Jean too Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 My dd has been awarded merit scholarships of full tuition to a couple of private colleges. I have filed our FAFSA and our EFC is more than room and board at these schools. In reality we can not afford the room and board. Is there any possibility of her getting more aid from these schools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Call up the financial aid office. if your dd has been offered a full-tuition scholarship, the college wants her to come to that school, so they may offer to help in some way. Possibilities -- more grant money, encouraging your dd to take out a loan, encouraging you (as the parent) to take out a loan, or adding more work-study. Since your EFC is more than room & board, the colleges may just tell you that coming up with the rest of the money is your problem, but I have heard that the folks in fin aid frequently are helpful. Best wishes -- you are in a difficult spot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 One last thought -- the room and board at most colleges seems to run around $10K. (plus or minus) Your dd can contribute several thousand by working. (One college ds applied to last year assumed that he could contribute $5900 per year from his earnings alone!) Her earnings should shrink what you have to contribute by a fair amount. And if you can't make up the difference between what she earns and the total cost, you can talk to her about loans. I don't know how you feel about small loans, but if a total (over the four years) loan amount of under $10K makes the difference between her attending college and her not attneding college, the loan could well be worth taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 If the college won't offer further help, your dd may be able to make up the difference with a part-time campus job and/or a small student loan. My dd was offered a decent, 3/4's scholarship to Hillsdale but they refused to pay for room and board. Unfortunately for us, her portion of tuition and R&B was more than she could make with part-time work and we didn't want her to take out a large student loan so she had to turn down the scholarship. Instead she ended up at another private school (her second choice) that's 10 minutes from home so no R&B expense. She still had to do a small loan of $15,000 total for the 4 years and she works part-time on campus. Between the loan and her job, she's able to pay her own portion of tuition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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