@FCCDAD Thank you!
I’ve been worried that if my parents can both contribute $5,000, something will happen - a house fire, a serious injury, unemployment.
I don’t want to jeopardize my parents’ ability to do what they want, but I can’t pay the $24,500 bill to attend Richmond or the $28,300 bill to attend Mount Holyoke by myself…
My parents also insist that the job market is too unstable for me to take out a lot in student loans. They would prefer if I limited myself to $15,000 total.
Well done, @HelloImChelsea!
And get after your dad to get those last two documents in - let’s hope they make a difference! 
@dodgersmom My mom still doesn’t think it’s enough, but I’m sure every college kid would love to have that much in his or her account.
I got the documents from my Dad earlier this afternoon and emailed them to MHC. I hope I hear something soon.
How am I going to choose between the colleges, assuming they’re the same price? Students and parents are biased, but I can’t afford to visit. My mom thinks that MHC looks like a prison, while Richmond’s campus is “plush.”
I would choose Richmond. I think it has better name recognition and probably a better alumni network for what you want to do and it’s cheaper.
Don’t forget that you can borrow an additional $6,500 this year and stockpile that for future years!
And I would choose MHC - access to the five College Consortium gives you all sorts of opportunities! Richmond is going to be more of a traditional college experience than MHC. It’s likely also to be a somewhat more conservative environment, if that’s what you’re looking for. In the end, I don’t think you could go wrong with either one. 
But you’ve got more than two weeks left to decide - check out their Facebook pages, visit their pages here on CC, and see what you think!
@HelloImChelsea So how will the money work for Richmond. $15,610 per year. Isn’t that 31k? 8k from your saving this year and 2k from next summer. That still leaves 21k for your parents. Can they both do 5k per year? See if you can increase work study at Richmond.
Both are great schools for different reasons. We, personally, found Richmond to feel quite conservative. I don’t think that would describe MHC.
And MHC looks quite plush in the spring, summer and fall!
I would describe myself as conservative, but I’m from southwest Missouri.
Also, I talked to my mom this morning and she said that she “hopes things work out for me.”
Also, she has said that because I’m 20, I’m responsible for paying for my education because attending Richmond or MHC is my dream - not hers. That’s true, but there’s a reason why for financial aid, the colleges wanted my parents’ financial information.
I’m not considered an independent and I didn’t even make enough money last year to get my taxes done…
My mom also keeps reading me Scripture about my goals, and spending money unwisely. I don’t know what to do…
I think you could be really happy at MHC if you can get the money together to make it possible.
As other people have written above, there still is time for you to borrow the sophomore amount of federal loans. Go to the financial aid office at your university today, and start that process. When you get that money, put it in the bank and don’t touch it until you know where you will be next fall. You can apply it to your costs at MHC or Richmond or toward a summer program or semester abroad if you stay at your current U. If you don’t end up spending it after all, you can pay it all back, and consider that the small amount of interest you would owe is worth it for your own sanity.
It sounds like your Mom is all over the map about this - one minute she wants to help, the next she says you’re on your own. What you need to do is confirm exactly what numbers you’re dealing with. You filed an appeal at MHC. File one at Richmond also. Explain that despite their generosity, which you appreciate, the cost is still unaffordable. Tell them how much you need to be able to afford Richmond, explain that it is your first choice . . . and beg! Again, the worst they can say is no . . . but maybe they’ll say yes!
In the meantime, while you’re waiting for final numbers from both schools, try to get final numbers from each of your parents. Sit down with them separately, at a time when they’re relaxed and best able to listen, and tell each of them how much you’re expecting to earn on your own (both now and over the course of the school year), and how much you’re planning to borrow. You’ve told us those numbers, but have you laid them out for each of your parents, so that they really understand the commitment you’re willing to undertake to accomplish this? Ask each of them how much they are able to contribute. And when you get an answer, write it down, and with that parent’s assistance, review the numbers and see where that gets you. If it’s close, but not quite, ask if there’s anything you could do that that would make it possible for that parent to contribute just that little bit more that you need.
Once you have final answers from both schools and both parents, come back and tell us where you are.
Please also speak to the MSSU financial aid office about borrowing your $6,500 federal loan limit for this year. Once the current school year ends, those funds will no longer be available to you. You only have two weeks left - you’re probably perilously close to the deadline for applying. Apply NOW, and if you decide you don’t need the money, then pay it back the day you receive it. The most it will cost you is a small origination fee, which is a small price to pay to have an additional $3,250/year available to spend on your costs for the next two years. If you wait until you’ve made a final decision, those funds will no longer be available to you - the loan is available only if it is processed prior to the end of this school year.
Ok Chelsea said she asked her current college and they said she could borrow around $2,000 for this year. I’m assuming since she is commuting to this school and and living at home and gets free tuition that there might not be a lot of COA left to borrow against. Isn’t the amount of loan you can take out limited by COA?
