<p>Hi everyone - I’ve been gone a couple of days. What a conversation!</p>
<p>Lots of hugs to lots of you. fog, I am feeling for you, hope all goes OK with your mom. </p>
<p>The sorority thing is a total mystery to me, but I know it’s a big deal to these kids, and not only affects their housing for next year, but also their social life and feelings of self-worth. Good luck to them all. My D last night was telling me how frustrated she still is with her roommate situation (much of which I know is her own doing - we’ve always known she would be an annoying person to live with, sigh). She hopes to find a better situation next year, but of course doesn’t know how, and probably will just continue to have one frustration or another. Such is college life, and the lessons it teaches, eh?</p>
<p>Good news is that D1 continues to be building her new life - got more encouragement that her job could be extended, and also picked up another part-time job to supplement. She loves her new house and is having a blast being a young person on her own.</p>
<p>And I had a really rewarding day of teaching yesterday, especially the continuing ed class in the evening. It’s exciting when what you hope to convey really makes an impression on people. It’s a 6-week session, and I think this group will have a lot of fun and learn a lot.</p>
<p>Especially moving was that I have a 23-year-old student who just finished a college degree in this area. He said he was feeling like something really essential had been missing in his supposedly “excellent” education, and he feels that this setting will finally fill that hole. That really made me smile - for the sake of all of our young adults, who so often don’t see how they can switch gears and make things better! Most of my adult students tell how they were confused/frustrated/etc. for 10, 20, 30 years before finally trying a new approach, so this was refreshing.</p>
<p>fogfog, so sorry to hear about your mother.</p>
<p>Classof2015, I have used a gradual approach with my kids as well, even while they are in college. I have retained a bunch of things so that they (ShawSon especially) can focus on success in college. Each year, I am transferring more aspects of life management. For some kids, like mine, this approach seems to be better than just assuming that they can do it all at once.</p>
<p>I wish I could remember how to quote-but emmy you saying you knew your daughter would be an annoying person to live with just made my day-I love that honesty!</p>
<p>My son is an only child sorta. He has 3 half sisters he never lived with who are much older than him. The youngest was 16 when he was born. At home he has his own room, own bathroom and own office/den. He loves his privacy, always keeping the door closed. I expected him to hate having a roommate. He loves his roommate. Go figure. </p>
<p>My first day as a tax volunteer was mostly a bust. Boo hoo. First the room we were in did not have wifi. It took 90 minutes to find a room that did that we could use. Then the program was soooooooooo slow we kept getting timed out. After 90 minutes of torture we went home. I did manage to finish one simple return that should have taken 15 minutes. Very embarrassing. Hopefully the glitches will be fixed by Monday, the next day I work.</p>
<p>You rock FLMMom! I’m so impressed that you are giving your time in this way. Fingers crossed that they will have the glitches worked out by your next tour on Monday! :)</p>
<p>Finished taxes on Sunday and filed them (we do not have a complicated tax return). A few minutes after that, finished FAFSA and filed it. I had a 1098-T that DS had printed off his school website where he logs in for financial and other information. We got the American Opportunity credit on the taxes; the FAFSA report came back on Monday some time and it was about the same as this current school year. No big surprises.</p>
<p>Then in the mail on Monday, we got a much more detailed letter from the school, with a copy of the 1098-T included. For the sake of “argument,” let’s say I entered that we paid $15,000 for eligible school expenses. The more detailed Monday letter said it was more like $17,000.</p>
<p>So, do I re-do taxes and FAFSA over that? We still got the Amer. Opp. credit, so I’m thinking just leave it be. I know there’s a financial aid forum, but I’d much rather ask “my peeps” here on the 2015 . . . because we are, after all, awesome! :)</p>
<p>EOA: I’m loving this weather also. Can we just skip right to spring? Although I’d still like one good snowstorm.</p>
<p>FLMM: You’re doing something very generous. I hope it goes better next time. It’s great that your son loves his roommate. My D2 feels the same way. She said that her room at home felt a little bit lonely over winter break. She also loves living in her enormous, ugly, traditional dorm with 1800 other freshmen. She’s made great friends on her floor, and doesn’t really mind sharing a small room and communal bathroom. Sometimes our pampered children do surprise us.</p>
<p>cgpm - I am NOT a tax expert, but I know a little more than the next guy. This college stuff on the taxes is new to me this year too. One thing the IRS does pretty well is matching up electronic forms like W-2s, 1098/1099s of all types so you run the risk of getting your return kicked out because of the mismatch. If the tax liability doesn’t change then this is nothing more than an annoyance. If some of your other input items might change, you might want to wait a bit before filing an amended return/FAFSA. BTW, I hope you compared the results of using the AOTC and the tuition and fees deduction and used the more favorable. Publication 970 on the IRS website is very helpful.</p>
<p>I am preparing for the first “come to Jesus” (gosh I hope that isn’t offensive) talk of the semester. I hear S is planning on dropping a class bringing him down to 12 credits & who knows how those classes are going?
