Financial Aid UMC with multiple kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't act like a beggar because the rich people are not acting like beggars. It would be traumatic for kids whose family get labeled as the poor ones at the rich kid school. Go to public schools and take alittle pride in what your tax dollars already pay for. You could also volunteer which instills character and pride.

We’re not acting like a beggar-we’ve never asked for aid nor planned to even with kid 3. So thanks for the advice-it’s so very helpful.

Our IB is Dunbar-are you sending your children there currently? Granted things could change in 4 years, but I’m not too hopeful.

You had four kids. Planned or not you knew the issue. Get a second job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you bought in the Dunbar cachement. No doubt a larger, cheaper house than if you bought in the JR cachement or in one of the surrounding counties with a solid path from ES through HS. And no doubt knowing Dunbar was unlikely to satisfy. Esp at the time you decided to have a FOURth child. And now you want other families to pick some of your tab because you like your neighborhood too much to move?

Seems your poor planning shouldn’t be someone else’s issue.

All that said, you are likely to get FA because privates don’t give much to truly poor people.

Not sure I would classify our 1400 sq ft 2 bedrooom row house just south of FT Totten as “larger and cheaper” than NW, but it fit the budget at the time we bought and I don’t think we could have gotten the same thing over in NW. We didn’t think about high school, no, but also didn’t plan on a fourth surprise kid due to secondary infertility after adopting siblings, so maybe poor planning, or just what ended up being and we are trying to make the best of it with what we have.

My feeling is we make too much and should not qualify, but maybe we don’t, so no harm in a general inquiry to try to make a more informed decision on what to do moving forward. We’re not sure the schools would even give us the light of day since we’re not seriously looking yet at the hii of there tuition levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you bought in the Dunbar cachement. No doubt a larger, cheaper house than if you bought in the JR cachement or in one of the surrounding counties with a solid path from ES through HS. And no doubt knowing Dunbar was unlikely to satisfy. Esp at the time you decided to have a FOURth child. And now you want other families to pick some of your tab because you like your neighborhood too much to move?

Seems your poor planning shouldn’t be someone else’s issue.

All that said, you are likely to get FA because privates don’t give much to truly poor people.

Not sure I would classify our 1400 sq ft 2 bedrooom row house just south of FT Totten as “larger and cheaper” than NW, but it fit the budget at the time we bought and I don’t think we could have gotten the same thing over in NW. We didn’t think about high school, no, but also didn’t plan on a fourth surprise kid due to secondary infertility after adopting siblings, so maybe poor planning, or just what ended up being and we are trying to make the best of it with what we have.

My feeling is we make too much and should not qualify, but maybe we don’t, so no harm in a general inquiry to try to make a more informed decision on what to do moving forward. We’re not sure the schools would even give us the light of day since we’re not seriously looking yet at the hii of there tuition levels.

Our schools are 40k+ but at 275HHI before taxes you would definitely qualify. We were at 300 one year when because of COViD I was not working and we got some FA for our 2 kids. I am sure you would qualify for some FA at 275 with 4 kids.

Also, don’t Catholic school give siblings discounts? I am pretty sure they do.

Good luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what is your actual income OP?

I agree this is a needed data point, at least for useful advice. So many people consider themselves UMC that it doesn’t mean much as a description.

HHI is $275

Not sure this is the only data point that's needed. At least at our school for variable tuition every year they leave no stone unturned to figure out what your possible financial assets are. They even check how much you've been spending on home renovations.

DP are you generally expected to deplete your assets before you would be eligible for aid? Just curious as a low-earning family with a decent net worth (that could easily be depleted before college).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what is your actual income OP?

I agree this is a needed data point, at least for useful advice. So many people consider themselves UMC that it doesn’t mean much as a description.

HHI is $275

For most independent schools in the DC area, you should get FA at $275k with four kids. Catholic schools are a little different, but as someone mentioned, they generally give sibling discounts. It never hurts to apply and see what happens. You could also look at each kid individually. One or two might do well in the public school system, or you could try for the lottery into another school. You have options, so I would definitely recommend pursuing all of them and see what pans out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what is your actual income OP?

I agree this is a needed data point, at least for useful advice. So many people consider themselves UMC that it doesn’t mean much as a description.

HHI is $275

Not sure this is the only data point that's needed. At least at our school for variable tuition every year they leave no stone unturned to figure out what your possible financial assets are. They even check how much you've been spending on home renovations.

DP are you generally expected to deplete your assets before you would be eligible for aid? Just curious as a low-earning family with a decent net worth (that could easily be depleted before college).

Not actually sure. We stuck out public until we felt we could afford tuition at the school without depleting our assets. It was actually DH's big sticking point on going private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you bought in the Dunbar cachement. No doubt a larger, cheaper house than if you bought in the JR cachement or in one of the surrounding counties with a solid path from ES through HS. And no doubt knowing Dunbar was unlikely to satisfy. Esp at the time you decided to have a FOURth child. And now you want other families to pick some of your tab because you like your neighborhood too much to move?

Seems your poor planning shouldn’t be someone else’s issue.

All that said, you are likely to get FA because privates don’t give much to truly poor people.

