Anonymous
03/26/2025 10:02
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do community college and then transfer to a 4 year institution. Apply for scholarships then.
You also have to deal with the cards you are dealt. The most important thing is to get a degree, you may
Need to look at different options. Go visit schools in the South. You may like them.
Good luck.
This.
And do better for your children. Your parent were irresponsible. People with half as much manage to save for their kids education. Clearly your education and success was not a priority for them.
Dp assuming op wants kids!
Anonymous
03/26/2025 10:00
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why the eyeroll for "southern schools?"
I was just going to post this same question. Op, please explain.
Dp. Everyone has preferences. Would you question a person from the South not wanting to go to school in the northetn states?
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:58
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Could they just pay out of pocket? My parents had similar stats and just paid out of pocket. At 300k, they should be able to swing 40-50k a year (I know I could if I cut back savings to only retirement). A lot of people don't save for retirement because the gains they got in the stock market were WAY better than what 529s get. I'm shocked at how little my kids' 529s appreciate. They basically get barely any interest.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:57
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Work your butt off to get high test scores - like 35-36 on ACT or 1550-1600 on SAT. Work like mad to get 5s on your APs. Have decent ECs that show leadership. You can shoot your shot for Harvard/MIT, and they will likely not force full-pay due to endowments, but it is unlikely any other Ivy Leagues would do the same. So, then, look at in-state options (UMD is a great school - don't listen to the haters - and of course, UVA/W&M if you are from Virginia. In-state tuition you can swing with a bit of help from the parents and some loans. Then, look at OOS flagships. some of the non-top tier - like UVM, Utah, AZ, offer Honors colleges and large scholarships that bring the COA down to in-state prices and below. Utah allows for residency Sophomore year, so that brings down the cost even further. Don't get hung up on the prestige factor - if you really are as great as your stats may indicate, then you will go far with the opportunities provided at a state school. Most of all, don't despair. You will turn out great. [I, too, had parents that refused to pay for college and I paid for college at a regional LAC with merit scholarships and loans. I have a good life and am able to pay for my children's higher education - you'll get there, too.]
I love UMD and that's where both my parents went in-state. But unfortunately we don't live in MD anymore
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:56
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, if your parents will pay in state, then I’d go to UVA or W&M. If they pay for nothing, go wherever you can get a full ride. Med school loans are huge. Future you will be happy that current you went to undergrad debt-free.
If your parents saved zero, then I’m sorry that happened to you. Costs today really aren’t the same as when your parents went through. You’ll do better by your kids.
They won't even pay in-state. Any time I ask to confirm that there is literally nothing saved for me or my siblings I'm always told that they didn't save anything so I'll have to rely on scholarships, pay my own way, or take out loans.
Two years community college, 2 years at the local state college and live at home.
GMU is actually very strong in STEM. It’s not a bad option. Agree that if med school is the goal, minimize undergrad debt. Either by taking a red state deal or doing a VA CC guaranteed transfer and working with attending CC.
We have a current freshman at GMU. I’ve been impressed with the teaching and facilities, and the honors college offers some great scholarships. Look into their University Scholars program.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:55
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You'll probably get a full ride from CNU. Apply to a variety of schools in and out of state, and call your parents' bluff.
Based on the way you've described them, they will likely find a way to pay for MIT (or other T20) if the alternative is telling their friends you are going to CNU. Tell them you're not willing to go into debt for your education and see what happens.
Or tell them you refuse to go to college or to apply to any college that they don't agree to pay for beforehand. Play the game of bluff. Once they believe their stubbornness means you won't go to college, they just might cave...
Learn to play hardball.
I've been told there's no money saved for my college since around 7th grade, I really doubt even if I got into MIT they'd pay
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:54
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Suck it up and go to community college. Live at home, work part-time, and don’t waste your time applying to schools you can’t afford. This path gives you the best shot at affording two years at an in-state university while minimizing debt. Plus, you can skip standardized tests, essays, and endless applications, freeing up time to take dual enrollment courses that could shorten your stay at community college and help you transfer faster.
Is this your dream? Probably not. But it’s likely your reality, and you should accept it. You can fantasize about a full ride to your dream school, but for most people, that’s not going to happen.
With all the CC recs I'm starting to seriously consider it but now I'm wondering about how if I took that pathway I might not be allowed to live at home. I honestly think that if I, the academic pride of the family who gets bragged about to everyone they know, ended up at CC, they'd be infuriated that they wasted time + money on my academic pursuits/ECs for nothing, or talk about how even though they came from low income backgrounds they still managed to pay their way at a 4 year college talked about frequently on this forum (and we used to live in-state for that college, which I would have a great shot of getting into with my stats + double legacy, but then we moved)
OP, have you had a realistic conversation about all of this with your parents? I would put everything together to show them, due to their HHI and home value, what it would cost YOU to pay for any of your in state schools. Show them then what it would cost if you went to CC, then transferred into in state school. Ask them how the possibly could think it's a good idea for you to take out loans (show them the interest as well) and start life saddled with this debt. Show them how it is different now than when they went to school.
