Maybe you could transfer to Missouri State University! Seriously, though, I would go through the following thought process:
You totally LOVE MHC, and as @NEPatsGirl states, there is an argument that a MHC education is worth $27,000.
Richmond you like as an alternative, if it is more affordable.
TELL THIS TO MHC!!!
They are human- no need to be coy about it and wait to hear from Richmond. See what they will do for you. Once they have admitted you, they are invested in keeping you and may help you find a way to come. If they don’t, at least they know they had the chance (and some time to figure it out), but could not make it happen.
Many schools (MHC as well? IDK) have “fly-in” programs to fly in under-represented students to visit the school. Perhaps they could dip in to that “pot of money” to help you get to the new student orientation; saving you $1,000 which you could save for your COA. Sometimes funds are allocated in budget categories that are locked up for specific purposes. Maybe low-income geographic diversity is an allowable expense for the “fly-in” budget category, and could be used for your spring visit. Mention it to them- they may not have thought of it, and may be willing to spend money from that “bucket” even if other “buckets” are stretched thin.
I do not know if you have read posts #39 (@thumper1) or #97@fireandrain in detail. They both recommend that you go to the financial aid office at MSSU and sign documents NOW, as in April 2015, for a $5,500 loan; take that money, and save it for your education at MHC.
I am sorry so many are projecting their experiences with deadbeat parents and legal proceedings onto your situation. It may be that piece-by-piece, you could get some help from your father (“Dad, it’s really cold here, and everyone is headed home for the holidays, do you think you could send me a plane ticket home for this Christmas?”; or “I have chosen my books in the Amazon cart- could you log on and pay for them?”). You know best how to approach each of your parents. Don’t worry about taking from your Mom- you could always pay her back when you graduate and she needs help with your brother.
If what Chelsea said is correct, I think both parents are legally obligated to pay up to $8k/year. According to her, the agreement is based on the cost of Missouri State, which costs $16k/year, NOT MSSU (Missouri Southern State Univ), which is the college where her net cost is zero.
I will take out the $5500 loan through MSSU. I will call MHC to see if they can give me another $2,000. I will also ask my dad for $500 (that’ll buy a plane ticket). After finals at MSSU, I will have $5,500 in my checking account.
I have been applying for other job, but I haven’t heard from anyone yet. Hopefully I can make a few thousand dollars this summer. I shouldn’t have to give MHC absolutely all the money I have, should I? Then I will be broke…
To attend MHC next year, I need $18,700. I take out $6,500 ($5,500 from MSSU and $1,000 to max my Stafford loan) in loans (MHC included $6,500 in my award already). Then I contribute $5,200 and my mom contributes $4,500.
This leaves $2,500. So either MHC can bridge the gap or my dad could give me $500 and MHC could make up the difference.
And mention to your dad and your mom that they each agreed to pay the $8k/yr.
And note to each of these parties that your senior year will be problematic, since you would like to go to Amman over summer 2016 (with a Boren scholarship) and will not save any $$. Also, you will have depleted your bank account and the extra $5,500 loan from Sophomore year at MSSU.
That sounds really tight. Your gap is nearly $19K? Is your Mom’s EFC only $4500? I thought your gap was only the amount of the sophomore loan and work study at less than $9K.
If you can’t do this with a loan of less than $7K each year , I would not recommend it. You never know what can happen year to year. I’m really sorry you are in this position but its reality and that sucks. Find a school that you can afford or stay where you are…concentrate on your graduate degree.
I sincerely hope that you and Dad can make it through this period of time…I can’t fathom why sometimes parents make the decisions they do but it is what it is.
Oh, I agree that Dad should do what he reasonably can to help her (he shouldn’t take out a second mortgage on his house or anything like that, IMO).
But I don’t know his finances. What are his income, his debts, his savings, his currently monthly expenses? What are his retirement prospects, and how would paying money now so she can transfer schools alter those? I don’t pretend to know what he can reasonably do at this point.
We do, however, know (something of) her situation. And so does he. She is not in desperate straits. She can finish college where she is, debt free. She is not being turned out. It’s not what she wants, but it’s at least a baseline.
Many, many kids don’t get to go to the college they want to, because their parents set limits on what they’re willing to pay. Many, many kids don’t get to go to college at all. Single, married, separated, remarried, divorced parents - it happens in every kind of household. I sympathize with them. But that’s our system - we charge a lot of money for higher education in this country, and we expect the parents to pay, and if the parents can’t or won’t pay, that’s their decision.
So if Dad has said “no,” then that’s his decision. Not fun, but there it is. Their internal family matter, they don’t need our approval to decide that. And he’s still her Dad, and he’s still paying CS, and she’s still in college, and she’ll still be fine in the long run whether she stays at MSSU or finds some other way to pay for a transfer to MHO.
Why are you borrowing money from MSSU if you won’t go there? and why $5500? If you are a sophomore this year,and you haven’t borrowed a Stafford loan yet, you could take the $6500 right now and bank it. If you have $5200 in the bank right now, then you’ll have $11,700. If your mother has $4,500, now you are at $16,200.
I don’t think you can count the $6500 (should be $7500 for a jr) from MHC for next year since it is already in your award package. MHC needs you to come up with $18,700 outside of the award package, and look to see if the award package also includes work study. Just don’t count the same loan or money twice.