Not sure I would classify our 1400 sq ft 2 bedrooom row house just south of FT Totten as “larger and cheaper” than NW, but it fit the budget at the time we bought and I don’t think we could have gotten the same thing over in NW. We didn’t think about high school, no, but also didn’t plan on a fourth surprise kid due to secondary infertility after adopting siblings, so maybe poor planning, or just what ended up being and we are trying to make the best of it with what we have.

My feeling is we make too much and should not qualify, but maybe we don’t, so no harm in a general inquiry to try to make a more informed decision on what to do moving forward. We’re not sure the schools would even give us the light of day since we’re not seriously looking yet at the hii of there tuition levels.

Our schools are 40k+ but at 275HHI before taxes you would definitely qualify. We were at 300 one year when because of COViD I was not working and we got some FA for our 2 kids. I am sure you would qualify for some FA at 275 with 4 kids.

Also, don’t Catholic school give siblings discounts? I am pretty sure they do.


On your income you should be embarrassed to get aid.
Good luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you bought in the Dunbar cachement. No doubt a larger, cheaper house than if you bought in the JR cachement or in one of the surrounding counties with a solid path from ES through HS. And no doubt knowing Dunbar was unlikely to satisfy. Esp at the time you decided to have a FOURth child. And now you want other families to pick some of your tab because you like your neighborhood too much to move?

Seems your poor planning shouldn’t be someone else’s issue.

All that said, you are likely to get FA because privates don’t give much to truly poor people.

Not sure I would classify our 1400 sq ft 2 bedrooom row house just south of FT Totten as “larger and cheaper” than NW, but it fit the budget at the time we bought and I don’t think we could have gotten the same thing over in NW. We didn’t think about high school, no, but also didn’t plan on a fourth surprise kid due to secondary infertility after adopting siblings, so maybe poor planning, or just what ended up being and we are trying to make the best of it with what we have.

My feeling is we make too much and should not qualify, but maybe we don’t, so no harm in a general inquiry to try to make a more informed decision on what to do moving forward. We’re not sure the schools would even give us the light of day since we’re not seriously looking yet at the hii of there tuition levels.

Yes, you couldn’t have gotten the same space for the same money in a more reliable pyramid so you took a chance and got more house and less school and now want someone else to pay for more school rather than moving. Probably people who chose to have less house and fewer kids so they could afford more school.

Yes, poor planning.

And yes, ask for the money. The schools can just say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you bought in the Dunbar cachement. No doubt a larger, cheaper house than if you bought in the JR cachement or in one of the surrounding counties with a solid path from ES through HS. And no doubt knowing Dunbar was unlikely to satisfy. Esp at the time you decided to have a FOURth child. And now you want other families to pick some of your tab because you like your neighborhood too much to move?

Seems your poor planning shouldn’t be someone else’s issue.

All that said, you are likely to get FA because privates don’t give much to truly poor people.

Not sure I would classify our 1400 sq ft 2 bedrooom row house just south of FT Totten as “larger and cheaper” than NW, but it fit the budget at the time we bought and I don’t think we could have gotten the same thing over in NW. We didn’t think about high school, no, but also didn’t plan on a fourth surprise kid due to secondary infertility after adopting siblings, so maybe poor planning, or just what ended up being and we are trying to make the best of it with what we have.

My feeling is we make too much and should not qualify, but maybe we don’t, so no harm in a general inquiry to try to make a more informed decision on what to do moving forward. We’re not sure the schools would even give us the light of day since we’re not seriously looking yet at the hii of there tuition levels.

Yes, you couldn’t have gotten the same space for the same money in a more reliable pyramid so you took a chance and got more house and less school and now want someone else to pay for more school rather than moving. Probably people who chose to have less house and fewer kids so they could afford more school.

Yes, poor planning.

And yes, ask for the money. The schools can just say no.

They have a family of 6 in a 2 bedroom house. How much smaller would you like them to get? People on here make no sense sometimes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't act like a beggar because the rich people are not acting like beggars. It would be traumatic for kids whose family get labeled as the poor ones at the rich kid school. Go to public schools and take alittle pride in what your tax dollars already pay for. You could also volunteer which instills character and pride.

We’re not acting like a beggar-we’ve never asked for aid nor planned to even with kid 3. So thanks for the advice-it’s so very helpful.

Our IB is Dunbar-are you sending your children there currently? Granted things could change in 4 years, but I’m not too hopeful.

You had four kids. Planned or not you knew the issue. Get a second job.

PP people like you are part of the cause of the upcoming demographic cliff. Pat yourself on the back for being an utter jerk to families instead of supporting them.

[Anonymous]

The housing size has nothing to do with price or mortgage. If they adopted a sibling group, they are getting a subsidy for those kids so they can use that money to pay for private.

[Anonymous]

How do you earn $275 and struggle or scream poverty?

[Anonymous]

At the parochial in hyattsville I believe the fourth child is free. But they have a waitlist I think it might be tough to get all four in.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a SAHP for childcare? If so that parent can get a job when the youngest enters school to cover their tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the parochial in hyattsville I believe the fourth child is free. But they have a waitlist I think it might be tough to get all four in.

Pp again..,And that school does have a lot of larger catholic families. But frankly if I were you I would move out to Bowie or Ann arundel where there is more affordability and larger families.