Anonymous
09/27/2025 15:19
Subject: College Search
Anonymous wrote:If he’s willing to look at schools beyond the so-called top tier privates, there could be good merit and need-based aid available. Emory comes to mind with its recent news re: free tuition for families making less than $200,000
Emory is top tier and out of reach if Purdue is their top choice.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 21:48
Subject: College Search
You need to investigate more. He may get enough money out of state. Or could take loans he can pay back. I wouldn’t be too rigid yet.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 21:47
Subject: College Search
Anonymous wrote:I'm a single working mom and my DS is a senior in high school. He is a great student with stellar SAT scores and a variety of EC's and he has never given me any issues. We have been looking at colleges (we are in VA) and he is mainly interested in schools out of state and some of them are completely unaffordable to me. I only make about $85K/year, but I have managed to save up enough to pay for tuition and hopefully also room/board for four years at a public VA university. I cannot afford an OOS public or private school. DS is very disappointed and he keeps sending me lists of schools that he is interested in and none of them are in VA, except VT and UVA. He is mainly interested in Purdue and UIUC. I sat down with him on several occasions and showed him the finances and what I can afford, but he keeps insisting that there is a path for an OOS school for him. He has not had an easy life and he has worked very hard and I wish that I could afford more for him, but I don't want to go into debt because I'm 46 and I need to concentrate on my own retirement now as well.
Harvard is free if you make less than $200k but he needs to get in.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 21:06
Subject: College Search
Many schools are need blind and meet 100% of need. With your salary (don’t know what assets you have) you should qualify for lots of aid. Use the calculators online to get an idea. No reason to not give it a shot.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 21:05
Subject: College Search
Anonymous wrote:I'm a single working mom and my DS is a senior in high school. He is a great student with stellar SAT scores and a variety of EC's and he has never given me any issues. We have been looking at colleges (we are in VA) and he is mainly interested in schools out of state and some of them are completely unaffordable to me. I only make about $85K/year, but I have managed to save up enough to pay for tuition and hopefully also room/board for four years at a public VA university. I cannot afford an OOS public or private school. DS is very disappointed and he keeps sending me lists of schools that he is interested in and none of them are in VA, except VT and UVA. He is mainly interested in Purdue and UIUC. I sat down with him on several occasions and showed him the finances and what I can afford, but he keeps insisting that there is a path for an OOS school for him. He has not had an easy life and he has worked very hard and I wish that I could afford more for him, but I don't want to go into debt because I'm 46 and I need to concentrate on my own retirement now as well.
Do you have a financial counselor or accountant? A widowed friend, in the same situation, took her DD into hers and had him lay our why in-state VA was possible but not OOS private. The DD listened, was accepted into the GMU Honors program, did very well. and is now completing her second year at a T14 law school.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 20:48
Subject: College Search
If dad is alive they will count his education and income. That’s an important piece of the puzzle.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 20:34
Subject: Re:College Search
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Try for a mid tier private. My daughter received 40k in merit from one, and we don’t even qualify for FA. Many are generous with merit. Additionally, many private colleges are now offering to cover tuition for students whose family incomes is below certain levels.
VT is better than any “mid tier private.”
Absolutely. And the same people always push SLACs, in every thread, regardless of what the OP is looking for. VT is an excellent all-around school - it’s not just engineering.
Anonymous
09/26/2025 20:28
Subject: College Search
Anonymous wrote:Agree here. He is being quite entitled. My parents would only pay for an my state university so that is where I went.
Same here. And I got a wonderful education and had a fabulous four years.
NP
Anonymous
09/25/2025 22:31
Subject: College Search
OP, I am also a single mom in Virginia and I have done a lot of research on this matter.
Do not assume that in-state publics are the only affordable option. Many privates offer merit aid that will make the price comparable to VA in state and maybe even cheaper. Run the Net Price Calculators. Be aware that some schools (those using the CSS profile, which is almost all of the highly ranked schools) will expect the father to also contribute, however some schools have a process for an exception for special situations if the noncustodial parent is not involved and/or has not provided support. The information is on the CSS list on the college board website. Some CSS profile schools do not require anything from the non custodial parent at all. Some schools on this list did request info from both parents but offer incredible merit.
TLDR do some research, don’t be lazy, and it would be really sad for your kid to miss out on a great opportunity because of your deeply held misconceptions and laziness.
Do not assume that in-state publics are the only affordable option. Many privates offer merit aid that will make the price comparable to VA in state and maybe even cheaper. Run the Net Price Calculators. Be aware that some schools (those using the CSS profile, which is almost all of the highly ranked schools) will expect the father to also contribute, however some schools have a process for an exception for special situations if the noncustodial parent is not involved and/or has not provided support. The information is on the CSS list on the college board website. Some CSS profile schools do not require anything from the non custodial parent at all. Some schools on this list did request info from both parents but offer incredible merit.
TLDR do some research, don’t be lazy, and it would be really sad for your kid to miss out on a great opportunity because of your deeply held misconceptions and laziness.
Anonymous
09/25/2025 21:45
Subject: College Search
You really should look at schools before ruling them out. Purdue out of state is not much more than UVA in-state when you factor in the extra fees that UVA charges for its engineering program. I believe Georgia Tech also charges reasonable out of state tuition. Other state schools are different—Michigan and the UC schools charge very high out of state tuition and generally offer little out of state aid.
As for privates, many top schools offer free tuition (and maybe room and board) for folks with income in your range. Definitely run net price calculators to see what’s feasible.
All this is say that it’s fine to have a budget and set limits, but don’t artificially constrain your kid without doing some research first.
As for privates, many top schools offer free tuition (and maybe room and board) for folks with income in your range. Definitely run net price calculators to see what’s feasible.
All this is say that it’s fine to have a budget and set limits, but don’t artificially constrain your kid without doing some research first.
Anonymous
09/25/2025 21:06
Subject: Re:College Search
Anonymous wrote:Try for a mid tier private. My daughter received 40k in merit from one, and we don’t even qualify for FA. Many are generous with merit. Additionally, many private colleges are now offering to cover tuition for students whose family incomes is below certain levels.
VT is better than any “mid tier private.”
Anonymous
09/25/2025 20:25
Subject: College Search
If you are divorced, his father's income and assets may also be considered when selective private universities calculate need-based financial aid. Still, it's worth exploring Net Price Calculators.
Purdue offers some merit and thus might be a possibility. As some of the other posters said, I'd be very clear on the budget, and then see how the merit shakes out. If enough merit isn't offered, then make sure he is clear that he would not be able to attend. I kind of doubt UIUC would come through with enough merit.
Purdue offers some merit and thus might be a possibility. As some of the other posters said, I'd be very clear on the budget, and then see how the merit shakes out. If enough merit isn't offered, then make sure he is clear that he would not be able to attend. I kind of doubt UIUC would come through with enough merit.
Anonymous
09/25/2025 20:12
Subject: College Search
Check out the forum on college confidential, lots of knowledgeable parents on there who know a ton about financial aid. Look at private schools (like mentioned previously, your kid could probably go to many top privates tuition-free). QuestBridge, U of Alabama, U of Kentucky (they aren’t an engineering powerhouse, though). Luckily, VA has great options but if he did get a free ride to a private, you could always use that $ for grad school. There are organizations that will assist him with filling out the Common App and reviewing his essays, too.
Anonymous
09/25/2025 19:02
Subject: Re:College Search
Try for a mid tier private. My daughter received 40k in merit from one, and we don’t even qualify for FA. Many are generous with merit. Additionally, many private colleges are now offering to cover tuition for students whose family incomes is below certain levels.