And yes, they can and do expect you to spend all your own earned money. You think you won’t spend all your work study money of $1000, but that’s only $100 per month for 10 months. Hardly anything. I think you can get by on $50, but that is really scraping the bottom. A hair cut, some tooth paste, a pizza, and your are done for the month. I know because I lived on much less when I was in college, so the ‘pizza’ was mac and cheese, and usually my roommate’s mother loaded us up on that. A plane ticket at Christmas can easily be $400, probably $600 when you count transportation to the airport.
If I were you, I’d still want to go to MHC, but I’d be begging for more money. I wouldn’t depend on your father because he’s not dependable (neither was mine). Any money your father gives you will be a gift, and then you can fly home for Christmas or buy the books you need rather than having to go to the library.
@twoinanddone She can’t make it without??? She will be short too much senior year. Probably 17k minus summer earnings and a little from mom. And she has 21.5k in Stafford debt.
COA usually includes transportation and an allowance for books and personal expenses. Tickets from Boston to Missouri for the holidays will NOT be $400. Maybe one-way.
No one suggested this^. What was suggested was to borrow the Stafford loan through the financial aid office at MSSU. Stafford loans are (at least those I am familiar with) administered through the financial aid office.
Work-study is often calculated as $3,500 for the summer and $2,500 during the school year, for $6,000. If that is already calculated in your FA package, you cannot count it twice.
I see that for Junior year, you may have a solution, as you detail in post #122. But Senior year could be problematic (as I noted in post #124, and @gearmom noted in post #125). You could end up with a ~$11,000 gap.
If you can use the MSU clause in the divorce decree to scare up either the full $8k x 2 yrs = $16,000 from each parent (or even just $8,000 each for your senior year- they have over a year to save it up), you can do this. Otherwise, you may run into a brick wall one year short of graduation.
He owns a small siding and guttering business and employs 3-4 people. He got out of the marriage with at least $75,000 in cash, 2 vehicles, 4 tractors (collectibles), all of his tools, and a lot of material. The $75,000 came from a house that was damaged in the tornado that he fixed up and sold. He has almost no expenses because he can pay for a lot out of his business.
He probably doesn’t have health insurance or any retirement.
He bought another house when the intent of fixing it up, so someone pays him rent to live there. He lives with his girlfriend in her house. He also makes I-don’t-know-how-much by cutting wood.
@HelloImChelsea Cross your fingers for UR. But have a Plan C. After this year you only have 20 months at MSSU. You could go to Canada for a semester/year. Graduating debt-free is a huge gift. You won’t have that albatross around your neck. College is just a stepping stone. You will have so many options for grad school. Good schools like MoHo accept you with your 4.0 from MSSU.
My mom said that the gap my senior year would be too large. I’d probably have to transfer back to MSSU and once I did, my scholarships wouldn’t be available.
Someone mentioned the State Department Critical Language Program. It provides scholarships and perhaps later job opportunities. Check it out. http://www.clscholarship.org/
I hope U of R comes through big time! I live in Richmond. I’ve heard of some nice financial packages from them. Good luck!
ItsJustSchool: the OP said this in post #122: “I will take out the $5500 loan through MSSU. I will call MHC to see if they can give me another $2,000. I will also ask my dad for $500 (that’ll buy a plane ticket). After finals at MSSU, I will have $5,500 in my checking account.”
SHE said she’d borrow $5500 from MSSU. I could only assume she meant from THIS year, that she hadn’t borrowed any Stafford money for this year, and then she could borrow for junior year through MHC.
I think there is too much gap, that if MHC doesn’t come up with more money then it won’t work. I’m a penny pincher and don’t think college kids need a ton of money for blowing on things, but they do need some money for emergencies like medication or a co-pay to the doctors, $10 for materials for a group project. I was pretty poor when I was in college, and every once in a while my grandfather would send me $10 or even $20. It was like Christmas because this money hadn’t been slotted for anything, so I could splurge, or more likely pay for something I needed by couldn’t afford (new underwear, a hair cut, new shoes).
I just read an article a few minutes ago about poor kids at Columbia, who don’t eat when the dining hall is closed or can’t afford books or to copy assignments. All their school costs are covered, but not living costs. I hate seeing budgets made that don’t include any room for emergencies.
I’m waiting on Richmond. It is more likely that they will include more grant aid. If I’m rejected, I will contact MHC. If they don’t give me a few thousand dollars more, I don’t think I can afford to attend.
I did read something on Forbes about borrowing from family members. I do have an eccentric great uncle who has an unorthodox way of life. Last time I was at his “house,” he didn’t even have a kitchen. He eats whatever’s in season. According to my grandpa, he has more money than all my other relatives combined.
You can appeal your non-custodial parent contribution. Send an email with a letter from a third party stating that your father refuses to contribute beyond paying mandated child support (if this is the case).
Do not state anywhere that your mother can contribute funds. If you do state an amount that is higher than the financial aid office has calculated, the office will go with your self-reported the amount. The financial aid office will calculate a parent contribution so never self report a dollar amount for parent contribution.
Look at your overall financial situation, if you have other special circumstances like your mother contributes to grandparents care or had an unusual onetime increase in income. If so, I would strongly encourage you to appeal your financial aid package.
If you have the option to take the perkins loan-- take it before taking any other type of loan. It does not need a cosigner.