They sound unreasonable. But hopefully they are just clueless. And I think more parents don't save for their kids college than do. But you're getting a skewed vision based on being on an educated, liberal, NE college forum where posters prioritize kids education over pretty much anything else.
I've had this conversation multiple times, and they repeatedly say they have nothing saved and will not be supporting my college education in any way. They say I'm going to be completely reliant on whatever scholarships I can get or be forced to take out loans. and I really don't think they understand that getting into UMD in-state 30-40 years ago is vastly different than trying to get into UVA or W&M in-state now.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:50
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:OP, what race?
I'm mixed white/black but I look more white than black and I don't have much I could talk about in one of those "lived experience" essays
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:45
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Are your parents helping at all? They may have millions in retirement and can just pay as they go from their income.
Did you go to private high school? What did your parents do with their money?
I would go to community college. My kid is going to CC even though I have money for him.
This. Have you talked to your parents? Maybe they are planning on cash flowing your tuition.
You need to have a very upfront conversation about parents about how much money they can spend per year on college for you.
Private college is not a right for all of us. I, too, had UMC parents who didn't have a college fund (immigrants who lived in countries where college is much cheaper). I went to a state flagship, they paid as I went along. It was completely fine and actually wonderful.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:43
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Why the eyeroll for "southern schools?"
Np. Maybe because they don't want to go to southern schoola?
NP.. My kids don't want to go further south than UMD. They hate hot humid weather. MD is bad enough.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:39
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Definitely apply early to W&M, that should be the goal. Your parents went in state, probably expect you to too.
Otherwise, Case and Oberlin are generous with merit aid. Tulane has some full scholarships.
+1. DC got a very generous scholarship from one of the above schools and loves it there. No eyeroll from us. OP, if you are in a bind and hoping for or expecting the generosity of a scholarship to fill the gap, then you may want to rethink eye-rolling folks who may be in a position to help you.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:39
Subject: Re:Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
I'm super idealistic personally so if I were you I would just give up, but I know people that would use their brain they wouldnt' do that. I'm sure there are many scholarships you can get.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:28
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Why the eyeroll for "southern schools?"
Np. Maybe because they don't want to go to southern schoola?
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:27
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Suck it up and go to community college. Live at home, work part-time, and don’t waste your time applying to schools you can’t afford. This path gives you the best shot at affording two years at an in-state university while minimizing debt. Plus, you can skip standardized tests, essays, and endless applications, freeing up time to take dual enrollment courses that could shorten your stay at community college and help you transfer faster.
Is this your dream? Probably not. But it’s likely your reality, and you should accept it. You can fantasize about a full ride to your dream school, but for most people, that’s not going to happen.
With all the CC recs I'm starting to seriously consider it but now I'm wondering about how if I took that pathway I might not be allowed to live at home. I honestly think that if I, the academic pride of the family who gets bragged about to everyone they know, ended up at CC, they'd be infuriated that they wasted time + money on my academic pursuits/ECs for nothing, or talk about how even though they came from low income backgrounds they still managed to pay their way at a 4 year college talked about frequently on this forum (and we used to live in-state for that college, which I would have a great shot of getting into with my stats + double legacy, but then we moved)
OP, have you had a realistic conversation about all of this with your parents? I would put everything together to show them, due to their HHI and home value, what it would cost YOU to pay for any of your in state schools. Show them then what it would cost if you went to CC, then transferred into in state school. Ask them how the possibly could think it's a good idea for you to take out loans (show them the interest as well) and start life saddled with this debt. Show them how it is different now than when they went to school.
They sound unreasonable. But hopefully they are just clueless. And I think more parents don't save for their kids college than do. But you're getting a skewed vision based on being on an educated, liberal, NE college forum where posters prioritize kids education over pretty much anything else.
Anonymous
03/26/2025 09:26
Subject: Parents have $0 saved for college, won't qualify for financial aid
Anonymous wrote:Do community college and then transfer to a 4 year institution. Apply for scholarships then.
You also have to deal with the cards you are dealt. The most important thing is to get a degree, you may
Need to look at different options. Go visit schools in the South. You may like them.
Good luck.
This.
And do better for your children. Your parent were irresponsible. People with half as much manage to save for their kids education. Clearly your education and success was not a priority for them.