单亲家庭如何获得经济资助：如何让孩子免费乘车

当我女儿被常春藤盟校录取时，那是一个激动人心的时刻。作为一个单亲妈妈，我为她感到无比自豪。然而，当我们收到学校提供的经济援助时，这种兴奋被证明是短暂的。他们已经决定我们（指我，因为她父亲没有支付任何费用)每年可以捐助四万美元作为每年7.4万美元的学费和食宿费用。在学院网站上，它说援助后的平均费用是9k美元。我们了解到，情况并非总是如此——尤其是如果你是单亲。

我会卖掉一个肾来帮助我女儿参加。毕竟是常春藤盟校！看着她的援助方案，我觉得自己是个失败者，如果不拿出16万美元的父母加贷款给她，我就送不起她。但正如我女儿喜欢告诉我的，这与我无关。相反，她选择了一所提供全额学费的州立大学——两年后，她19岁就获得了学士学位。事情是这样的。

Related:选择成为单身母亲增加了我的收入潜力

Talk dollars and cents with your kids.

在成长过程中，我曾经告诉我的女儿，在她还没有明白"经济援助"是什么意思之前，她要去提供最好的经济援助的大学。我记得从其他朋友那里听说，他们的孩子获得了某些大学的全额奖学金，但因为他们不想上那所学校而拒绝了他们——父母最终贷款在其他地方支付学费。

我已经知道我孩子的父亲不会为她的教育提供任何经济支持。最重要的是，我们住在加州，那里的儿童抚养费在18岁结束——不像其他州，如新泽西州，法律要求父母支付儿童抚养费，直到23岁，如果孩子是全日制学生。我独自一人支付大学费用。

幸运的是，我女儿不仅仅是听到了我的资助谈话；她听着。她自愿在她高中的大学咨询部工作，并在w

ell.

If you're a single parent facing the eventual (however far off) costs of college alone, be honest with your kid(s) about what you can afford—and their options. Talk to them about the cost differences between public universities vs. private ones. And start early; don't wait until it's time for them to apply to schools before you have the money talk.

• Related: A Parent's Guide to FAFSA and Federal Student Aid

Understand differences in financial aid between public and private universities.

When applying for financial aid, schools expect both parents to fill out the financial aid forms. Public colleges and universities require the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and some private universities will require both parents to fill out an additional financial aid application, a CSS (College Scholarship Service profile). Schools use the information from these forms to award non-federal aid and institutional money to students.

Unless the non-custodial parent has had no contact with your child or there are other extenuating circumstances (which will need to be notarized), you will need to have the non-custodial parent fill out the paperwork. If they don't, some private schools will disqualify you from any consideration for need-based aid. That means other than merit money or external scholarships, the school may expect you to pay the full tuition.

State schools, on the other hand, and some private schools, will put together a package just using the information based on the custodial parent's form. When my daughter's father refused to supply his required tax information, she was unable to get any financial aid packages for the private universities that accepted her. We went back and forth with the Ivy until May 1, when she had to commit to a school. They wouldn't budge on their numbers. You can check out the schools that do not require the CSS for the non-custodial parent here.

Another thing to consider is that some private schools may not accept credits from community college when students are accepted as freshmen. My daughter, for example, found out that not only would the Ivy League school not accept her transfer credits, it wouldn't take her AP credits from high school either. And yet, based on those credits, the school would only allow her to enroll in a higher-level class—but it would not count towards the credits needed for her degree. Huh?

• Related: How to Negotiate Your Kid's School Tuition

Take classes at a community college.

Being able to transfer community college credits is a big deal. It shaved off thousands of dollars in tuition for my daughter, and it also allowed her to finish her bachelor's degree in two years. Plus, where we live, students in middle and high school can enroll in a community college for free. Some schools even have dual enrollment programs where students can take college classes at their high school, either after school or during school hours.

They can also enroll in classes on their own; my daughter took classes over the summer at the college and during the school year at her school. Of course, summer classes can be intense because it's a semester's worth of work distilled into six or eight weeks. It's a commitment that your child needs to be ready to do.

Remember, though: Students will need to get signatures from their guidance counselor and parents before they enroll.

Study hard and pass those AP exams.

Another way to earn college credit? Make sure your child signs up for AP classes. Granted, not every school offers them—or if they do, sometimes they will have certain requirements to sign up. Make sure you stay on top of when and how your child can enroll; some schools will offer APs in 9th, sometimes in 10th grade.

Whenever they complete these courses, your student will need to take the AP exam and score at least a three to earn college credit. You will need to check with the college to see the requirements around AP tests and how many credits they will issue. And note that there is a cost associated with AP exams: In 2020-2021, the cost for each test was $94. That can add up if your child is taking multiple exams.

Have your child talk to their college counselor at school to see if they qualify for any fee waivers, which are based on your income level. If your child qualified for the free lunch program, they could qualify for fee waivers. Fee waivers can cover AP exams, SAT, and ACT exams, as well as some college applications—and all those fees add up. College applications can range from $44 to $105 each; meanwhile the SAT costs $55, and the ACT starts at $60.

Don't get me started on how much it will cost for test prep, but it is worth it; after all, high SAT scores may get your child a scholarship. We found a low-cost solution provided through a church that offered a variety of educational classes and camps. Your child could also qualify for a National Merit Scholarship if they score high on the PSAT in eleventh grade.

• Related: Money Lessons I Learned From My Single Mother

Apply for any and all scholarships.

Speaking of scholarships, if your student maintains their grades throughout high school, they may be offered merit money or a chance to be accepted in an honors college. Many institutions will set aside money for non-need and instead will award money based on other factors (such as academic achievement and leadership) or for particular student groups (such as scholarships for Black, Latinx, or Indigenous students). Also, start looking at scholarships that provide full rides or close to it. There's the Gates Scholarship Program, Quest Bridge College Match Scholarships, and the Posse Foundation, to name a few.

At the end of the day, if you're trying to get a free ride for your kid to go to college, you have to play the long game. Start in elementary school, cultivating the work habits your child will need in high school to achieve a competitive GPA. Then, your child's placement in certain high school classes may be based on their middle school records—so, if you want them to take AP classes, they may be required to have a certain GPA already. Be your child's biggest advocate to make sure they are getting the help and opportunities they need.