Joker Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 An update for ds: He received another award from IU Bloomington today. It's the Herbert Presidential Scholar award. It will include more scholarship money as well as money for study abroad and a laptop. At this point I think ds would be crazy not to attend IU because they seem to just be throwing money at him. It's not his top choice but he could graduate with little to no loan debt. He is wanting to attend grad school so I think it's almost a done deal. I really don't get it, though. Ds would rather attend Purdue but they tout not giving much aid because they have frozen tuition for so long. Ds did get merit aid from Purdue but it is a tiny amount. IU and Purdue pretty much cost the same for those in state and IU seems to have a lot more to hand out. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Ok, we have decided to go ahead and email the college my son is still waiting on. He knows he turned the application in late, past the deadline for EA (Nov. 1st) but with 3 people now saying they turned theirs in late (mid Nov, which is the same time he turned his in) and they have all said they heard by Mid December......we are going ahead with asking. It *could* be that he is undeclared......but we will see. The answer is that he turned it in after the EA deadline and they will let him know between Feb. 1st and April something or other. That still doesn't explain why others have heard, but whatever. He is now saying he did quite a bit of research on Asheville and with the scholarship and his recent application to the Honors Program, he is leaning towards Asheville. I thought it was a great school for him, small, somewhat artsy, and he got his first scholarship offer, etc..... I need to see when he needs to make the decision. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 An update for ds: He received another award from IU Bloomington today. It's the Herbert Presidential Scholar award. It will include more scholarship money as well as money for study abroad and a laptop. At this point I think ds would be crazy not to attend IU because they seem to just be throwing money at him. It's not his top choice but he could graduate with little to no loan debt. He is wanting to attend grad school so I think it's almost a done deal. I really don't get it, though. Ds would rather attend Purdue but they tout not giving much aid because they have frozen tuition for so long. Ds did get merit aid from Purdue but it is a tiny amount. IU and Purdue pretty much cost the same for those in state and IU seems to have a lot more to hand out. Laughing at this because back when I was in high school Purdue vs IU was such a constant argument. I hope everyone's grown up and realized they're both good schools with much to offer. (Except really Purdue is better.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Just got back from dd's viola audition at Appalachian State-- YIPPEE! She's already been accepted to the Uni itself, but now, after the audition, her would-be viola prof said he was recommending her for acceptance to the School of Music, WITH SCHOLARSHIP! They only give a max of $7500, and we don't know if the uni has ruled out all other aid (she did NOT qualify for one of the named scholarships she went for thru the uni itself). Not sure if we can swing it if all she gets is that from Music. But how nice that he told us up front, when we have to officially wait for 2 weeks! 27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 It's finally official — DS will be an Ohio State Buckeye next year. In a way this was a "done deal" since he verbally committed to the coach in July, but I'm paranoid after what happened with NCAA, so I refused to say it out loud until the acceptance was in hand! He is one of the top 3 recruits in the country in his sport, and his stats are excellent, so he had offers from several higher ranked schools, but Ohio State offered him the best combination of athletics (they are arguably #1 in his sport, and certainly top 3), linguistics (top 10 department), languages (he's interested in Turkish and Uzbek), and money (full tuition for 4 yrs, split about 50/50 between athletic and academic scholarships). The schools that were higher ranked overall either did not have a very competitive fencing team (Duke, Brown), or did not have a strong linguistics program (no linguistics major at all at Notre Dame, and it's part of Cog Sci at Brown), and were really not affordable for us anyway. One school (Penn State) offered more money, but it would all be athletic money (meaning we'd be on the hook for the full amount if DS were injured or quit the team), plus they don't have a true linguistics major and the team is lower ranked than OSU. Ohio State has been DS's first choice since summer of 2016, when he did a two-week linguistics intensive there. The athletic facilities are amazing, the fencing program is considered an "Olympic prep program" (two members of the current team competed in Rio), and the linguistics department is higher ranked than many Ivies. Unlike many schools with small departments, OSU has tons of linguistics courses (and foreign languages) to choose from, and lots of opportunities for undergrad research. So he is super excited about going there, and I'm super happy about the free tuition! :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: I am sooooo happy for you both!!! I have been away from the boards for a long time now but had to come check in to offer congrats! That is so impressive and amazing! I'll have to tell Grace! She loves Ohio State and their programs of study! Awesome school! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) DS was awarded the Rothwell Stephens Mathematics Scholarship from Knox College. Edited February 17, 2018 by PinkyandtheBrains. 