Anyways congrats on being accepted to both schools! But looks like they both have net costs of $24,000. That’s a lot for just the student.
List just the tuition, fees and room and board of both schools side by side. Direct billed costs.
Then subtract the grants. What is the net price. Don’t figure in loans or work study. Just direct billed cost minus grants. Then figure out how to pay difference. With sophomore loan, junior loan, summer earnings and savings. And see if parents can pay something, even if Mom gives you AOTC of $2,500 if she qualifies.
If child support would end for you, ask Dad to keep paying it for two more years.
Also work study money of $1,500 is about $100 per week, if you can live on less then maybe you can pay books or a plane ticket with the rest.
Also check with Richmond that finaid package reflects actual income from parents 2014 tax return, send these forms to them if not.
@mommdc My net price at Mount Holyoke is $28,300. My net price at Richmond is $24,610. That includes tuition, room and board, the estimated cost of transportation, personal expenses, and books.
I will ask Richmond if my work-study can be increased.
I think my mom actually only made $39,000 last year, but MSSU offers benefits like health insurance, so her AGI was $44,000.
As for my work-study, I will probably spend $500 of it on a plane ticket and at least $500 on books.
I can’t imagine spending $100 per week. I would have to pay my cell phone bill, but if my meals are paid for, I’d want to save as much as I could.
@dodgersmom I know that I can contribute $6,000 from my savings. Even though I might end the summer with $8,000 in my account, I’m hoping to put the remaining $2,000 toward my senior year.
I don’t think I can make $6,000 next summer.
I’ll have a $7,500 loan and either a $2,100 or a $1,500 work-study.
Basically, I can contribute $15,600 at MHC or $15,000 at Richmond.
So if both my parents contribute $5,000, I’m short at MHC. Richmond is doable.
But I don’t know which one to attend!
http://www.mssu.edu/offices/financial-aid/estimated-cost-attendance.php
MSSU estimated COA for student living with parents is listed at $14,964. Of that about $5,416 is tuition and fees. Rest is room, board, books, transportation, etc. So it seems there should be enough COA left for the $6,500 loan. Check with your school’s FA office!
Richmond direct billed costs: $48,090 tuition, $11,120 R&B =$59,210
Minus grant $36,760 = $22,450 net price
MHO direct billed costs: $43,700 tuition, $12,860 R&B, $186 fees = $56,746
Minus grant $30,946 = $25,800 net price
Possible sources: $6,500 sophomore loan, $7,500 junior loan, work earnings $8,000= $22,000
It might almost be enough for one year at Richmond, but would put you $14,000 in debt and wipe out all work earnings. And then you would also need book money and travel money if work study is for other expenses mostly.
And senior year you could only borrow $7500, leaving you short 14,500. Whatever you couldn’t earn in the summer you would need from your parents or uncle.
It would be really tight if not impossible and then if you would have at least $21,500 in loans by graduation.
If you can really graduate next year (2016) from MSSU with a great GPA, then maybe you could do a grad program in your chosen field. For now see if you can do study abroad and maybe take Arabic this summer at a school you could also commute to?
Forgot something important. MHO bills mandatory health insurance first semester. Last year it was $1,755. If you can get his waived, that saves almost $2,000.
Check what the cheapest room and meal plan options cost.
Just go by direct billed costs, but these tend to go up every year too. Books you can save on if you buy used, rent them. Personal expenses and travel you should be able to pay out of work study funds.
Call each school and ask for final aid numbers based on actual parent tax returns.
Ask if your aid can be increased. Is child support ending for you?
I hope it will work out for you.
Maybe you could apply to be a RA at MHO and that would save money.
Chelsea, you may not spend that much on books. My D is a biology major at MHC (typically an expensive book major) and she only spent about $40 for both semesters this year! She was able to borrow books for all the rest.
She was able to get by on $20/week spending money to cover snacks, laundry, toiletries. Tight but do-able when you really want to be there.
Don’t count on work study to be available up front, you earn it as you work during the year. So you will need to use some of your savings for traveling to the new school, dorm supplies, books for first semester. Then if you live frugally you might have enough at end of semester for next semester books.
If parents can’t pay much maybe they could fly you home at Christmas at least. And the tax credit your mom gets next year she could give you. But with $7,500 senior loan and $2,500 that’s only $10,000 and maybe earnings of $3,000 for next summer. Still need another $10,000 or so for senior year if net price of MHO comes down to around $23,000 without health ins cost and cheapest housing, meal option.
Ask if uncle could help you out for senior year.
At MHC, they expect the work-study money to cover your books, laundry, spending money, and travel. So you do need to have money for books before you start earning at your job. My D held out $300 of her summer savings for books, but only ended up spending $20 the first semester (on a used textbook from eBay) and was able to borrow all the other books she needed. She brought notebooks, pens, etc from home.