So I’ve been holding off on applying for financial aid for a long time. There was some issues with the paper work but now everything is set. But is it too late to actually get anything? Its already June and I feel like I might have screwed up.
Which school? Case or Michigan? Are you an incoming freshman? I’m confused.
Regardless…you need to contact the college. Thee deadlines for their financial aid applications has long since passed…how did you think you were going to pay for college? Or is financial aid really not necessary?
By completing the FAFSA, you will get whatever Direct Loan amount you are titled to receive…and if eligible for a Pell Grant, you would,get that as well.
But for institutional need based aid…you have missed the deadlines. Contact your college to see what they say.
Sorry for the confusion, I’m an incoming Freshman at Case. Hopefully next year I will be able to transfer to my dream school, Michigan.
Thanks for the information. But does Fafsa only do loans or do they also provide grants that i don’t need to pay back?
Ok…so how did you plan to payntomattend Case Western Reserve University this coming school year?
I believe Case requires both the FAFSA and Profile for consideration for need based aid. You need to contact CASE and ask what the implications are for sending in a financial aid application long after the deadline for these applications has passed. Only Case can answer this question.
The federally funded Direct Loan of $5500 will be available to you if you complete the FAFSA.
Unless you are very low income, there would be no federally funded grant money available to you.
The bulk of grant money is institutional grant money which is awarded based on the Profile financial aid information. But this was due for incoming freshman months ago.
Again…how did you plan to pay to attend this expensive private university if you didn’t apply for financial aid?
What paperwork was missing?
You could have…and should have…completed the financial aid application forms using estimates and adhering to the deadlines for doing so.
Contact Case…they will tell you the implications of your very late application for aid.
I did get a little scholarship money but I will definitely call up the school. Thanks for the advice!
Did you get enough scholarship money that your family can pay the balance due to Case?
COA at CWRU is $62,020. How much can your family pay each year for 4 years?
What is your parents’ annual income?
Do you have younger siblings? Are you the first to go to college?
What was this mysterious issue with paperwork that some how caused you to delay applying for financial aid?
What are your stats?
Is there a community college near your home?
This is strange. How did you PLAN on paying for college? (how do you plan on paying for UMich later???).
Is your family lowish income? What are your parents SAYING about the costs???
Fed grants from filling out FAFSA is for LOW INCOME students…EFC below about 5700.
Adding to the above…are you instate for Michigan?
http://financialaid.case.edu/undergraduate/apply/first-year-students/
Read this. According to their website, the deadlines for submission for FAFSA and Profile were February 15 for incoming freshman.
Contact the school…clearly, you did not adhere to,their posted deadlines.
Somehow, yesterday, you found/joined CC. You could have also googled for financial aid info-or read what Case has to say- more than 6 months ago. You’ll need to provide more info, for anyone to be able to offer serious further advice.
I’m hearing a lot of helpful things from you guys which I greatly appreciate. This has become a time of enlightenment and realizations (also stress). I will try to provide some information so you guys understand my predicament.
I live pretty well off, but recently both of my parents have become un-employed (one struggles to find a job for years and the other just got laid-off). This happened post the financial aid deadline so it just recently became pertinent to acquire a grant. If I call the school and explain this to them do you think it will be a valid reason to consider late finical aid?
Also with the scholarship money I was granted by the school I have to pay roughly $38,000 a year. I have also been working diligently on 3rd party scholarships to try and earn more money (results TBA).
As for Michigan it is my dream school and I literally would do anything to go there. No amount of cost will inhibit my attendance. This may sound stupid but I will try to figure something out (hopefully my parents will be back on their feet then).
Lastly, I live in NJ which is not instate for either of the colleges.
Thank your so much for you response and help
This sounds so unrealistic. You need to educate yourself about student loans, parental loans and grants.
txstella- Could you elaborate a bit more?
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans#types
Dependent Students (except students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS loans)
First-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit
$5,500—No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Second-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit
$6,500—No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Third-Year and Beyond Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit
$7,500—No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
As a student, you are limited in how much money you can borrow. Your parents might be able to borrow money but it does not sound like that is a good idea given their circumstances. How much money is available NOW for your college? Schools give out financial aid in the form of grant, loans and work-study, but I think you missed that boat. Call and ask. Public OOS state schools give out very little financial aid.
Yes, parent job loss is one thing that can lead to a finaid review. But it hinges on the school’s policies, to begin with- ie, how generous they are, what funds they have. They will also look at assets.