28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amathis229 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Ds accepted into University of South Carolina's Honors College! So happy for him - he really likes the school and the program. My parents are pulling for SC. He would only be a little over an hour away from them! 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 More good news arrived today- DS was accepted to The Citadel. 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amathis229 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 More good news arrived today- DS was accepted to The Citadel. Charleston...love that place! Congratulations!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 DS was accepted to Hampshire College, letter arrived today! 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cave canem Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 A few weeks ago my son heard from Alabama (engineering) by a phone call from a current student. That was a nice way to get the news. He is also admitted to Industrial Design at Auburn and RIT and engineering at U Cincinnati. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cave canem Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Just heard that my son was awarded the Presidential Scholarship at Rochester IT. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 ds1 accepted at WPI, UF ds2 accepted at WPI, UF, RIT WPI is off the table for both as it will be too expensive. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Other devastating news this week: Ds had been awarded a 4 year AROTC scholarship to three schools and just had his vision waiver denied. This puts those colleges out of reach financially. (He does have a $17,000 a year merit scholarship to Marquette, but with tuition at $37,000 a year, it's just not do-able.) :crying: He received nominations to three service academies, but only USMA so far has requested a vision waiver. The waiver doctors assured ds that he was fine, but we still haven't heard from USMA and we've been waiting since November. It's hard to not be discouraged when we see lots of offers of appointment going out. Ds is still waiting to hear back from two schools -- Grove City and UNC-Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill OOS is a long shot, but maybe Grove City will offer merit aid. Definitely a roller coaster ride for our family, too. West Point (USMA) officially denied ds's vision waiver. He received the letter in the mail rescinding his appointment today. (Vision dq is myopia great than 8.00.) The remedial doctors were sure that it would go through and that the remedial exam showed no underlying issues or retinal detachment, so this is a terrible disappointment. He also won the four year NROTC scholarship to Chapel Hill. (Still not accepted there.) He's pretty sure they'll dq him for vision, too, so he's not too excited. His quote last week was "Mom ... It was the one thing I couldn't control." :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying: I'm exhausted from all of this. We make too much for need based aid, but too little to afford college. Ds's actually talking about skipping college and doing an electrical apprenticeship because we literally cannot afford anywhere. My husband is a journeyman carpenter, so we're all about the trades, but this is my most academically gifted child. I want to cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 I'm so sorry. This is hard stuff. I am trying to figure out how many loans DS could take and how much we could actually pay, and I am just not sure how it's all going to work out. It is really tough. :grouphug: Even with scholarships, some of these private schools are just very expensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 West Point (USMA) officially denied ds's vision waiver. He received the letter in the mail rescinding his appointment today. (Vision dq is myopia great than 8.00.) The remedial doctors were sure that it would go through and that the remedial exam showed no underlying issues or retinal detachment, so this is a terrible disappointment. He also won the four year NROTC scholarship to Chapel Hill. (Still not accepted there.) He's pretty sure they'll dq him for vision, too, so he's not too excited. His quote last week was "Mom ... It was the one thing I couldn't control." :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying: I'm exhausted from all of this. We make too much for need based aid, but too little to afford college. Ds's actually talking about skipping college and doing an electrical apprenticeship because we literally cannot afford anywhere. My husband is a journeyman carpenter, so we're all about the trades, but this is my most academically gifted child. I want to cry. Oh, Heather, I hate to hear that. How very disappointing. I can't recall his whole story, but did he check out any of the schools that typically have large merit scholarships for good test scores/GPA? Univ of Alabama Huntsville or University of New Mexico are a couple that come to mind, but I know there are others. The trades are a great option too, and I do think we need more of our smart kids going into the trades. But I know he had other hopes. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I am so sorry, Heather. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I am so sorry Heather. It is an extremely frustrating system. Is attending a community college then transferring to an in-state tuition school a possibility? How far apart are your budget, your FAFSA EFC, and the college net prices? The other option is to try a financial aid appeal if any school is fairly close. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 If he is a strong enough student to have been looking at West Point and UNC Chapel Hill I would encourage him to look at some of the less highly ranked schools that would still be thrilled to have him and offer merit. Even if he has missed he deadlines I would still check. If he is that strong of a student he could still possibly go somewhere with merit even if he missed the priority deadlines. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 If he has missed all the merit deadlines for schools that would be financial safeties with his stats, might he consider a gap year and then reapplying next year? Or is that not possible once you've applied to colleges... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 (((Hugs)))) Heather and son. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Is attending a community college then transferring to an in-state tuition school a possibility? How far apart are your budget, your FAFSA EFC, and the college net prices? Yes, I think that might be a possibility. But, that would mean still living at home and we were so hoping to 'launch' this one. This past year has had growing pains for all involved. ;-) Very far. I can't understand how they figure it. The only loan offered was the $5,500 per year. We live pretty much paycheck to paycheck with $0 saved for retirement. I actually am going back to work part time because we're so broke and going deeper into debt each year. The cheapest school so far is UW-Madison at $20,878 / yr. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 If he has missed all the merit deadlines for schools that would be financial safeties with his stats, might he consider a gap year and then reapplying next year? Or is that not possible once you've applied to colleges... Many (most?) schools will give freshman merit to a kid who sits out a gap year, but a few do not. Make sure you're clear with admissions before you do a financial aid "red shirt" year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amathis229 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 (edited) Yes, I think that might be a possibility. But, that would mean still living at home and we were so hoping to 'launch' this one. This past year has had growing pains for all involved. ;-) Very far. I can't understand how they figure it. The only loan offered was the $5,500 per year. We live pretty much paycheck to paycheck with $0 saved for retirement. I actually am going back to work part time because we're so broke and going deeper into debt each year. The cheapest school so far is UW-Madison at $20,878 / yr. Growing pains - I know the feeling. Do check out the University of Alabama Huntsville. I don't know what their deadlines are, but they have fantastic merit aid. OSS total cost for 2017-2018 roughly $37,000 - tuition (merit aid) = $17,000 - student loan ($5,500) = $12,000 = doable? I had to edit my numbers for room and board - looked much better before that Edited February 27, 2018 by amathis229 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Heather, I'm trying to reconcile your statements "we live paycheck to paycheck" and "we make too much money to qualify for financial aid" When you did your FAFSA, did the EFC number fall fairly close to the quick and dirty guide here? https://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2017/01/08/2017-guide-to-college-financial-aid-the-fafsa-and-css-profile/ Where does the money go? Involuntary debt (such as medical debt) can be used as a basis for a financial aid appeal, but consumer debt (such as credit cards) cannot. However, state schools like UW-Madison may not have money set aside for special cases anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 West Point (USMA) officially denied ds's vision waiver. He received the letter in the mail rescinding his appointment today. (Vision dq is myopia great than 8.00.) The remedial doctors were sure that it would go through and that the remedial exam showed no underlying issues or retinal detachment, so this is a terrible disappointment. He also won the four year NROTC scholarship to Chapel Hill. (Still not accepted there.) He's pretty sure they'll dq him for vision, too, so he's not too excited. His quote last week was "Mom ... It was the one thing I couldn't control." :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying: I'm exhausted from all of this. We make too much for need based aid, but too little to afford college. Ds's actually talking about skipping college and doing an electrical apprenticeship because we literally cannot afford anywhere. My husband is a journeyman carpenter, so we're all about the trades, but this is my most academically gifted child. I want to cry. If he has the grades and scores for a military academy - look at University of Alabama Huntsville. They offer a huge merit package (regardless of state of residency) and have a fairly large engineering school. It's totally worth a look. No, it's not an academy (I'm a grad, I get it) but it may make college a reality. I'm sorry it didn't work out for your son. I hope he can find his path and a new fire soon. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Yes, I think that might be a possibility. But, that would mean still living at home and we were so hoping to 'launch' this one. This past year has had growing pains for all involved. ;-) Very far. I can't understand how they figure it. The only loan offered was the $5,500 per year. We live pretty much paycheck to paycheck with $0 saved for retirement. I actually am going back to work part time because we're so broke and going deeper into debt each year. The cheapest school so far is UW-Madison at $20,878 / yr. Thirding UAH. Huntsville is an awesome town. The U is small, but it is well-came nnected with Cummings Research Park which is the 2nd largest in the country. My Dd would have chosen UAH over her other options if they had offered her major. They are known of extending deadlines for admitting top students. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 (edited) My senior got a postcard from UAH promoting its scholarships within the last week so that would lead me to believe they would still take an application. Another thought- my oldest son has made a substantial amount of money just over summers working warehouse jobs. Not fun but he made decent money and it was honestly good experience. My second ds is making a similar rate waiting tables. $5500 federal loan + $8000 in summer earnings + help here and there from parents has been enough to give my kids a few decent options. They couldn't have gone to big name schools but they have found places they could make work well for them. Oldest is an athlete so couldn't work during the school year but my second ds will work while in school and that will help. I know people have many reasons their kids can't work (or jobs aren't available for teens in their area) so it isn't for everyone but it has been a solution for us. Edited February 27, 2018 by teachermom2834 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I'm pretty sure the deadline for UAH is either May 1 or June 1. There are other schools like Wyoming also with late deadlines (so late that it's hard to find them on the websites) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 West Point (USMA) officially denied ds's vision waiver. He received the letter in the mail rescinding his appointment today. (Vision dq is myopia great than 8.00.) The remedial doctors were sure that it would go through and that the remedial exam showed no underlying issues or retinal detachment, so this is a terrible disappointment. He also won the four year NROTC scholarship to Chapel Hill. (Still not accepted there.) He's pretty sure they'll dq him for vision, too, so he's not too excited. His quote last week was "Mom ... It was the one thing I couldn't control." :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying: I'm exhausted from all of this. We make too much for need based aid, but too little to afford college. Ds's actually talking about skipping college and doing an electrical apprenticeship because we literally cannot afford anywhere. My husband is a journeyman carpenter, so we're all about the trades, but this is my most academically gifted child. I want to cry. Would he still require a waiver (or, if so, could he get a waiver) if he's had Lasik or one of the other corrective surgeries? Lasik places will finance (judging from all of the radio ads I hear), and it would be a lot cheaper than trying to pay for four years of any college. Everyone I know who has had Lasik raves about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Dd heard from her top college--JMU 's school for music accepted her last night! No aid from anyone yet (except loans, and we can get a much better rate with a line of credit on the house, so we don't even look at the loans offered). We should hear about any scholarships on March 1st. Not expecting any. We did just hear of one small scholarship being offered from her high school to music majors. We'll try! 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFwife Claire Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Would he still require a waiver (or, if so, could he get a waiver) if he's had Lasik or one of the other corrective surgeries? Lasik places will finance (judging from all of the radio ads I hear), and it would be a lot cheaper than trying to pay for four years of any college. Everyone I know who has had Lasik raves about it. No, having eye surgery before appointment/contracting (if ROTC) is an automatic disqualification. If you are at a service academy, then they will work to get you corrective eye surgery while you are there (which is why they only offer appointments if the issues are within certain parameters--they have to be correctable), and for ROTC, you can either get the surgery approved up your chain of command, and have it done on your own dime, or wait until you are commissioned and have the military do it. The latter is what my oldest son has ended up deciding to do. But you can't have it done on your own before you show up. Heather, I am so devastated for your son and you. I read your update yesterday, and I found myself thinking about it all last night. I am praying somehow, some time, your son will be able to see something good come from this crushing blow. I second the recommendation for UA-Huntsville. My second son is there (his freshman year--electrical engineering), and he really, really likes it. He is on their "Charger Excellence" scholarship, so we are just paying for his meal plan and some random fees. It has been quite doable. I hope your son can find a different path! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We just got my son's financial info for Western Carolina. He has a full tuition scholarship to Western. Don't get too excited.....tuition is lowered to $1,000 for the 2018-2019 school year, but it sounds good! :laugh: 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cave canem Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I second the recommendation for UA-Huntsville. My second son is there (his freshman year--electrical engineering), and he really, really likes it. He is on their "Charger Excellence" scholarship, so we are just paying for his meal plan and some random fees. It has been quite doable. I hope your son can find a different path! I was unaware of this school until this year when I saw so much talk here and at CollegeConfidential. Now that my son has been admitted with free tuition, he is curious about it. If you ever have time to share, please consider starting a thread to tell us about the place. Are many of the students living at home? Is it a suitcase school? How do you find the culture there, if your family is not from the South? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Heather, I'm trying to reconcile your statements "we live paycheck to paycheck" and "we make too much money to qualify for financial aid" When you did your FAFSA, did the EFC number fall fairly close to the quick and dirty guide here? https://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2017/01/08/2017-guide-to-college-financial-aid-the-fafsa-and-css-profile/ Where does the money go? Involuntary debt (such as medical debt) can be used as a basis for a financial aid appeal, but consumer debt (such as credit cards) cannot. However, state schools like UW-Madison may not have money set aside for special cases anyway. A typical paycheck after taxes is $2600. First check of the month is tithe, mortgage, credit card, piano, and grocery. Second is tithe, credit card, utilities, cell/internet, car ins, water, gas, and grocery. We've been working hard to pay off debt. We were up to $20,000 credit card debt and are down to $8,600. There's a bit extra each paycheck, but that always seems to go to a fresh bill. This paycheck it was $265 to the mechanic. Last one, it was for a dental bill. Before that, it was for my doctor visit/Rx for flu. Before that it was Christmas. We've been waiting months to get second ds's new contacts, but still haven't had the extra for that. It's always something! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) Would he still require a waiver (or, if so, could he get a waiver) if he's had Lasik or one of the other corrective surgeries? Lasik places will finance (judging from all of the radio ads I hear), and it would be a lot cheaper than trying to pay for four years of any college. Everyone I know who has had Lasik raves about it. ETA: Just saw AFwife Claire's post. She explained it much better. That's actually an automatic disqualification. I think because their eyes are still growing(?), and they want them to have it done later on. Edited February 28, 2018 by Heather in WI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 No, having eye surgery before appointment/contracting (if ROTC) is an automatic disqualification. If you are at a service academy, then they will work to get you corrective eye surgery while you are there (which is why they only offer appointments if the issues are within certain parameters--they have to be correctable), and for ROTC, you can either get the surgery approved up your chain of command, and have it done on your own dime, or wait until you are commissioned and have the military do it. The latter is what my oldest son has ended up deciding to do. But you can't have it done on your own before you show up. Heather, I am so devastated for your son and you. I read your update yesterday, and I found myself thinking about it all last night. I am praying somehow, some time, your son will be able to see something good come from this crushing blow. I second the recommendation for UA-Huntsville. My second son is there (his freshman year--electrical engineering), and he really, really likes it. He is on their "Charger Excellence" scholarship, so we are just paying for his meal plan and some random fees. It has been quite doable. I hope your son can find a different path! Thanks. The support here has been so helpful for me. After all the suggestions, am definitely recommending UA-Huntsville to him! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverland Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I was unaware of this school until this year when I saw so much talk here and at CollegeConfidential. Now that my son has been admitted with free tuition, he is curious about it. If you ever have time to share, please consider starting a thread to tell us about the place. Are many of the students living at home? Is it a suitcase school? How do you find the culture there, if your family is not from the South? My son is graduating from UAH in electrical engineering this May. I just started a thread with our experiences. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredHSmom Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 My son just got accepted to VMI. Now we wait for scholarship numbers before he makes a decision. (VMI scholarship interview in mid-March) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerSkatingMama Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Heather, I am so sorry to hear about the disappointment your family is experiencing. We are in WI as well and thought I'd suggest UW-Platteville as a school to consider. I'm sorry I didn't read through enough of your posts to find out what your son wants to study, but if it's engineering, they are HIGHLY respected for engineering in Wisconsin and the surrounding region. They're also well known for criminal justice and offer many other majors as well. My son will be an engineering major next year, and multiple professional engineers have urged him to attend Platteville rather than Madison claiming that the practical/hands-on engineering education emphasized at Platteville is more desirable to employers than the primarily theory-based engineering education at Madison, and the students also have smaller classes and get more personal attention. Unless additional scholarships come through at any of the other schools he's considering, this is where he'll be attending and the price is much more affordable than most 4-year schools. They're the least expensive UW school with the exception of the 2 year UW colleges. $7,543 tuition and fees per year and then about $7000 per year room/board depending on which dorm and meal plan is chosen. There are no additional costs for textbooks either since they have a textbook