Very reluctant to sign a housing lease for next year, perhaps after midterms are posted & if they are good I will consider.
He has above a 3.0 but just barely & that is the minimum to keep his scholarship. Only has that because he transferred in some A’s. Why is this so hard?</p>
<p>Oh, ld, lots of hugs for you. These kids are going to stumble, and the path isn’t clear ahead. It can happen in so many ways, for any of us. Do what you think is right - remember that starting over can have its benefits, that hard lessons sometimes really teach these kids something. </p>
<p>I guess “love the kid on the couch” can easily turn into “love the kid who’s figuring out how to handle college.”</p>
<p>Yes, some stumbles are bigger than others. I guess I’m saying that we all should be prepared that anything can happen … whether in college, or after, or whenever. Not trying to be morose, just trying to debunk the idea that “everyone else does fine except my kid.”</p>
<p>Thank you, FLMathMom. I used TurboTax, so it guided me through and said the American Opp. credit was the best for us – or maybe the only one we qualified for . . . It was already showing a refund even before I got to the education credits, so I don’t think that anything would change as far as owing more tax. I will do a little more reading on it though in that publication.</p>
<p>cgpm - TurboTax is great. Been using it for years. You can do “What Ifs” by changing #s and either not saving the results or saving under a different name. It will show you how to file an amended return if you decide to file one.</p>
<p>Emmybet - I had to laugh at your “we always knew she would be difficult to live with” comment. I have one of those myself and it has kind of been a blessing and a curse. Some very hard times but lots of toughening up for the “real world” also.</p>
<p>My positive new for the day…Older DD called with a sort-of update on the grad school situation. She called her contact @ her #1 school and asked if the emails had gone out. Turns out that the woman in charge of notifications was out sick today AND yesterday and he couldn’t find out if she had sent the emails out last week or if they still needed to be sent. He left a message, asking her to call my DD so we’ll see. It might still be a “no” but we won’t know for sure until at least tomorrow.</p>
<p>Idinct - I feel for you - it’s so hard to know when to step in and when to let go, especially when something as big as a scholarship is on the line. </p>
<p>Am I the only one who hasn’t done taxes and FAFSA? I know I need to get them done but life keeps getting in the way.</p>
<p>No proudmom - bluedad hasn’t touched taxes. We are just getting in the last of our required paperwork necessary to do them. Turbo-tax to the rescue!! I’m counting on the FAFSA/Profile being less painful this year…y’hear that, I’m counting on it! HA!!</p>
<p>I’m sorry that your DD is going through such an emotional roller coaster with her grad school acceptance. I’m hoping she get’s good news very soon.</p>
<p>ldinct - Sending hugs tonight. It is very hard to know when to step in. I had one crash and burn so we didn’t step in, but that was a much more extreme situation (he’s doing fine now, btw). Go with your gut, my head usually pulls me in the wrong direction, lol.</p>
I’m counting on the FAFSA/Profile being less painful this year…y’hear that, I’m counting on it! HA!!</p>