elegantlion Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 On a whim and flight of desperation, I filled it out yesterday as the deadline is the 30th. I'm curious how much I COULD get to attend an online school. I listed one university as the school, as its only the school I've truly checked out enough. I feel like it's a good fit for several reasons. So I get the notice from FAFSA today that my information has been forwarded to the school and the school will determine what I qualify for. I haven't even applied for the school yet, it's 25.00 and I won't have that until the weekend, plus I don't want to blow it if I'm not going to get enough to cover the costs. Plus I've been out of school for an eon, I don't have my transcript. The university and my high school are near each other, but do I have to supply the transcript? How do high schools deal with students who have been out of the system for so long, I graduated in 1985. I have no clue what my grades or test scores were. I only know I graduated in the top 10% and was due to the sheer number of people in our class. So will the school do anything BEFORE I apply? I have about three weeks before their application deadline. I did get a password to the school's website, but there is nothing on there about what they're willing to offer. I thought FAFSA would offer me an amount and then I'd shop schools. I didn't know it was the schools that do the offering. My EFC is 0 if that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 It is not uncommon for students to need their transcript many years after high school. Call your high school and they will be able to explain the process to you. They may even have a form to a link on their website. I recently helped a friend who attended a high school that closed over 30 years ago and we were still able to track down her transcript. I would suggest going ahead and starting this process now just in case it takes a few weeks. If you have not already done so you may wish to check out the college online and see how much of the student's estimated need they typically meet and how they meet that need (is it through grants or through loans). http://www.collegeboard.org/ Search under the college name, then go to the "paying" tab on the left and then to the menu that says "financial aid by the numbers." Also, you could contact the financial aid office at the college. One thing I would caution you about is that majority of colleges, particularly with online programs, really don't meet a students full EFC and if they do so it is often with loans rather than grants. Also, you need to budget for books and fees. If you have other schools you wish to apply to but can't afford the admissions fees, you can contact the institution and tell them you have a 0 EFC and ask for a fee waiver. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 It is not uncommon for students to need their transcript many years after high school. Call your high school and they will be able to explain the process to you. They may even have a form to a link on their website. I recently helped a friend who attended a high school that closed over 30 years ago and we were still able to track down her transcript. I would suggest going ahead and starting this process now just in case it takes a few weeks. If you have not already done so you may wish to check out the college online and see how much of the student's estimated need they typically meet and how they meet that need (is it through grants or through loans). http://www.collegebo...rd.org/��Search under the college name, then go to the "paying" tab on the left and then to the menu that says "financial aid by the numbers." Also, you could contact the financial aid office at the college. One thing I would caution you about is that majority of colleges, particularly with online programs, really don't meet a students full EFC and if they do so it is often with loans rather than grants. Also, you need to budget for books and fees. If you have other schools you wish to apply to but can't afford the admissions fees, you can contact the institution and tell them you have a 0 EFC and ask for a fee waiver. Hope that helps! Thanks, I looked at the high school website a few months ago, nothing about archived type transcripts. I'll have to contact them, I'm curious what it looks like anyway. I did check out the net cost calculator and have a question into the school about how they classify part and full time with their online program. It's 8 week classes and 6 credits per session is full time. If I can take one class at a time (5 sessions per year) then I MIGHT be able to pull it off and work. With a pell grant I might be able to cover the tuition for part-time. If they don't cover everything, I won't be able to go, which is kind of why I want to find out upfront. I wasn't planning on doing any of this until winter at least, but applied on a whim. So if it doesn't work out I'm okay with that. If not, I may wait until I find a job (insert long, drawn out, pathetic saga of my life) and find a way to pay for my other option (which doesn't accept federal funding). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 In addition to Barbara's great advice, be prepared that, because the FAFSA is based on last year's tax return (which does not reflect your now very different financial situation), your EFC number may be significantly higher than it will be next year, which may drop you out of the running for $$ for this year. (See here about making changes to the FAFSA if your situation has changed.) Also, even if you know there's only one school you plan to attend, I attended a Financial Aid session in which we were advised to list several schools, even if you know you're not planning on attending them. First, that makes many schools give you a more competitive financial aid package (in contrast, if they see they are your only choice, they're not going to bother throwing that much money at you). Second, try and send the info to at least one school that has a hot rivalry with your school of choice, so you can compare financial aid packages, and if the rival offers a better deal, you can try and use it as leverage to see if your school of choice will match or better the offer. Other ideas for reducing college costs include: - CLEP testing for as many of the gen. ed. courses as are allowed by the school of your choice (for example, here the CLEP test is $125 + $25 for study materials = $150 per 3 unit course -- compared to $2300 tuition + $150 books = almost $2500 for a 3 unit course at the local state university) - taking as many gen. ed. credits at a cheaper local community college OR online/distance courses from a cheaper school as will transfer to the school of your choice (DO check first to make sure they WILL transfer) - probably not an option since it sounds like you've already selected 1 or 2 schools, BUT... For one of the cheapest Bachelor's I've seen available, you can either go through College Plus (for about $12,000-$15,000 for a BA of CLEP tests and distance courses) for a BA in Anthropology (which is off the path of your interest in Archeology, but it's as close as they get)... OR, you can DIY through Thomas Edison for about $8,000-$10,000 for the BA. Also, post #5 in this thread links a ton of helpful tips and resources on the topic of financial aid and scholarships. Hopefully you can glean some tips that will apply to your situation! :) BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 28, 2013 Author Share Posted June 28, 2013 Thanks I'll look into some of this. My EFC for this year was 0, We were broke last year. I am also broke this year, change in pronoun, not in financial picture. ;) Distance learning is really the only thing I can do right now. Community college is not close, nearest university is about the same price as the online school, plus I'll need to have a job, so I need to be able to work on my own time. Financial Aid won't pay for CLEP will it? I was hoping to take a few classes. I was really hoping to do most of my work at one -two schools and not try to piecemeal a degree. For me, that feels like trying to wrangle together a bunch of loose ends. Sounds like I might be better off waiting until I can pay for the program I really want. Thanks, all. Does the school itself have say over whether I qualify for a Pell Grant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 ...My EFC for this year was 0, We were broke last year. I am also broke this year... Ouch! :( Financial Aid won't pay for CLEP will it? Alas, no. (Which really is a shame, because CLEP was originally designed for adults returning to college to give them a chance to count their work and life experiences towards credit... Which is exactly your situation!) I was really hoping to do most of my work at one -two schools and not try to piecemeal a degree. For me, that feels like trying to wrangle together a bunch of loose ends. I agree! In addition, you can only receive a Pell Grant to one institution in a year -- a Pell Grant to each of two schools at the same time is not allowed. Plus, it's just more danger of taking something that the degree-granting school decides doesn't fit their requirements. :sad: Does the school itself have say over whether I qualify for a Pell Grant? From what I can tell, whether or not you *qualify* is determined by the FAFSA and the government. The school does have some say over *how much* is awarded by virtue of how much the tuition costs are (since different schools charge different amounts of tuition). What is determined by the school is the amount of SEOG (Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) money your school decides to award you. (Also see here for more info on SEOG) The school is given a lump sum from the government, and distributes it as the school sees fit. SEOG is federal money given to individuals through the school; like a Pell Grant, it is not paid back. SEOG money is awarded in addition to Pell Grants, so check into what your school's SEOG situation is. Also, you can look into college Federal Work Study, which is federal monies given to individual schools to provide 12-15 hours a week of work for students with financial need; once the student has earned the award amount, the employment ends for that year. You apply for Work Study through the college's financial aid office. Work study does not reduce the student's financial aid eligibility, and like Pell and SEOG, is not a loan and so is not paid back. More info for badgering your school of choice into giving you money! ;) BEST of luck! Hugs, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Before the school will determine what you qualify for, you really do need to actually apply to the school. I seriously doubt they'll tell you much of anything if you don't apply. If they require a transcript for your category of student, then you need to supply it. You should be able to do this online. I was able to do all of mine online a couple of years ago. I graduated around the same time you did, and did have to supply transcripts, but only for the colleges since I had more than 12 credits. From what you've shared, you're likely to qualify for what you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Everything is in process now. So, we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Everything is in process now. So, we will see. Sending you best wishes for a good outcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Good luck! I admire you! It's a BIG step! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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