rental system that is already included in the fees, so that's an additional savings! It's a lovely campus in a small town, a mid-sized school of just over 8000 students, and though there certainly aren't all the activities and culture available in a big city like Madison or Milwaukee, there are plenty of extracurriculars and outdoor activities to be had. It's also only 20 minutes away from Dubuque, Iowa, so it's not too far from a big city. We've visited the campus twice and it has felt like a good fit. (For comparison's sake, my son also loves Marquette, since I see that's another one of your son's choices. So even though my son likes the big city atmosphere of Marquette, he finds the small town feel of Platteville equally appealing but in a different way.) One other thing we've been considering is the cost of housing if/when ds decides not to stay in the dorms. We have a friend who has a child attending Madison and a child attending Platteville, and the child attending Madison pays double for rent compared to what the child in Platteville pays. The housing costs are very different in the two cities Otherwise, we know of top-notch students who are attending the 2 year UW Colleges and then transferring to save money. Tuition/fees are only roughly $5000 a year and they have a number of programs to make sure there is a seamless transition from the 2 year to the 4 year school. Several of them offer the introductory engineering courses as well. My son is bound and determined to go away to college but I do think it would make a great deal of financial sense to go this route considering our state is blessed to have such a great community college system with many transfer agreements in place with other schools. I'll be praying you find some workable options! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) A typical paycheck after taxes is $2600 Considering that type of income level, I imagine that the schools he applied to don't meet full need, at least not in a meaningful way. I think this is typical of out of state publics. Too late for this year, but on the off-chance that it might help someone else reading this, a high-stats kid with a family income under 65k(?) might apply to Questbridge, a program that matches low-income kids with top colleges. I don't know anything about it except that it's binding and comes with a full ride. Fingers crossed for your ds that he finds some interesing, workable alternatives soon! Edited March 1, 2018 by wapiti 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 OK, so that paycheck is NOT "too wealthy to qualify for any aid." So, the problem is either the FAFSA not done correctly or the schools don't give need-based aid. What was your FAFSA EFC? It should have been vaguely in the 6 or 7K range perhaps? Did you run net price calculators on your college list or were you counting on the ROTC scholarship? Did your financial aid offers turn out very different from the NPC? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) OK, so that paycheck is NOT "too wealthy to qualify for any aid."*Whispers* If there are two paychecks a month (which she didn't specify exactly), that is a net > $60k. Depending on number of dependents, taxes, and assets, they could expect $20k+/yr for EFC. Edited March 1, 2018 by RootAnn 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 *Whispers* If there are two paychecks a month (which she didn't specify exactly), that is a net > $60k. Depending on number of dependents, they could expect $20k+/yr for EFC. and the posted amt was paycheck which means that health insurance, taxes, retirement, etc were probably all already factored out, not just taxes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 $20K would be a huge EFC for that income. It would likely be more like $7k, but it could be much higher. That's all I'm saying. I realize that even $7k would be a hardship. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 That income level will likely have an unaffordable EFC regardless of what the exact number is :(. That income could definitely mean a tight budget but surely not a $0 EFC and,as we always discuss, even a small EFC doesn't mean the schools will meet it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 I agree. It is too much for us at a higher income. (They could also be on pay every 2 wks vs 2x per month which would also increase EFC some, like removing Pell eligibility.) But, I don't think it is low enough for Questbridge. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 *Whispers* If there are two paychecks a month (which she didn't specify exactly), that is a net > $60k. Depending on number of dependents, taxes, and assets, they could expect $20k+/yr for EFC. Oops, I don't know why I was thinking monthly (duh). Sorry! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 So, I multiplied the paycheck by 24, added another 20% for witholdings to guesstimate income. 4 kids in her signature line so more dependent. I used Troy Oninks quick-n-dirty EFC, which does tend to underestimate the EFC. I still think there are schools which would give this kid aid. Unless we know the exact EFC and the budget, and maybe Healther doesn't want us to pick her financial and admissions plans apart right now, there's not much to be done. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 I ran a basic EFC calculator for 70k income ($5k/month) and 4 kids, only one in college, no assets; EFC was about $6k. Then I ran NPC for Wisconsin with that EFC and they said COA was about $17k. (I think that's right). I think the issue is just that many state publics don't have a lot of need-based aid. EFC is pretty irrelevant if the school doesn't meet need. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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