FAFSA award limits for Pell, subsidized & unsubsidized loans - can they cover $14,000 dorm/meal costs in Ohio?

Hi there! I can break down the FAFSA aid limits for 2025-2026 for you: - Pell Grant: Maximum is $7,395 per year (for students with 0 SAI) - Subsidized loans (freshman): $3,500 max - Unsubsidized loans (freshman): $2,000 max for dependent students - Parent PLUS loans: Up to cost of attendance minus other aid So for a freshman dependent student with maximum need, that's about $12,895 total in Pell + federal loans. This won't cover your $14,000 dorm/meal costs, and that's not even including tuition! Community college is definitely the more affordable route, especially for the first two years.

Yep what the other person said is right about the amounts. But I want to add your daughter might get less than the max Pell if your income is over like $60k. Also remeber that Parent PLUS loans are in YOUR name not hers!!! My daughter went to community college for 2 yrs and then transfered to university and saved like $25,000!!!!! Worked out great and employers dont care where u did your first 2 yrs

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TRAP FAMILIES INTO DEBT!!!!!!! Pell Grant covers less and less every year. When I went to college in the 90s it covered most of tuition, now it's a drop in the bucket. And don't get me started on Parent PLUS loans - they'll let you borrow enough to hang yourself financially with NO LIMITS on how much you can take!! It's predatory lending!

For Ohio specifically, check if your daughter qualifies for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant. It's up to $2,700 per year for public universities and $3,900 for private ones if your FAFSA Expected Family Contribution (now called SAI) is $2,190 or less. That could help close some of the gap. Also consider the Federal Work-Study program - it won't show up as part of your initial aid but can provide $2,000-$5,000 per year through campus jobs.

When I worked in financial aid at OSU, we always told parents that FAFSA rarely covers full room & board costs. Your strategy of considering community college is smart. Also, look into whether any of the colleges offer commuter meal plans - these are much cheaper than full meal plans and give your daughter a place to eat when on campus. Some schools also have partial housing options (3-4 days/week) that cost less than full dorms.

Is anyone else ENRAGED that college costs have increased 180% since 2000 while Pell Grants have barely moved? The whole "living on campus experience" is a luxury most families can't afford without crushing debt. Your daughter won't miss anything important by living at home and going to community college. My son did this and transferred to Ohio State as a junior with ZERO debt for the first two years!!

try calling the financial aid dept at the schools directly!! i kept getting busy signals and hang ups when i tried to call about my daughters fafsa but i found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at the ohio state financial aid office in like 15 minutes!! they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and it was so worth it. the financial aid officer told me about some additional scholarships my daughter could apply for that weren't automatic.

one thing nobody mentioned is ur daughter can get more unsubsidized loan $ if u get denied for parent plus. if u apply for parent plus and get rejected (bad credit etc) then she can get up to $9500 in loans as a freshman instead of just $5500. just something to think about

I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college in Ohio. Something to consider: many community colleges now have housing partnerships with nearby apartments that are much cheaper than university dorms. For example, Columbus State has partnerships where students pay about $600-700/month for housing with roommates. With a part-time job, this could be manageable even with limited financial aid. The federal loan limits are the same whether at community college or university.

As someone who just went through this process with my own kid, I want to echo what others have said about community college being the smart financial move. But here's something I haven't seen mentioned yet - look into whether Ohio colleges offer "guaranteed transfer" programs. Many community colleges have agreements with 4-year universities that guarantee admission and credit transfer if your daughter maintains a certain GPA (usually 2.5-3.0). This takes the uncertainty out of the transfer process and can give you both peace of mind. Also, with a $65K household income, your daughter might qualify for some need-based aid at the community college level too - every little bit helps when you're trying to avoid debt!