Received response from DD’s school, which states they would “reevaluate your financial aid award and the grant may be reduced” if DD decides to stay home and attend remotely.
DD is registered with the disabilities office and her medical condition is listed in the “might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19” category by the CDC.
We’re still waiting for her room assignment (school has announced no more than 2 per bedroom) and hoping she gets a small suite with her 3 requested roommates. I wouldn’t feel comfortable if she had to share a bathroom with more than just a few other people.
It would depend on what the grants are for. Some are specifically for room and board, so if she doesn’t go back to living on campus, it would make sense for those grants to go away. Some grants are specifically for tuition, so it would make sense for those to remain.
Mine will be going back. He has an apartment he is moving into Aug 1 with 3 other guys (one is a middle school teacher) but each has their own bedroom. They paid their deposit back in Feb for it and are all planning on being there. S’s gf is doing the same. She has a house rented with several other girls but each has their own bedroom. She will be a Sr. and he will be starting vet school. The both have lab classes and plan on being there no matter what for the year.
We just found out today that D20’s college is inviting students back in August. D is thrilled and plans to attend. Courses will be blended, with delivery in person, online, or hybrid. It depends on the professor. Doubles (or single) rooms only. They built modular housing on campus in order to accommodate everyone. I think being in a rural location with a lot of land helped.
That’s a good point. I was discussing changing to a different location if the on campus experience was not up to the level she desires. She won’t travel anywhere if there are restrictions banning travel there and she will have to isolate/quarantine when she arrives. If she decides to go to France she will go for months and need to plan for not being able to return when she wants to. We live in Colorado, but your point is correct that she can’t just go where ever she wants and be a problem.
@twoinanddone and @samsmom20 one if mine has a medical condition, was registered with the Office of Disabilities, and had financial aid to cover both off campus housing and food. If that is a safer way to go than dorm, the financial aid grant should continue even if it is exclusively for room and board.
@AlwaysMoving I think your family has less fear of COVID than some. I was mystified as to why people would choose a gap year when there are so many restrictions. I thought that online classes, even at home, would mean there was at least something to do and progress to be made. But one of my kids kindly explained to me that some people aren’t as afraid of the virus. I read your kid’s possible plans with wonder and longing for how things were before COVID.
That’s a good point. She’s healthy and very unlikely to have a serious case of the virus. Sure anything is possible, but so is a car wreck on the way home.
In our discussions with her we have tried to push her to explore why she wants to go to college in person, what college is likely to be this fall, and other ways she could have an enjoyable experience. Nothing is finalized until we pay the room and board.
We are now strongly considering just keeping our kids home since it looks like things will be moving online anyway, and at least one kid won’t get refunded for room & board if that happens. Does anyone know if we choose to do online from home, can that affect merit aid? Say a college is $60,000 and you have $30,000 in merit. Would you pay $30,000 minus room & board for the online experience? Or would the school adjust the merit? Anyone have any idea?
^^^ The answer likely varies by college, so you should confirm with their financial aid department. We asked the question and they confirmed there would be no change to our incoming freshman’s merit award, whether he chose to do online or take a gap year. If it is merit and not financial aid, I would think there should be no change but best to confirm.
My kids are planning to be on campus. We are nervous about it (our area has been doing such a good job flattening the curve, but a number of counties here have just hit pause on our reopening plans), but support our kids decisions. Both their schools (small LACs) have announced kids will be back for fall though still waiting for the one that is part of a consortium to provide more specific details.
@Lemonlee, it sounds like you live in the Pacific Northwest? I was saddened by the need to pause in Washington state. However, I am in no rush for my county to move into Phase 4, even if it means less tourism revenue.
@AlwaysMoving yeah my kids have health conditions. So do I. I think it affects how we think about the next year, for sure.
I really hope that if this situation continues, people will start to see value in online classes, wherever they are living, on campus, at home, or in an apartment.
@whidbeyite2002 We are in the San Francisco area - SF and a number of other nearby counties just hit pause to our re-opening timeline in the last few days as our area is seeing a sharp increase in cases.
But we do have a DS20 who is heading to school in WA this fall so we are trying to keep an eye on how things are progressing in the Northwest.
And I am in total agreement with you that this is the right thing to do - I also am in no hurry to reopen though I know how much my kids want to return to school. So feeling very conflicted…
My son is going back. His college seems to be planning a hybrid solution of online and in person classes. I’m still not sure what will happen with housing though. We are in NY, and the governor needs to approve. Nothing definite yet, but the president of the college is certainly planning to open if possible.
Going - on campus… most classes are remote as they are larger, but has Calc in person and likely Chem and Bio labs if they can be managed.
We have discussed and will not be surprised if Campus closes at some point as this is a large university with 75% living off campus.
One thing that got brought up recently which i had not thought about… of living off versus on campus with some classes remote and some in person.
Those who live off campus may not have time to move from off campus remote class to on campus in person class and back… so where do they do their remote class? Im guessing somewhere on campus??
She’s got a housing contract and is willing to live under the campus rules and attend classes in person and remotely as available.
Fortunately if campus closes during the semester, we are only an hour or so from campus and getting home, while disappointing, won’t be as difficult if she had to fly.
D’s school announced plans to do some sort of hybrid program, no real details on how that will actually work.
She also received an email about housing when they go back. They have to pick a time to move in and it is spread out over a week by their year. She was so very lucky to have gotten an on campus apartment style housing as it is very limited. There are 5 girls, with 3 bedrooms, 1 single, 2 doubles. She is in a double. They are treating these like “family units”. They can socialize in their apartments, but no guests, and outside their unit, they have to wear masks and social distance.
Housing is so tight on campus, that if kids don’t come back, there are probably many willing to take that space, so they might not have housing for the spring semester. No real clarity on that as of yet.
As it stands D will be going back. She is not a partier, so I don’t have fears of her being exposed to lots of kids in off campus housing who are not social distancing or wearing masks. Many are there now and it has been reported they are already doing so.
If they close down the school again, I would hope they refund the housing, they did when this all broke out back in March.