Hi everyone I would love informative advice please! I’m a transfer student at New England College. I transferred from San Diego City College in 2016. My parents have been deceased for two years. I “won” a “full tuition scholarship” to NEC $65,000.00 for four years. Before I came to NEC, I received a letter in the mail with my financial aid and scholarship statement. It said I was expected to pay $10,000.00. I’ve taken out Federal Subsided and Unsubsidised student loans, I cancelled my health insurance at the college and I’ve even applied my full financial aid package to the remaining tuition bill, but it’s now $12,137.00. The College said that "(they’ve) been charging me the amount (I’d thought) I’d be paying each semester for housing $4,000.00; but they’ve been charging me and other students this amount each month. For Fall 2016 I was charged $4,000.00 each month for housing and for the Spring I moved dorms and was charged $3,000.00 each month. And I can’t register for courses for the Fall 2017 semester, until it’s paid in full. I’ve talked to numerous people in Financial Aid department at NEC. I don’t have any help from family members. Is this legal? What can I do besides securing jobs to pay it off before the Fall 2017 semester. Please help! Thank you!!
I’m so sorry to hear about your parents. Did the financial aid office help you review the bill line by line? It doesn’t sound wrong to me.
The cost of attendance at NEC is ~$53k/year ($35k tuition + $18k room, board, & fees). I don’t see how your costs after a full tuition scholarship could only be $10k.
$53k COA - $35k tuition grant - $6500 federal student loan = a balance of $12k/year.
Do you have your own health insurance? If not, or it’s not enough, the college may require you to buy theirs. If the school winds up being unaffordable, make sure to withdraw completely right away before additional charges are added to your bill. You’ll have to contact the registrar, housing, and the dining office to cancel all your contracts.