Category: Student Stories

“My dad used to work in construction. One day, he fell from the second floor of a house. He really hurt his back and it’s difficult for him to walk now. He’s been on disability ever since,” says Liliana.

Liliana’s dad has been an inspiration to her, especially when other adults in her life weren’t supportive.

“My dad is my main motivation. Even though he doesn’t have stability, he has always encouraged me to do better. My mom doesn’t pay much attention to me and wasn’t so good about the idea of me going to college. But my dad supports me. He said he was proud of me.”

Besides her dad’s encouragement, seeing her siblings struggle made her decide to go to college.

“In 11th grade, I started thinking about what to do with my life. I have five older brothers and one older sister. They all dropped out to help my parents out. I am the only one who has finished high school,” Liliana explains.

“Seeing my siblings struggle — I don’t want to be like that. They have children and I think they were not financially ready for it. I’m not saying kids are bad. They are a blessing to your family. But I want to get myself together and finish college and accomplish something first.”

Figuring out the FAFSA

Because Liliana’s family depends on her income, she decided to become a medical assistant. “I need to work and the program is faster. I started looking at how much it was going to cost me.”

Liliana learned about the FAFSA from Café College. “A woman named Melissa reached out to me. I went to her office right across from my high school to fill it out.”

“My first thought was, Oh, this is going to be so easy. It will probably take 15 minutes. But I didn’t have my parent’s income tax information, so I had to come back the next day.”

Liliana’s mom didn’t want to give her the information at first. “My mom didn’t want me to go to college. I had to tell her it is going to be good for me. Eventually, she said okay.”

Liliana finished the FAFSA with Melissa’s help. Then, another surprise came.

Getting help when she was asked for additional documentation

Liliana’s college selected her for verification. “They asked for a lot of information. My mom’s income tax transcript. Proof of my dad’s disability income. I had to go back and forth, back and forth.”

“It was a relief. I don’t have to pay out of my pocket and I don’t have to work extra hours.”

“I asked Melissa for help. She is more experienced with the FAFSA and I didn’t want to make any mistakes,” Liliana recalls.

“I’m part of the New Mexico Leadership Institute, and we have to volunteer on an issue in New Mexico. I chose to work with a nonprofit organization that helps women break out of unhealthy or abusive relationships,” Danica says.

“I felt that was my way to give back. A lot of the women have the same personal background as my parents. Seeing the women actually trying to improve their lives was very important to me.”

Danica says she had a difficult upbringing with her biological parents. “My guardians are now my grandma and godmother. When I was with my mom — she was a teen mom — education wasn’t my top priority. I felt I had to take care of her rather than myself.”

“Once I got in a stable home, I realized that education is so important. I saw people around me that did jobs they didn’t like and had to work their butts off. I realized education is the key to success and having a career that’s your passion.”

Explaining the FAFSA to her grandmother and godmother

“My school had a great college and career counselor named Ms. Delgadillo. When senior year came, she would advertise and go around the school to make sure students were on top of things that were important. One of those was the FAFSA.”

Danica remembers, “When I first heard about the FAFSA, I thought it was going to be long — way longer than it was. And I didn’t really know it was for financial aid for college. It was good that Ms. Delgadillo explained what it was.”

Danica started the FAFSA at school and then went home to fill out the rest.

“My grandmother and my godmother were very, very confused. They were asking, ‘What is this FAFSA, and why are they asking these questions?’ It asks personal questions and for tax information and everything,” she explains.

“I had to explain to them that FAFSA is something I have to do in the college process in order to get some money to pay for some college classes. Once they heard that, they were on board.”

Getting past the awkward wording

“Just understanding and answering the questions correctly took some time. The wording was awkward,” Danica recalls.

“Like, on the tax form, there is certain information you need. On the FAFSA, it asks for that information, but it doesn’t exactly line up so it was hard to locate on the tax form.”

Danica went to Ms. Delgadillo for help. “I answered what I could, and then went back to my counselor to get it finished. It was tricky because I messed up on one of the questions, so I had to go back and fix it later.”

“When I found out what I was getting from the FAFSA, it was the weekend. My counselor texted me to check how much I got, so I did. I ran to my grandma and godmother and was like, ‘Look!’”

“I thought I wasn’t going to get as much aid as I did. I was glad I didn’t let the challenge of filling out the FAFSA stop me.”

