Unemployed parent, not eligible for SAT waivers: any way to reduce application costs next year?

Paying for College
21

@thumper1 I think Wellesley is less of a reach than Vassar. I have the stats for both, but the low acceptance rate for women is concerning.

The $4,000 includes attorney fees and interest.

@HRSMom My school is very large (2600+ students) and in a very rich area (I live on the boundary line, where incomes and property values are lower). All the counselors are extremely overworked. Is this worth asking about?

@mom2collegekids Mortgage payments are on time. Income will be around $45,000, which is still barely above the federal guidelines (family of 4). PSAT results come out on the 7th.

22

Is it easily affordable at (a) list price, (b) need-based aid listed in the net price calculator, or (c) automatic for your stats merit scholarships?

I.e. not just an apparently good chance of merit scholarships (because some schools do not give many big ones).

Also, if there is potential for your parents to lose their home to foreclosure, commuting from home may be disrupted. It may be preferable to attend a full ride school as a residential student if there is uncertainty with your parent’s housing situation. (However, you would still likely have to stay with your parents during winter and summer breaks, but that is not as big an issue as having to move with them during the middle of the semester, possibly to a place with a worse commute to a college that you commute to.)

23

Whatever the income is for 2015 will be on the FAFSA for 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Pitt gave my D a fee waiver when she visited. Room and board and fees run about $12,000

24

Don’t ignore the lien or contact from the association or attorney, but many states do not allow junior lien holders to foreclose or have a minimum judgment amount required before the leinholder can start forclosure… The lien just sits tbere, increasing in amount, until you sell. If it is a state that allows judgment or junior liens to be forclosed, the creditor has to be willing to bid on the amount owed at sale, so willing to buy out the mortgage and any other lienholders. Most HOAs want the homeowners to work with them and get the amount owed up to date. They don’t want to own homes in the community, and don’t want to forclose. And they don’t have the money to buy out the mortgages.

25

Another school to possible consider is UT Dallas. With your stats you would definitely receive full tuition and fees and potentially $3000 a semester for living through their AES scholarships. It is a good school for CS and is in a great area for internships. If you are a NMF, they will pay full tuition, fees, $4000+/semester for living for all 4 years, even if you are off campus.