FAFSA not enough for SUNY - need scholarship help for student with disabled siblings

There are definitely scholarships that consider family circumstances like yours. Here are some places your daughter should check: 1. The SUNY school's financial aid office - sometimes they have specialty scholarships not automatically awarded that you need to specifically apply for. 2. Your state's vocational rehabilitation services might have programs for siblings of people with disabilities. 3. National organizations focused on the specific disabilities your other daughters have often offer sibling scholarships. 4. Check Fastweb.com and Scholarships.com and use filters for "siblings with disabilities" or the specific conditions your other daughters have. 5. Local community foundations and organizations like Kiwanis or Rotary Club sometimes have special situation scholarships. Also, did you submit a Special Circumstances form to the financial aid office? The FAFSA doesn't have a way to report ongoing medical expenses, but the financial aid office can adjust your EFC if you document those costs.

Try calling the financial aid office directly too. My cousin was in a similar situation (brother with severe autism) and when she finally got through to someone who actually understood their situation, they directed her to 3 special scholarships she qualified for that weren't advertised on the main scholarship page. You have to be super persistent though, the phones are always busy.

DONT GIVE UP!! The SUNY system is TERRIBLE about telling students about all the available aid. My daughter got almost nothing initially and we were ready to give up, but then we found out about the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). It's specifically for students with economic disadvantages which can include having family members with disabilities that cause financial strain. Also look into these: - SUNY tuition assistance program (TAP) - Excelsior Scholarship if your income qualifies - The SUNY PRODiG scholarship A lot of these have separate applications from FAFSA and the SUNY schools do a HORRIBLE job explaining this!!!

i would also look at organizations for the specific disabilities your other daughters have. my friend got a scholarship from the autism society for siblings of autistic kids. there's lots of other ones too like that

One more thing to consider - if your daughter hasn't already selected which SUNY campus, their financial aid packages can vary quite a bit. Some SUNY schools have more institutional aid than others. If you're still in the decision phase, it might be worth applying to multiple SUNY schools and comparing offers.

Also, don't forget to appeal the financial aid award. This is different from the Special Circumstances form. Once you receive the official aid package, you can submit an appeal letter explaining why the award is insufficient based on your family circumstances and request additional institutional grants or scholarships. Appeals are most successful when: 1. You can document significant costs not captured by FAFSA 2. You have competing offers from other colleges 3. Your family situation is unusual (like having multiple children with disabilities) The SUNY financial aid offices have flexibility with institutional funds that they don't advertise. A well-crafted appeal can sometimes increase aid significantly.

Look at local scholarships too!!! Everyone applies for the big national ones but local scholarships often have way less competition. Check with: - Your employer (many have scholarships for employees' kids) - Local credit unions - Community foundations - Civic groups (Rotary, Lions Club, etc) - Religious organizations if applicable My son pieced together almost $5k from small local scholarships that only required simple applications. Some were only $500-1000 but they add up!

Thank you all for your amazing suggestions! I feel like we have a real plan now. I'm going to: 1. Submit a Special Circumstances form with all our medical expense documentation 2. Research scholarships for siblings of people with disabilities 3. Look into the EOP and PRODiG programs 4. Contact organizations specific to my younger daughters' conditions 5. Check local scholarship opportunities 6. Use Claimyr to actually get through to a financial aid advisor 7. File an appeal after doing all of the above I'll update this thread if we have any success. Really appreciate all of your help!

Great comprehensive plan! One additional resource to consider is your state's Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired or similar disability services agencies - many have scholarship programs for siblings of people with disabilities that aren't widely publicized. Also, if your daughters receive SSI or other disability benefits, document how those payments are used for medical expenses and care - this can strengthen your Special Circumstances case since it shows the true financial burden on your family. One more thing - when you do get through to financial aid, ask specifically about work-study opportunities. Even if they can't increase grant money immediately, getting your daughter campus employment can help bridge the gap while you work on other funding sources. Keep us posted on how it goes! Stories like yours help other families navigate this confusing process.