Gap year, work, apply to a broader base of schools for next year, and see what aid comes through or if you keep your jobs. I have known kids who did this and got into better schools after the gap year, and this was not for financial reasons.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to sound uncaring because it is hard. I think the disconnect is people in the corporate world we have to this sometimes every few years. It is hard. It is really hard but everyone doesn’t get an 8 month head start. I would use that head start and search for the dream job and have faith something happens. I also have a feeling that some people will be hired back but some people also know that they have had a job for years that was not essential. For school I am pretty sure you can update if your circumstance doesn’t change for the better and are unemployed. Good luck and hope it all works out.

None of the feds want to hear this, though it's true. They complain about having to sell a house. Well, yeah, sometimes that's part of getting a new job. They complain about not having great in-state college options in MD. Well, you knew that.
MAGA doesn't want you to have low stress, secure, well paying jobs. It's too easy. MAGA wants to make it equally hard for everyone.

Yup--if you wanted "great instate options" you would have moved to VA by HS. The reality is most people have jobs that are not guaranteed. There is always a chance of being RIF'd. So you live your life and plan for the "what ifs" that includes a 12 month Emergency Fund and being able to still live your "basic needs" with just one salary perhaps and use the 2nd for all the extras. Basically, in the normal world, people assume that a job change might mean relocation. Sometimes it means you sell your house at a not perfect time.

Anonymous wrote:You do know in 2020 this happened to millions in private sector and no one cared.

Yep- but I feel bad for anyone in this situation. Losing jobs is something all sectors deal with from time to time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your child takes out a loan like the majority of college students do

Undergrads can't take out much loans. It's the parents that take out the bulk of the loans.

So you attend an in-state school or a private/OOS that gives great merit (making it similarly priced as in state).

most in-state is ~$30-40K. You student can earn $10-15K/year to put towards school (work summers, breaks and PT during the year), and take ~$5K in federal loans. So that leaves parents with $20K per year. If you were making $200K+, you should have enough saved to fund that. Or you get a 2nd job to help (if you chose not to save). Or if you loose your fed (or any job) you take the next best job even at a loss to have a job and income. There are choices and it can be done without a great deal of pain.

Anonymous wrote:Your child takes out a loan like the majority of college students do

Undergrads can't take out much loans. It's the parents that take out the bulk of the loans.

Your child takes out a loan like the majority of college students do

Get new jobs - use your savings or 529 account

We had this happen to a family friend and they appealed the aid decision. Even though everyone is panicking, it is very hard to make a level headed decision in that state. You won’t be the only one reaching out to schools about this. See what is offered and what your best options are. I was a Pell Grant kid myself and often the best endowed schools are the ones with the options to make this work. Fingers crossed that this works out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you should have been saving their whole life. If you can't afford it for whatever reason, then the kid can pay their way through community college. Not everyone is guaranteed college.

Get a life. It’s not so easy for everyone to save up hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don’t know what other expenses they’ve had, how long they’ve been feds, or anything else about them. Save your unhelpful moralizing.

No one is saying save hundreds of thousands of dollars. College that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars is for rich people. Feds are not rich people. This is what in state and community colleges are for.

One FED person and one NGO person w/o job
Have you looked at the prices of instate schools right now?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to sound uncaring because it is hard. I think the disconnect is people in the corporate world we have to this sometimes every few years. It is hard. It is really hard but everyone doesn’t get an 8 month head start. I would use that head start and search for the dream job and have faith something happens. I also have a feeling that some people will be hired back but some people also know that they have had a job for years that was not essential. For school I am pretty sure you can update if your circumstance doesn’t change for the better and are unemployed. Good luck and hope it all works out.

None of the feds want to hear this, though it's true. They complain about having to sell a house. Well, yeah, sometimes that's part of getting a new job. They complain about not having great in-state college options in MD. Well, you knew that.
MAGA doesn't want you to have low stress, secure, well paying jobs. It's too easy. MAGA wants to make it equally hard for everyone.

I just wish the best for everyone. I would hate for anyone to feel they can’t
get through this. Not wanting to be political and really hating how divided things are. Just hope people get their next job and know a lot of good things can happen. Getting back to first question -if accepted I would call FA office and ask advice on how to proceed.

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to sound uncaring because it is hard. I think the disconnect is people in the corporate world we have to this sometimes every few years. It is hard. It is really hard but everyone doesn’t get an 8 month head start. I would use that head start and search for the dream job and have faith something happens. I also have a feeling that some people will be hired back but some people also know that they have had a job for years that was not essential. For school I am pretty sure you can update if your circumstance doesn’t change for the better and are unemployed. Good luck and hope it all works out.

None of the feds want to hear this, though it's true. They complain about having to sell a house. Well, yeah, sometimes that's part of getting a new job. They complain about not having great in-state college options in MD. Well, you knew that.
MAGA doesn't want you to have low stress, secure, well paying jobs. It's too easy. MAGA wants to make it equally hard for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want to sound uncaring because it is hard. I think the disconnect is people in the corporate world we have to this sometimes every few years. It is hard. It is really hard but everyone doesn’t get an 8 month head start. I would use that head start and search for the dream job and have faith something happens. I also have a feeling that some people will be hired back but some people also know that they have had a job for years that was not essential. For school I am pretty sure you can update if your circumstance doesn’t change for the better and are unemployed. Good luck and hope it all works out.

Wow this is so disgusting. How can you tear yourself away from Fox News long enough to write this tripe. Shame on you, what an ignoramus. COunry is doomed if populated with unthinking, sycophantic, MAGA chwerleaders

What is disgusting? Not a MAGA not that it matters. This is advice that most people go through this. Most people
do not have entitled jobs. Every time my family has lost a job something good came out of it. It is hard and that is facts but you do get to the other side. I hope other people chime in that after a job loss most people say later that they wound up happier in a job they would not have gone for if they didn’t have to. When you have a secure job you can sometime accept what does not make you happy. Again 8 months is a long time to find next job. I listened to a lot of Tony Robbins to get through troubled times. You have to have faith that it will all work out.

Anonymous wrote:Send them in-state public. Decision day hasn’t passed yet. Most kids I know apply to one or more. My kids applied to 3 even when they wanted private. We insisted on having a financial safety school. And it was smart because while they were offered generous financial aid in several schools, in-state was still cheaper and that’s where they ended up. If you’re a 2 fed household, it’s likely you have a 529 that should cover in-state. My sibling and their spouse have 1 in college and 1 HS senior and they saved in the 529 and chose public’s.

^ sorry for errors above. Meant to say merit aid and not financial aid. Also meant to add sibling and spouse are 2 feds also at risk of job loss.

Send them in-state public. Decision day hasn’t passed yet. Most kids I know apply to one or more. My kids applied to 3 even when they wanted private. We insisted on having a financial safety school. And it was smart because while they were offered generous financial aid in several schools, in-state was still cheaper and that’s where they ended up. If you’re a 2 fed household, it’s likely you have a 529 that should cover in-state. My sibling and their spouse have 1 in college and 1 HS senior and they saved in the 529 and chose public’s.

I'm not following you, OP. What does "pigeonholed academically and financially" mean? Does this mean student accepted at a school early decision and you are beholding to student attending and paying the fees?

If so, you can write the school and say there's job uncertainty. If needed, your student can work a year and reapply next year to a state school or CC.