owned a pair of boots until she moved to CA.
As noted, there are some good used clothes at places like Goodwill or consignment shops. If you live in where the weather is warm, start looking at those places now. Folks who relocate often donate their winter clothes…and nice ones…when they realize they won’t need them.
My winter coat is a 3/4 down filled from Eddie Bauer that cost me less than $20. My boots are UGGS purchased for $30 new at a consignment shop.
As noted, some schools do have discretionary funds for very low income students. Some schools also have shirt term small loans that can be repaid once you start your on campus job.
@4kidsdad Most schools don’t prohibit summer working but they do require a financial contribution for the summer in your aid package, usually around 2,000 dollars, which would make it very difficult to save enough for the year.
@arabrab Thanks for the advice! I will definitely look into that!
@auntbea I don’t expect the University to cover literally everything, but if they aren’t going to cover incidentals they should at least allow students to seek employment. They say that having a job jeopardizes education but no more or less than the difficulty of doing free lance work and finding it would.
With quest-bridge anyways, they push the idea that a “Full Ride” is a solution to any and all financial barriers and with recruited athletes too, that’s just not the case.
@thumper1 Right now I pay for everything, I thought campus jobs were just positions that you worked to pay the University back for a portion of your aid?
Campus jobs are like any other job. You work hours and you are paid for the hours you work. Many colleges award federal work study to low income students so that they can earn spending money. I would strongly urge you to complete your FAFSA using estimates as soon as possible after January 1 when it becomes available. Works study has limited funding per campus and is usually awarded on a first come first served basis.
In addition to work study, most colleges have jobs that are funded by the college.
I recently bought a $38 name brand hooded zipper sweatshirt with the tags still attached at St. Vincent de Paul Dig 'N Save for 65 cents. All clothing is sold for $1 per pound. A winter jacket is probably $2 or less. Do you have Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vinnie’s or Savers where you live?
How much are you earning at your summer job? Have you been working and saving the last few summers? Who pays for your clothing, food, shoes, shampoo, pencils, notebooks now?
Campus jobs are NOT for you to reimburse the school. Many schools award work-study funding – perhaps $2,000/school year. This gives you a license to hunt – it means you can look at the (often plentiful) list of jobs on-campus reserved for work-study students, apply for some that look interesting, and then, when you’re hired, work at whatever rate the job pays and get a paycheck monthly or twice monthly for the hours you actually worked. You won’t be allowed to work more than the work-study funding you were granted allows. (So, if you were awarded $2000 in work-study, and you work at a campus job that pays $10/hour, you could work up to 200 hours during the school year.)
Work-study earnings are best used to help pay your personal expenses and saved up to pay for books the following semester. You won’t have work-study earnings in time to pay for your first semester books.
There are a number of studies out there that show that working up to 10 or so hours a week is actually advantageous. Students who work a small amount have been shown to have better grades in some studies.
Find summer jobs that pay more than $2000
In some very rare circumstances, the stars align, you get overfunded, and your school and all scholarship programs agree that the excess – up to COA – should refund to you. In that case, you can use that money for associated personal expenses. Otherwise, if you don’t have the money, work a job.
@Madison85 My parents are both passed away now, but I was emancipate before that (they are essentially Amish) so I pay for all of my own expenses. I make 9 dollars an hour but I am little hesitant to save money, not just because I am not really in a position to do so but also because even at my yearly income of about 15k the estimators still have me with an EFC of about 900 dollars. So I am in a position where attempting to save a significant amount of money would be both very difficult for me financially and potentially not to my advantage should my EFC go up.
I would actually prefer to have a job but many schools have policies on that. I don’t dislike having one, I dislike the prospect of not having the things I need and not being able to have a social experience in College. Call me selfish but that is part of the college experience, particularly at really competitive Universities where community remains very important.
On a side note, I’ll keep an eye out in my local thrift store!
I’m told that there are some full ride scholarships at larger schools that include a stipend? Is this a thing?
What school has a policy about students not working. Please share.
If you work a work study job, the amount earned does not get counted the following year when your need based aid is calculated.
Also, your math is fuzzy at best. Are you saying you don’t want to earn $15,000 a year because you would,have to pay $900 of that for college costs? What is the problem with that?
Undergraduate students don’t usually receive “stipends” as part of their financial aid packages.
“Are you saying you don’t want to earn $15,000 a year because you would,have to pay $900 of that for college costs? What is the problem with that?”
If the OP is completely self-supporting, which is what it sounds like, he/she is living paycheck to paycheck w/only $15k a year. Difficult to save if, for example, $10k alone goes towards rent and the other $5k are split into food, healthcare, toiletries, etc.
Very sorry for the loss of your parents, @brown1311917
Is that $15000/year you earn before you pay income taxes (and self-employment tax) or after?
Do you currently pay for all your own expenses (rent, health insurance, utilities, food, clothing, s hol supplies, transportation, cell phone)?
Were you eligible for social security from a deceased working parent or did they have any life insurance (or not, because they were practically Amish)?
If the OP gets a full free ride, including the full cost of attendance…she will not be paying for housing or other living expenses for the duration of the school year. It is possible she could find a college campus job in the summer that includes room and board (my kids’ schools had some of those)
So…while a lot of her earnings now are covering expenses, they won’t be in college…well, not $15,000 worth IF she gets a full free ride.
Also, where does the OP live now?
You say you are a quest scholar. Have these been chosen for this year already?
From the website: