One solution that helped some of my advisees: if you have good credit, look into using a 0% APR credit card for part of the tuition (if the school accepts it), then aggressively pay it off before the promotional period ends. This works best if you need to bridge a smaller gap for 12-18 months. Not ideal, but I've seen families successfully use this to avoid high-interest loans when they have stable income but just need to spread payments out.

After checking around extensively last month, I found Earnest was offering the lowest rates - I qualified for 7.25% with similar credit to yours. Not under 7% but better than most. They consider more than just credit score - they look at savings patterns, employment history, and education. Worth checking out. Also, I'd strongly recommend calling your son's financial aid office and asking specifically about their institutional loan programs. Many schools have their own loan funds with rates around 5-6% that they don't widely advertise but are available to continuing students in good standing.

For your appeal, it's best to be specific about what you need financially. Look at what you can realistically afford monthly, calculate that annual amount, and then specify the gap you need filled. For example: "We can manage $X per year, leaving a gap of $Y that we're requesting in additional grant/scholarship aid." This approach shows you've done the math and are being reasonable. Also mention competing offers from other schools - "School B offered us $22,000 in institutional grants, making it $7,000 per year more affordable than your current offer." Documenting those medical expenses could be very significant for your appeal. Make sure to quantify the impact on your finances.

nobody talks about this but u can negotiate with colleges!!! they have wiggle room in their budgets. my son got an extra 8k just by showing them better offers from competing schools. be confident when u call them!!!

everyone saying credit score doesn't matter is right. they ONLY look for bad stuff. my brother in law had like a 680 score which isn't even that great but got approved no problem because he didnt have any negative marks. its weird how they do it. BTW if u get denied u should look at Sallie Mae or Discover private loans. interest rates are higher but sometimes its the only option.

Update: I ended up applying yesterday and got an immediate denial due to the wage garnishment, even though it's paid off. I used that Claimyr service that someone recommended here to reach Federal Student Aid (after trying unsuccessfully for days on my own), and they were super helpful! The agent explained exactly what documentation I needed to submit for the extenuating circumstances appeal and how to present my case. I submitted everything yesterday afternoon and now I'm waiting to hear back. They said it usually takes 2-3 weeks, but sometimes faster. In the meantime, my twins' financial aid offices confirmed they'd be eligible for additional unsubsidized loans if my appeal doesn't go through. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'll post again when I hear the results of my appeal.

I work in higher ed financial aid, and I want to clarify something important: while legal guardians cannot take out Parent PLUS loans, your foster daughter's independent status means she qualifies for higher Direct Unsubsidized loan limits than dependent students. Independent students can receive up to $9,500 for freshman year ($3,500 subsidized + $6,000 unsubsidized) compared to $5,500 for dependent students. For special cases like yours, many institutions have the authority to make additional unsubsidized loans available to students in exceptional circumstances. This is different from professional judgment and isn't advertised widely. Specifically ask about "additional unsubsidized loan eligibility for students whose parents cannot obtain PLUS loans" - this provision exists but many front-line financial aid staff don't know about it.

Yes, exactly! Under certain circumstances, financial aid administrators can offer the same additional unsubsidized loan amounts that would normally be available when a parent is denied a PLUS loan. It's addressed in the Federal Student Aid Handbook, but not all financial aid advisors are familiar with applying this to guardian situations. Since your foster daughter is already independent, the financial aid office might not have considered this option automatically. Be persistent and specifically reference the provision for "additional unsubsidized loan eligibility when parents cannot obtain PLUS loans due to exceptional circumstances." Also, reach out to your state's higher education agency - many states have supplemental grants specifically for former foster youth that operate separately from the federal Chafee program and have different eligibility requirements.

My nephew had a -2200 SAI last year and got COMPLETELY different packages from different schools. One private college covered almost everything with grants while a state university left a $15,000 gap even with the negative SAI. It's ridiculous how inconsistent the system is!!! And some schools took FOREVER to send aid packages. The financial aid system is just broken.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I'll wait for the aid packages to arrive and carefully compare them using the spreadsheet method. I'm relieved to hear the negative SAI is good news for the Pell Grant at least. I'll also check out Claimyr if we end up waiting too long for any schools to respond. Will update here when we start getting packages!