It depends on how much the COA is and how much other aid she received. If a COA is say $15,000 (it will be a lower COA if she is commuting from home) with an EFC of $8000 and the student receives $5000 in scholarships, that only leaves $2000 for Sub. Every student and school will have different situations, but its all based on the same federal formula. COA -EFC = Need. Need - scholarships and grants =Sub loan. It wont go over $3500 for a freshman of course. But schools cannot arbitrarily award a random amount of Sub. Its all based on that formula. ETA: There are programs and schools that operate on a clock hour basis instead of credit hour. In clock hour cases, if the program is less than the federal minimum for a year (900 hours), you prorate federal awards like Pell and loans. So a program that is 800 hours you take 800/900 = 89%. 89% x $3500 for a freshman = $3115 for Sub. Thats not the school deciding to award less than the student is eligible, thats just the full amount the student can get based on the federal calculation. So thats why the handbook and websites say a school determines the amounts and what type. Its a CYA type of thing. But all schools follow the federal regs.

Subsidized Loans- not like work study at all. Schools are not given a certain pot of money like campus based aid like work study, SEOG and Perkins. Eligibility is based on the formula listed above. COA -EFC = need. Need - grants and scholarships = remaining eligibility. A student is not given over the amount of remaining eligibilty but they can get up to $3500 for the freshman year. So COA is $30,000, EFC is 15,000. Need would then be $15,000. Student gets $10,000 merit scholarship so has $5000 remaining eligibility. This student can get $3500 in sub loans. On the other hand, COA is $30,000 EFC is $20,000 and student gets $10,000 scholarship. Remaining need is 0 so student not eligible for Sub loans but can get $5500 total in Unsub. In the handbook, look on the volume on calculating awards. On my phone now so cant give correct page but its in there. Signed, financial aid counselor :) ETA: check out Volume 3, chapter 7 page 3-144. It has a packaging example that might help. If a student is eligible based on the above calucation for the full amount of Sub, it must be offered before Unsub. By law. Students may decline part or all of a loan of course but if a school participates on the federal loan program they must offer the full amount eligible for Sub before Unsub or private loans.

I adore Sonlight. Granted my son is young so we just have P4/5. I drool over the catalog and planned to use it next year before we decided on a private school instead. Sonlight fits our family very well and my son loves the books. MFW and HOD would be awful fits for my son. We still plan to use the catalog as a reading list for afterschooling. There are several large, very active Sonlight Facebook groups that seem to have replaced the discussion board. Also, some families have moved to Bookshark from Sonlight for various reasons. Sonlight isn't for everyone, just as MFW, HOD, TOG, and others aren't for everyone.

I agree the first school sounds best. We decided on a academic rigorous private school for ds who will be in Kindergarten next year. My parents are supportive but my in laws are not. They don't understand why we don't move to their town 45 minutes away from dh job (we are currently within walking distance) to attend their slightly better public schools. They are firmly against private schools and charter schools and don't even mention homeschooling around them. In the end you have to do what you believe is best for your child.

DS is 4, will be 5 in April. We have always known he was smart, possibly bright and ahead in various areas but chalked it up to lots of reading. Gave a lot of credit to Preschool Prep Co videos and thought he just maintained being ahead since he learned letters and numbers so early. We are starting to see some things now though that make us wonder if its smart, bright or something more. The pediatrician mentioned it on a recent visit when he questioned her endlessly on the model of the ear and everything else in the room. He pointed out something she had never noticed before and didn't know the purpose. His ability to pick up knowledge without us teaching it-knowing our phone number just by hearing it a few times. Picking up difference between 10s, 100s and 1000s thanks to a Curious George episode and me writing out how you add another zero to get 100, one more to get 1000 and being able to answer when asked what numbers make up 6000 for instance. A friend of his grandfather told him the other day that he would be 68 on his next birthday and ds saying that means he is 67 now. I realized one day he was almost able to count to 100 and we never worked on it with him. He can tell time (hours on analog and hours and minutes on digital) by me telling him once how to do it. He recognizes numbers up to 100 (and can count and recognize numbers up to a 1000 counting by 100s-so he knows 200, 300, 400, etc)-again not by anything I did to teach it. He picked it up by checking to see what % power was left on the Kindle :) Learned left and right by asking which direction we were turning in the car a few times and can now tell you exactly which hand is right or left or which direction something may be. A very sensitive boy who is upset 2 days later that his teacher threw away a rock he was playing with and had developed an entire story around. He feels things deeply. Now, I am fully aware he may be garden variety bright and we are just fine with that-thrilled in fact! But if its something more I want to get him the support he needs. I don't believe he is PG or anything, just curious what we need to have in place going forward. Or am I one of those parents that sees greatness where there is none ;)

It looks like the financial aid for the private school we love will work out after all. Hooray! DS will start Kindergarten there next year. One of the first questions I asked all the schools we toured was how they taught reading. This private school uses Superkids. From what I can tell, they use mainly phonics to teach. I read a few reviews of the program by public school teachers and most said it didn't teach enough sight words which is a plus in my view. Has anyone used it? Pros? Cons? He is sounding out CVC words now, I have AAR Level 1 to use with him, maybe we can use it some this summer.

