My girl has been an A student since second grade. She works hard, she goes the extra educational mile, she’s in student government, and (if you repeat this, I will deny it) smarter than me!
She has applied for any and all scholarships she can get her hands on. She got almost nothing. She was told that she was eligible for a Pell Grant about three months ago, but every time she applied to the finacial aid offices at the University’s of her choice, the amount awarded dwindled.
I seriously doubt we can send her now. She is heart broken.
We really want her to attend school out of state. Here in California, the educational buget has been eviscerated to a ridiculous point. Many College students here found themselves high and dry when their progams or required classes for graduation were cut right out from under them. Imagine being one year from graduation only to be told that your school no longer has what you need finish. They have to change majors or go somewhere else. Both options add to the time it takes to graduate as well as the cost.
SO FUCK YOU SCHOLARSHIP BOARDS! MY KID IS THIS COUNTRY’S BEST BET FOR THE FUTURE AND YOU JUST THREW ALL THAT TALENT AWAY!
How many schools did she apply to? I would think someone smart enough to get all A’s could find somewhere to go for free, even if it’s not her first choice.
Wait - doesn’t California have good tuition for in-state students? Just send her up (or down) state. Practically the same thing. Cali has a pretty good system, and you’re only looking at undergrad, right?
Who goes out of state without a full ride these days, anyway!? I did and I’m going to pay for that for the rest of my life.
Pell grants have been eviscerated and are about to be cut again, if the majority in the House has their way. Wars we can pay for, college education, not so much.
I’m back in undergrad right now, and with no major assets (cash on hand would pay for 1 semester in state) and no income right now (yay living at home at age 38) I’m still not eligible for much by way of grants. They’re just not there any more. You’ve got to look for private sources of funding, private scholarships, and so on.
She might not get to go to the college she wants this year. However, she can almost certainly go to a two year college and get her core curriculum finished in a couple of years, and then transfer to a four year college. That’s the way lots of people do it. Community colleges charge much lower tuition per credit hour…and you can generally find one that she can commute to, which will save room and board.
This may not be the way she (and you) wished for her to go to college, but many times we don’t get exactly what we’ve wished for. That’s life.
She can take out loans like the rest of us peons. No one is entitled to financial aid, not in this country, and hopefully you have been saving some money for her and not just relying on aid! Good luck to her either way.
She’s entitled to at least $8500 in subsidized student loans. And going to an in-state college won’t kill her. Every other state is eviscerating its higher education budget too.
Depending on what you want to do with your life, taking out loans may not be financially responsible.
I think its an embarrassment that we don’t offer full rides to college for those that are obviously qualified for it. I don’t care if their father is Bill Gates. If Bill gates Jr is smart, he should be able to attend the best universities our country has to offer without paying a dime in tuition or fees.
Sure, I know that nothing is free but its a matter of priorities. Ending the war in Afghanistan could pay the tuition for everyone attending college five times over.
Well, one reason we don’t do that is that we spend lots of money sending people to college who don’t need to be there. 56% of Americans 25 and older have completed at least one semester of higher education.
Do 56% of American jobs actually require higher education? I highly doubt it.
Community college and a job. Transfer to a state school after finishing up her first 2 years at community college. Continue working. Graduate, life etc…
That’s how to graduate with no debt.
No one is entitled to financial aid, not in this country, and hopefully you have been saving some money for her and not just relying on aid! Good luck to her either way.