Skip the Michigan stuff. Irrelevant for now, except this: it is a serious mistake to see large loans as the solution for affording college. Loans are today. You spend years re-paying them. You may think loans make college possible…and that dream future you think you can achieve. But even if you do land a good job, you are chained to years of substantial repayments. The average payment for the max loans txstella mentions is a bit over $300/month. Borrow more and it goes up. It’s a ball and chain.
Read post 14 several times.
And add these thoughts…
- You will be asking for a special circumstances consideration from Case based on your second parent job loss. Keep in mind...this is granted in a case by case basis and you might not gain a penny of additional money.
It doesn’t help,that you didn’t apply for aid in the first place. The school has no basis for comforting what you had for aid prior to the job loss.
Regardless…contact Case and ask them what to do.
To be honest, I doubt seriously that this school is going to fully fund you to,attend.
- case does not meet full need for all accepted students who apply on time. I can't imagine what they do with late applicants or this asking for special circumstances considerations. But as I noted above, if you need the full $60,000 plus to attend, you are being unrealistic in your expectations.
- Even IF you van get loans for the balance of almost $40,000 a year,math at is too much to spend on an undergrad education...in loans. And it's your parents who,would have to consign. Neither has a job...
- Re: Michigan. It's $60,000 a year to go there too as an OOS student. I. Not sure how they meet need for OOS transfer students. You need to check that. There is no college fairy who will pay your bills.
- Let me guess....you just hate the colleges in NJ. I think you may need to readjust your thinking. These might just end up being the most affordable ones for you to consider.
- Start looking NOW at the community colleges near you...just in case you can't come up,with the money for Case. You do know, you can transfer to UMich from a community college. And this option would save you plenty of money.
- Keep,your family finances in mind. Neither of your parents are working. They need to support themselves as well as your college costs. A $60,000 per year college might just have to be put on hold. This is why families do...they help one another in times of need.
- Did your just laid off parent receive a severance package? If so that will be considered if the school decides to look at a late financial aid application.
You are not asking for RECONSIDERATION of aid awarded…you are asking for,them to accept a late application…with an extenuating circumstances. Talk to the school. The will tell you what you need to provide for documentation.
- Are you saying that the income from your just laid off parent would have been sufficient to pay the balance for you to attend Case?
I think many of the you may overestimate the severity of the situation I am in. My parent have already put two children through college and I am confident that they will be able to get me through at least my first year at Case. I just wanted to understand the parameters of financial aid process to mitigate the effect the cost will have on my parents. If I don’t receive any money I think we will survive (but with just less money).
I do care about my parents and how this will effect them (I don’t want to come off as snobby) but I don’t think I need to be considering Community College.
I know this entire thing was confusing for everyone and I thank you all for taking the time to help me through it.
I will call the school as soon as I can.
I am sorry for your parent’s job loss. However, suffice it to say that your parent’s financial situation was different when your siblings attended college. It would not be worth the considerable debt that your parents would have to take on to simply put you through one year at Case. SInce your parent just recently got laid off, I would not expect any change in your financial aid situation due to job loss because:
Your financial aid for 2015/2016 is based on 2014 income and assets
since you parent just recently got laid off, s/he will most likely be receiving some sort of severance, which is still considered income and you will also have to count next year when applying for financial aid.
You need to start looking at an affordable option, even if that is in NJ or you won’t be attending college
If you have not already filed the FAFSA do it today. That at least will get you your student loan of 5,500. Plus you will show Case you are getting you papers ready.You do not sound eligible for any other federal aid (it is based on previous year income and assets, usually with income less than 40-50,000.
It is likely that Case won’t give you anything because you didn’t indicate that you were asking for aid when you applied. But it is certainly worth trying, so do call asap. And you will need to fill out CSS Profile for aid from Case, in addition to FAFSA. The CSS Profile asks for more detailed information and is used when the college gives it’s own aid. Those were due Feb 15. You should also find out if they will consider you for next year. Some colleges won’t if you didn’t indicate you were interested at the time you applied. Then you know you will pay 38,000x4= 152,000. It is possible but unlikely you will get any significant outside awards if you haven’t already. Most students get funds from the college.
Another possibility is to ask Case about a gap year. See if you would be eligible to receive the merit award still and file the financial papers for financial aid. I’m not sure if it is ethical to apply to other schools during a gap year unless you tell Case and reapply to them as well. Maybe others here can comment. You can use the gap year to work and do something interesting to build your resume. Also to mature a little. Someone who will bury themselves in debt at any cost for one college lacks maturity and perspective, and brain development necessary to weigh consequences.