Can anyone give me an idea of how much financial aid I can receive?

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I will be starting at National University in August with my science classes, anatomy, biology etc. (then applying for the generic BSN program) I do not work and have 2 children. Last years income was approx 10,000. I know they base it on last years income which for me was next to nothing!!!

I'm just curious to know what anyone else has received as far as financial aid that doesn't need to be repaid as a full-time student. I haven't heard anything back and I start August 30, so i'm getting a little nervous. Thanks for your answers in advance:)

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I hope you don't have to pay till you are done. My wife is going to go part time as well to start for 3 years the in 2 years full. I thought financial aid for school loans didn't take affect until you completed the course you sign up for? We are still waiting on a reply, but I just assumed. Hope I'm right. According to a lot of people , together we make decent money, but we are struggling as is. If they make us pay as we go, we might have to wait.

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Specializes in Health Information Management.

Well, it depends on your school and your state. I can tell you the maximum Pell Grant, for which it sounds like you'll be eligible, is $5,550 for the 2010-2011 academic year. Many states have grants for lower-income students, but unfortunately these have been heavily affected by the country's economic woes. I'm in Ohio, and the form of this I know is the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. It used to be $888 per year, but had been reduced by half for 2010-11.

Your school will also offer you a package of aid; given your income, some of it may consist of grants. However, depending on your tuition, you'll probably be dealing with loans. There are many different types, and the best information for them is on the federal student aid website. Here's a link to the page about loans: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp#12

Depending on when you applied, it can take a bit for schools to get back to you about your aid. I know I've always had far more luck going online to my school's financial aid page and getting information there. If you've been accepted, you should have some information in your packet about how to establish a student login for the school's network. If not, I'd contact the school's financial aid or admissions people; they should be able to get you started or point you in the direction of those who can.

I wish you the best of luck in school! I'm a full-time student and a full-time mom, so I know how it feels. Just keep yourself organized and you'll make it!

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on the fafsa website they have an aid estimator.... you can use prior to filling out the whole thing.

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I will be starting at National University in August with my science classes, anatomy, biology etc. (then applying for the generic BSN program) I do not work and have 2 children. Last years income was approx 10,000. I know they base it on last years income which for me was next to nothing!!!

I'm just curious to know what anyone else has received as far as financial aid that doesn't need to be repaid as a full-time student. I haven't heard anything back and I start August 30, so i'm getting a little nervous. Thanks for your answers in advance:)

Have you established an account on your school's website? If not and you are able to, try doing that and check to see what you were awarded. If you can't or aren't sure how to do it, you would need to call the school's financial aid department, to check the status.

For me, the process was first to fill out an application online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ as the first step. Then after I registered for my classes, and the school received my awarded amount directly from FAFSA, I was able to log on to my school account. Under the financial aid tab, it tells you how much funding you were awarded. But depending on the school and the tuition each semester, that amount might be reduced.

If what you are awarded isn't enough, you could try to supplement with student loans, as someone mentioned above. Good luck!

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If you are married they will include your husband's income as well. If you google financial aid estimators there are a lot of calculators that you can use.

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I would use the aid estimator. here's the link

http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml

When my income was around $8500 I received the full Federal pell grant of $5,500. I did not receive state grants because my school was not eligible for state grants.

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What state do you live in?

I made 29,000 last year and have one child. I got the max Pell Grant ($4,000 I think?) and $9,000+ Cal Grant.

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OP: your best bet is to speak with the financial aid office at the school you're looking to go to. The aid package you get is impacted by a lot of things, including when your application for aid was sent in.

Aid estimators, will usually only calculate federal aid.

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I have logged onto my school account and under the financial aid tab it gives me an estimated fund of 17,000, which seems a little large to me. I asked the financial aid advisor and she said its an estimate, it can be more or less.

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What state do you live in?

I made 29,000 last year and have one child. I got the max Pell Grant ($4,000 I think?) and $9,000+ Cal Grant.

I live in California. So did you have to apply for each grant separately, or did Fafsa determine which grants you qualify for?

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Specializes in Health Information Management.
I have logged onto my school account and under the financial aid tab it gives me an estimated fund of 17,000, which seems a little large to me. I asked the financial aid advisor and she said its an estimate, it can be more or less.

My school's estimate is for $21,000 - at a state school! The problem is, the majority of it is comprised of a variety of loans. You need to look carefully at the breakdown of your aid package and compare it against the costs you really have, like tuition, general fees, specific additional fees (parking, legal, health insurance, etc.) The financial aid section of the school's website should give you a breakdown of those costs. My school's cost breakdown throws in a bunch of things that don't specifically apply to me, like room and board, technology and supply costs, transportation costs, etc., and then builds my aid package to cover ALL those costs, not just the ones that actually apply to me. So I suggest you go over both your aid package and your school costs with a fine-tooth comb. Just because your school offers you a loan in your aid package doesn't mean you have to accept or use it!

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