Yes, they are the friends I made the first night of college waaaay back in 1993. We all live in different states now but try to get together once a year for a girls weekend. We may not even speak for months besides a quick text or message on facebook. But once we are back together, its like we are living on the same hall in college again. They were with me on a girls weekend when I miscarried our very much wanted and long awaited miracle baby. I will never, ever forget how they sat in the waiting room of the ER for over 4 hours just to be there for me. One came in the ER room with me (hospital only allowed one) and cried and prayed with me. I wish we lived closer so our kids could play together or we could grab a quick coffee. But as far away as they are, I am still so grateful we are still friends. I hope we always make it a priority to be in each others lives, even if its just one weekend a year. Our girls weekend is coming up next month and I can't wait. We may not do anything the entire time but drink coffee, eat and talk but none of that matters when we are together. I know that it is rare to have this type of friendship and I am very thankful.

We had hoped that this amazing private school would give us enough financial aid for our son to attend next year for Kindergarten. The official offer came in the mail today and there is no way we can swing it. So we are back to the drawing board. He is an extreme extrovert and we are extremely introverted. He is in a wonderful play based preschool and loves going every day. He is at least one grade ahead on everything so the public school here would be a terrible fit. We live in a townhouse so no back yard to play in. We have a weekly co op we can join as well as Classical Conversations. I know how some feel about CC but its another day with other kids. Various sports are possibilities including swimming on the year around team. I don't know that I can take care of his social needs. Academic I am not concerned about in the least. Dh isn't fully on board to homeschool and our extended family is completely against it. Advice?

The reason it asks this question is if you did report it as income to the IRS, they remove that amount from the student paid income. Basically they credit it back to you as they don't actually include that amount against the student in the EFC calculation. As it was not reported on a tax return in the AGI, you don't have to list it.

I am not a fan of dogs. They make me nervous. However, ds adores dogs. We are working with him on the proper way to approach a dog, ask the owner first, be gentle, etc. He is 4. We have a neighbor however with what seems like a sweet dog. The neighbor keeps telling him things like oh he would never hurt you! You could put your hand in his mouth and he wouldn't hurt you, he has been around lots of young kids. Please don't tell my child its ok to put his hands in a dogs mouth to get a ball from him! That dog is twice his size. Now admittedly I avoid dogs if at all possible. And have refused to go to a playdate at someones house that has 3 pits that roam the house and yard freely with very young children. The owner calls them her babies and thinks they could never do anything wrong so exercises very little control of them. I made up an excuse for why we could not go but it was absolutely the dog issue. We have an old cat. She has never bitten or scratched and generally runs from the room whenever ds enters it. I don't think she would do anything but you just never know so I guard their time together like a hawk. I wish all pet owners would realize that there are no guarantees when it comes to animals, please take appropriate precautions.

DS will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. We had considered homeschooling, in fact I had already planned out curriculum but we are now thinking B&M for several reasons, including an extreme extrovert child with 2 very introverted parents and no siblings. I don't know that he is gifted but he does seem to be bright and advanced on every level. Our options: 1-local charter school that has a good reputation for academics and the arts. Everyone I know that goes there loves it. Negatives are getting in is via lottery so no guarantee, insane amounts of homework every night and weekends even in K, no lunch service and no cafeteria so they eat in their classrooms. 1 30 minute recess per day. They could not provide specific details on how they would keep a student who is advanced challeged other than they would work with him on what he needs. 2-private school that is tops academically, sports and the best arts program in the area by far. Minimal homework in younger grades but far above academically than any other area school. Ability to get into and do well in any college he wishes when he graduates. 2 recesses a day plus the teacher will take them outside to play for a bit if they need it. Smaller school than the charter-2 Kindergarten classes of max 20 students each versus charter school of 5 classes 20-22 students. Teachers are warm and caring, classrooms and hallways are filled with students art work and are homey feeling. Negatives-cost. We got an unofficial financial aid offer that puts it well within our budget but have to wait for final offer that depends on our taxes. 50% of the students there receive some sort of financial aid but he would be with families that make WAY WAY more than we do. I have been assured by the school and other parents I know that this is not a concern at all. I am obviously leaning towards the private school, I think it would fit him like a glove. Many of the students there are advanced so they have things in place to challenge them. But oh the cost! When you add it up over K-12 its staggering and we worry that there will be a time we can't afford it even with the financial aid. Also if he gets in the charter for K and turns it down, his chances of getting in later are slim to none until middle school. Which would you choose?

