I have written in the Parents Blog about the process of getting my eldest daughter (the first of three children who are working to finish the high school years) graduated from high school and on to college. In addition to all the forms, paperwork, and other details–we are, of course, scrambling to figure out how it is going to be paid for. While I have managed to save a few thousand dollars apiece for each of my kids over the years–it isn’t much and it will probably only pay for a year’s worth of books! What I am finding, however, is that for once my single parent’s income could actually be a plus as my daughter my qualify for more financial aid than if she lived in a two-parent home.
I’m still feeling my way here and I am determined that she will not end up with the mountain of student loans I am going to be paying off for the rest of my life for my own undergraduate degree, but the fact that she has been a good student taking a challenging course load, and my single parent income should work in her favor. Despite the economic crunch and the increased competition for high education dollars, there are still needs-based scholarship and financial grants. Of course, I would LOVE to be able to pay for all of it, and as it stands, I am preparing myself for doing whatever I can to make sure she gets the education she wants (not to mention her sister and brother as well), but I am also counting on tapping any and all additional resources that might be available. For once, the fact that she has been raised by single parents and the income and resources are spread and stressed, could work in our favor.