We received an email a couple of a days ago from a parent whose daughter only have three semesters left and the parents have exhausted all their finances to help her pay for college. The spring semester is in two weeks and the daughter has a $6,000 bill. We asked "She is looking for options (i.e. funding, scholarships, etc.) going forward. Do you provide services for current college students?"
According to Prosperity For All, sadly 40% of college students will drop out, mostly due to financial reasons. Here is our response to the parent.
I hate to hear that this young lady is having a tough time. Here are my suggestions for trying to navigate this situation.
1) You are right- Installment Plan is always my first choice. Helping her to try to get enough money for the initial installment, so at least she can get back on campus. It is harder for colleges to kick you off campus for financial reasons, once you are there.Â
2) Try to gather as much money as possible.
Sell clothes, items, etc.
Try to look into taking out a personal loan from a bank or credit
Immediate work (Uber Eats)
3) Contact the financial aid office at her university ASAP. Explain the situation, if she has a nice GPA, please highlight that, there is a 40% they will try to help with an additional grant/ scholarship/alumni donation
As for our services: A Scholarship List for a customized scholarship list for her is the only service that could benefit. The only kicker is that the scholarship may not be rewarded until the fall. The scholarship list is $35.
For the FAFSA, if her parents do not want to provide if the tax information, she could apply independent-if she took care of herself over 50% of 2023. This includes having a physical address outside of her parents and demonstrating that she paid some bills.
I hope this helps.Â
At PreCollege Solutions, out mantra is College Prep is Financial Literacy. In order to prevent these scenarios, we recommend students and families invest in college prep prior to senior year and learn various ways to pay for college through our affordable College Prep is Financial Literacy workshop. Learn more at PreCollegeSolutions.com