I have the 2nd one linked and its been great so far. I have had it for over a year. I throw all of it in the dishwasher and haven't had an issue. Have you looked at the Yeti cups. My parents and sisters adore theirs. They actually gush about them. But I think they can't go in the dishwasher which is why I haven't tried one yet.

DS had a lot of strep when he was younger but too young to have the surgery. Every time they tested with the quick test it came back positive. He had other symptoms of course. The pediatrician sent a culture off and it came back negative during a time he didnt have any other symptoms but the quick test came back positive. She gave him a super strong antibiotic and he has only had strep once in the past 2 years. Quite a difference from having 8 seperate cases of strep in a year! I do know they will recommend having his tonsils removed if it starts up again now that he is older. They wanted him to be at least 3 years old and he was less than 2.

I'm not sure how I became the tech person in our family-maybe it was the time I worked admin in an IT department? :) My FIL is the worst. He will call and say I can't find the presentation I was going to show at church (that someone else created for him). So I have to walk him through it step by step. OK, hit the start button. Where is that? Which button do I press on the mouse? This is what comes up- and then reads me every. single. option listed on the start menu. Drives me up the wall! And he never calls at a convenient time.

This is my son too! He is tall for his age but still just 4 years old. He has no fear which is one reason I watch so carefully! He jumped in the 12 foot one day this summer as he had been doing all summer without floaties and was swimming to the side. I was standing right by the pool watching. A lifeguard saw him jump in, came running and jumped in to save him. Ds was confused on why someone carried him to the side when he was swimming there on his own. I am thankful to that guard for looking out for him even if he didnt need it. A 4 year old jumping into such deep water on his own is a little surprising I guess?

Nope. No way would I allow ds to go in that situation. I am nuts about water. A family friends son drowned when we were little and it has stuck with me ever since. So I insisted that ds learn to swim early and well and I still am like a hawk at the pool. You just can't be too careful around water since it can happen so quickly.

My sons preschool has a song. He learned them in less than a week with it. Can't place the tune but youtube should have some ideas.

We toured a PS Kindergarten class a month ago and asked about reading. The principal said that *if* a child was at level C they would be with the other level C students but level C would be very very high for beginning of the K year. By the end of the year they are expected to be at D. End of first grade expected Level J. She indicated that no one would be above C and only a couple, if any, at that level. DS was at that level when he was 3. She didn't believe me (we'll see was her comment). I think its very possible they didn't test for higher than D.

My non coloring 4 year old and I love Sonlight. So so much. The cores starting with Core A have science experiments and you can add in anything you wish. A friend chose MFW as her kids love worksheets so its a good fit for them. It would be a terrible fit for my son. Sonlight has a fantastic return policy so if you are drawn to it why not try it out?

He is 4. No way no how can I let him self regulate. He loves candy but his behavior is atrocious with too much sugar. And he starts begging for it all the time and won't eat anything else. We give a small number of pieces per day and gradually dispose of it. I don't eat much candy at all-maybe a handful of skittles once in a blue moon and even the smell of chocolate makes me feel sick. Dh loves candy but keeps it hidden. :) So he doesn't see us eat it very often either.

We adore Usborne books. We were passed down some books we had given to our nephews for gifts and despite being 13 years old and having gone through 3 very rough boys, they still look like new. The flaps in the flap books are very sturdy. Usborne (US branch anyway) doesn't sell to Amazon so any you are getting there are coming from overseas, used or some someone got for free somehow. They do sell to Barnes and Noble and other stores and those are the same price as those that are sold at parties. Full disclosure I am a consultant but do not pressure anyone to book a party with me. I get approached about doing them. I joined just for the discount! ;)

I could have written most of your post. My 4 year old goes to a great half day preschool program that we love. I left the parent/teacher conference today very frustrated that they didn't tell me anything other than he is way above. Yes, I know that. Please tell me how you are supporting his learning. Or is he just expected to go the entire year with nothing but review of things he has known since he was 2? Its a play based preschool but they told me at the start of the year they would individualize things for him. Apparently thats just if you are behind or slightly above. And then when I mentioned it to someone they said well he is ahead, if there is a problem they will tell you. So I am not supposed to ask unless they tell me he is behind? They did talk about how he gets frustrated with the other kids and gets bossy and tries to help. If its bothering them maybe give him something more challenging than this is what a B sounds like. I don't have any advice, just sympathy. I don't push him, he brings his "school" books to me. If he gets frustrated we stop. I get tired of hearing he is so young, let him play! I love your idea of a formal early learning section! :)

I read the book right before seeing the movie. I enjoyed both! Yes they did change some things from the book but movies always do that. Funny movie and gorgeous scenery!

Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading :)

Some collleges use a different methodology to calculate aid and you have to fill out additional paperwork and inclue things such as the value of your house. Those EFCs are usually much higher than the official FAFSA calculation. Many colleges use just the regular federal FAFSA EFC. It all depends on the school, which methodology they use and how they meet the need.