Mills College Financial Aid help!

Avek216
Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:06:23 +0000

Hello everyone!! I have posted before in the financial aid section of this website but I’m hoping to attract some current or past Mills students by posting here.

I was accepted to Mills as a transfer student in May of last year and was awarded an $8k scholarship along with $7,500 in federal loans. I also missed the financial aid deadlines because I waited until I was accepted to the school to do them, since I doubted myself and didn’t think I was going to get in. I ended up deferring for a year with hopes that I’d get more aid by making the deadline, which wasn’t the case and I was able to appeal for more aid but it was only an additional $5,000, because my parent’s EFC is too high and I am still a dependent student.

At this point we are not looking into private loans because they cannot be consolidated and I am already paying back my collegiate loan from Wells Fargo from a few years ago. I went to SFSU for my first year of college, realized I wasn’t ready, and went to City College of SF for three years. I know there is a Parent PLUS loan but I’ve also learned that it cannot be consolidated in my name with my federal loans because it’s in my parent’s name. My parents don’t want to be held responsible (understandably) for any of my loans and I am trying to gather testimonials from people who have been in a similar boat.

I am registered for classes at Mills for this Fall and I asked if I could defer for an additional year and as I expected, I cannot. They did tell me that they keep all of my records on file so if I do have to re-apply next year, I’ll basically just have to fill out a new application. I am a little nervous about getting in again, but most people have told me I don’t have much to worry about.

I just turned 23 last week and I will be considered an independent student next year. I know I will be eligible for more aid but I’m not sure how much more. I wasn’t even eligible for a Cal Grant this year because of my parent’s EFC. I am also looking to apply to a few schools on the East Coast (Smith, Bryn Mawr, and Mount Holyoke), but I know they are more competitive and I wouldn’t be able to commute from home and save money.

So to sum it all up, my big question is: Should I wait to re-apply as an independent student next year and expect more aid?

I would greatly appreciate your advice!

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