FAFSA only gives my daughter minimum federal loans - where to find scholarships without cosigning?
Second year of FAFSA frustration here. My daughter's SAI score is too high for grants but we're definitely not in a position to cover the remaining costs. She's only eligible for the minimum federal loans ($6,500 for sophomore year), and we're really struggling to figure out where to turn next. My husband and I have credit issues from medical debt, so we can't cosign private loans. Her school's financial aid office just keeps telling us to look for "outside scholarships" but gives zero guidance on where to find them. We both work full-time but between our mortgage and my husband's ongoing medical treatments, we simply can't afford the expected family contribution. She's studying nursing and maintaining a 3.4 GPA if that helps with scholarship suggestions. Are there specific scholarship sites that actually work? Or other options I'm missing? Getting desperate as fall tuition is due in 6 weeks.
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Sofia Perez
my daughter was in the same boat last yr! try fastweb.com and scholarships.com they have TONS of scholarships u can search based on major, gpa, etc. nursing especially has alot of options!! also check with local hospitals sometimes they have programs where they'll help pay for school if she agrees to work there after graduation
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Dylan Cooper
•Thank you! I'll check out those sites tonight. Did your daughter have any luck with them? I've heard mixed things about scholarship search sites actually delivering results vs just collecting your information.
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Dmitry Smirnov
As a financial aid counselor, I'd recommend looking into these specific options for nursing students: 1. The NURSE Corps Scholarship Program - covers tuition and provides monthly stipend 2. Check with your state's nursing association for state-specific programs 3. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) maintains a database of nursing scholarships 4. Look into employer tuition assistance programs - many hospitals offer these even for part-time employees 5. National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Foundation scholarships Also, ask your daughter to schedule an appointment with her specific academic department, not just the general financial aid office. Nursing departments often have department-specific scholarship funds that aren't widely advertised.
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Dylan Cooper
•This is EXACTLY the kind of specific guidance I was hoping for! I had no idea about the NURSE Corps program or that nursing departments might have their own scholarships. She's at her clinical rotation today but I'll tell her to make an appointment with her department advisor tomorrow. Thank you!
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ElectricDreamer
have you tried appealing your SAI? we got my son's recalculated last year when my husband lost his job. worth a shot especially with the medical expenses!!
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Ava Johnson
•This is good advice. High medical expenses can qualify for what's called a "professional judgment" review. You'll need to contact the financial aid office and ask specifically about a "professional judgment review due to medical expenses." Bring documentation of all medical expenses from the tax year used on the FAFSA. They can adjust your SAI calculation to account for these unusual expenses that the standard formula doesn't capture properly.
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Miguel Diaz
The whole system is RIGGED against middle class families!! We make "too much" on paper but can't actually afford the ridiculous EFC they expect us to pay!!! My son ended up taking a gap year because we couldn't figure out how to pay for his sophomore year. The Parent PLUS loan is a TRAP - 8.05% interest rate is criminal when they know parents are desperate!!!!
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Zainab Ahmed
•I feel this so hard. Our EFC was $22k and we literally don't have an extra $1800 a month to spend on college. It's like they think we're sitting on a pile of cash somewhere.
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Connor Byrne
I've been trying to call Federal Student Aid for weeks about an error in our SAI calculation that's causing similar issues for my daughter, but I kept getting disconnected after 2+ hour waits. Someone in another thread recommended Claimyr.com, and it actually worked! They got me connected to an FSA agent in 15 minutes who fixed our error and explained how to submit additional documentation for our medical expenses. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent also sent me a list of nursing scholarship programs I didn't know about. Definitely worth reaching out to get more personalized guidance on your options.
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ElectricDreamer
•does this actually work?? i've been trying to reach someone for 3 weeks about my son's verification issues
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Connor Byrne
•Yes! I was super skeptical too but desperate after my 4th disconnection. The FSA agent I spoke with was really helpful and fixed our issue on the spot. They also said they're still working through a huge backlog from the FAFSA Simplification Act changes.
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Yara Abboud
Has your daughter looked into work-study options? My daughter is also in nursing and found a position in the university health center that pays better than minimum wage and works around her class schedule. It doesn't cover everything, but the extra $5-6K per year helps narrow the gap. Also, don't forget to apply for the American Opportunity Tax Credit when you file taxes - you can get up to $2,500 back per eligible student.
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Dylan Cooper
•She actually did apply for work-study but didn't get it in her financial aid package. The fin aid officer said "funds were limited" whatever that means. I'll definitely check out the tax credit though - I hadn't heard of that one!
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Yara Abboud
•Even without official work-study, many campus departments hire students directly. Have her check the nursing department, library, and residence halls - they often have positions not listed through financial aid. And definitely do the tax credit - it's been a huge help for us!
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Ava Johnson
Looking at the specific scholarship angle for nursing students, here are some additional resources your daughter should explore: 1. The Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association offers scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,500 2. Johnson & Johnson's Campaign for Nursing has a scholarship database specifically for nursing students 3. The FNSNA Promise of Nursing program offers region-specific scholarships 4. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) offers several nursing scholarships if she qualifies 5. For your professional judgment appeal (medical expenses), you'll need to provide both bills AND proof of payment to show they weren't covered by insurance FAFSA doesn't do well with capturing unusual expenses, but the professional judgment process exists specifically for situations like yours. Make sure to emphasize that these are ongoing expenses that will continue to impact your ability to pay for school next year as well.
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Dylan Cooper
•Thank you for these specific suggestions! I hadn't heard of any of these programs. Do you know if these scholarships typically have fall deadlines for the following academic year? I'm worried we're too late for some of them since it's already June.
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Ava Johnson
•Many nursing scholarships actually have rolling deadlines or multiple cycles throughout the year, unlike general scholarships that tend to have earlier deadlines. For example, the FNSNA has both fall and spring application periods. Also check with your state nursing association - many have emergency fund scholarships specifically for students who find themselves with financial gaps mid-program. These often have monthly review cycles rather than annual ones.
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PixelPioneer
my sister got a nursing scholarship from our local hospital foundation mid-year when she was struggling her sophomore year too. she had to write an essay and get a letter from one of her clinical instructors. maybe check if hospitals in your area have something similar?
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Dylan Cooper
•I hadn't thought about local hospital foundations! There are three major hospital systems in our city, so I'll definitely have her look into this. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Sofia Perez
also forgot to mention check with your employer!! my company offers dependent scholarships even for part time workers. its not huge (like $2500/yr) but everything helps!!! and my husband's union has scholarships for kids of members
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Dylan Cooper
•My company doesn't offer this benefit (I've checked), but my husband works for a large manufacturing company that might. I'll have him check with HR tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder!
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