How to apply for aid without letting DC know

[Anonymous]

My goodness, if I could get a free ride I'd tell my kid all of our skeletons.

Where do I sign?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s an Ivy League school. They offer full tuition for incomes under 150k. We qualify based on that. The deadline to ally is may 31.

Congratulations to your child.
I agree that as a parent your main responsibility is to help your child apply for financial aid to make sure he can afford to go to a great school. Since he is an adult he will likely have to sign some or all of the financial aid documents. So just be straight with him (minus the self flagellation). Don’t compound past mistakes by hiding things or by not keeping him in the loop You will lose his trust which will do tremendous damage to your relationship with him
What he needs to see is a parent who is working hard to get him financial aid and who is treating him as a trusted and respected member of the family
Please don’t procrastinate- it takes a long time to put the application together and colleges that are very generous with need based aid tend to want a lot of documents etc. if you need to fill out the fafsa first there could be delays etc. start tomorrow. You need to get this right OP

[Anonymous]

If for some reason the university is not able to give him enough aid this year, perhaps he could defer for a year. Good luck! By the way, people, it wouldn't be a complete free ride - free tuition means that room and board are still paid. Also, many Ivies look at equity in the family home. So, OP, if you have a lot of equity, depending upon the Ivy, you might be expected to draw from that equity to pay tuition. If you are really in dire straits and have minimal equity, you will qualify for huge financial aid.

[Anonymous]

I, too, do not understand applying for aid at this point. Everyone else applied MONTHS ago. I would not have high expectations for recdiving much $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m really sorry you’re going through this. Please don’t downplay your personal emotional trauma. Many people have killed themselves over situations like yours. Give yourself the grace you need and seek professional help if you can.

Thanks for everyone’s advice. Positive and negative. I have considered this. Believe me. We will figure it out. I’d like to close the thread now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I, too, do not understand applying for aid at this point. Everyone else applied MONTHS ago. I would not have high expectations for recdiving much $$.

+1. Something is Uber’s off about schools just handing out full rides to kids who don’t apply until a month after commitment day. Am re-examination in light of changed circumstances with COBID, sure. But that doesn’t seem to be what is happening here.

My kid applied to several prestigious need blind schools. They all contacted us soon after the application went in to confirm we were not applying for need based aid, and giving us two weeks to notify them if this was a mistake.

[Anonymous]

I’m going to say this OP isn’t for real. Financial aid deadlines were due months ago. The colleges pester you with reminders after you apply.

February 1 for Princeton and Dartmouth
February 15 for UPenn
March 1 for Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Brown
March 15 for Yale

[Anonymous]

Ok you caught me. I tried to change a few details to cover my identity. But the situation is real and this particular school does have this option. Thanks for all the support and tough love. We will figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Op must be f'king with us. ARe you trolling us OP? Your posts seem faaaaaaarrr off the the reservation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok you caught me. I tried to change a few details to cover my identity. But the situation is real and this particular school does have this option. Thanks for all the support and tough love. We will figure it out.

All the deadlines were months ago. You don’t wait until you get in to apply. Because they have to give people their awards so they can decide if they want to go.

Again, calling this one as fake. You mentioned a program specific time Harvard and Princeton, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok you caught me. I tried to change a few details to cover my identity. But the situation is real and this particular school does have this option. Thanks for all the support and tough love. We will figure it out.

If you are indeed real (I doubt it), know your kid will see ALL the details so don't sugarcoat anything. Your income tax forms, investment balances, savings and checking accounts. Your kid has to sign off on any loans taken on their behalf, even if you take out a PLUS loan. College bills go to them before you.

[Anonymous]

The University of Chicago, well not an Ivy League but a prestigious school, has something called” no barriers” according to their website the deadline is May 31 so this could possibly be a realistic scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s an Ivy League school. They offer full tuition for incomes under 150k. We qualify based on that. The deadline to ally is may 31.

Quote from OP above. They are referencing the Harvard income limits for full aid, not UChicago.

Harvard

For families with annual incomes below $65,000, the expected contribution is zero. Families with annual incomes between $65,000 and $150,000 will contribute between 0 and 10 percent of their income. Those with incomes above $150,000 will be asked to pay proportionately more than 10 percent based on their circumstances.

Princeton

Princeton’s financial aid policy covers costs for students from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds. The aid package covers 100 percent of tuition costs for students who applied for aid with family incomes up to $140,000.

UChicago's commitment is no loans for incomes of $125k or lower.

UChicago will guarantee free tuition for families with incomes under $125,000* per year (with typical assets). Families earning less than $60,000* per year (with typical assets) will have tuition, fees, and room and meals covered by financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok you caught me. I tried to change a few details to cover my identity. But the situation is real and this particular school does have this option. Thanks for all the support and tough love. We will figure it out.

If you are indeed real (I doubt it), know your kid will see ALL the details so don't sugarcoat anything. Your income tax forms, investment balances, savings and checking accounts. Your kid has to sign off on any loans taken on their behalf, even if you take out a PLUS loan. College bills go to them before you.

This be honest and upfront with both the college and your kid. He will be signing everything so make sure everything is accurate and honest so he doesn’t get into legal trouble. Don’t procrastinate- it can take a long time to put together a full financial aid application

[Anonymous]

Okay, the person who started this thread has asked it to stop, so I think the crowd can move on.

Let's not start a feeding frenzy...the person is obviously under enough stress.