Danica remembers how happy they all were. “They said, ‘That’s the form we spent a day filling out with our taxes?’ and I said, ‘Yeah!’ They were so excited. It’s a burden off their shoulders. I will be the first one going to college in my family. They said I’ll be a role model to my younger siblings, nieces and nephews.”

“I thought I wasn’t going to get as much aid as I did. I was very thankful and glad I didn’t let the challenge of filling out the FAFSA stop me.”

Danica’s advice: It’s worth the time

“A lot of people think, why even do the FAFSA? Because everything counts. Whatever you can get for college counts because college is very expensive and it is really helpful getting something when your parents don’t have it. It might surprise them to see what they can get in the end,” says Danica.

“It took some time. Creating an account took me a day, another day filling out the questions I could understand, and the last day getting help from my counselor. But those three days to get as much as I did was definitely worth it.”

“It feels like I have no regrets leaving high school. I am so ready to begin the next chapter of my life.”

Danica will be attending the University of New Mexico. She hasn’t declared a major, but hopes to go to graduate school and pursue a career as an obstetrician/gynecologist, therapist or in another health field.

“I’m on the school’s tennis team,” says Farhat. “My older sister baited me into it. She wanted me to join a sport. I went to tryouts and ended up joining the team.”

“Besides tennis, I participate in a lot of extracurricular activities. Last summer, I participated in an engineering research project with my school. I’m also part of Heart of Los Angeles, where I took enrichment classes in computer science and art photography. I also did test prep tutoring.”

The engineering research project helped inspire her interest in engineering. “I think it is really interesting. My family members never pushed me to do it, but my older sister is also studying it in college.”

“I feel like my parents have always wanted me to go to college, even though they never explicitly stated it,” she says. “My mom is a high school graduate, but my dad attended some college. They both went to school in their homeland, Bangladesh.”

“In high school, I decided there was no point in stopping here and decided I wanted to go to college.”

Learning from her older sister’s experience

“I’m part of a low-income community, so we knew I’d be eligible for some kind of financial aid. But I didn’t know how much. I learned about the FAFSA to pay for college when my sister was applying for college,” says Farhat.

“In my senior year, the college counselor came to all our classes to talk to the seniors about it. My first impression was that it would be confusing. I was told I would need one of my parents and their tax forms, and that it might be more confusing or easier for different people.”

Farhat brought her dad to Heart of Los Angeles to fill out the FAFSA. “It was a workshop with different time slots so there wouldn’t be too many students and parents in the room. There were three or four people available to look over something if we needed help.”

“It was easier for me than others. My sister had already filled it out, so my parents already had their own login — the FSA ID — and a lot of their information transferred over.”

“For the most part we were completing it on our own, but there were some difficult parts.”

Figuring out tricky questions on the FAFSA

“There was an area in the FAFSA about businesses and assets and there was also a section about checking and savings accounts. It was difficult filling out that part,” recalls Farhat.

“Keep an open mind on what you might expect with the FAFSA. I thought it was going to be a difficult process, but it wasn’t.”

“My dad recently invested in a business, but it didn’t clarify what year they wanted that information from. We weren’t sure whether to include it. The second part that was confusing was checking and savings. My parents had been saving up money, but not inside a bank. So my dad wasn’t sure what to put.”

The counselors at the workshop were able to help Farhat’s dad figure out how to answer the questions. “I think if it hadn’t been for the workshop, we wouldn’t have taken the time to make sure we had everything right,” she says.

“After we finished and submitted the FAFSA, we got a confirmation where it told us our Estimated Family Contribution. We showed that to the counselors so they could explain what we were looking at.” It was a low number, she recalls, which meant she’d be eligible for more financial aid.

Later, Farhat was offered financial aid packages by the colleges she’d applied to. “My parents expected I would get financial aid, but they were still excited when they found out how much aid and work/study I was given from each school,” she remembers.

Farhat’s advice: Have your documents ready

“Have a parent nearby when you are filling it out, if you can. Have your taxes ready and any information you think might be necessary,” says Farhat. “It’s really important to have when you are starting because, if not, it is going to look really confusing.”

She adds, “Keep an open mind on what you might expect with the FAFSA. Filling it out is different from person to person. I thought it was going to be a difficult process, but it wasn’t all that difficult.”

“I know college will be difficult, but I know I have to make it through it to see the future that’s ahead. My parents are excited for me.”

Farhat will be attending the University of California, Berkeley and plans to study engineering. She says she’ll keep playing tennis, but just for fun.

“My grandma has been to college — she didn’t complete it. My mom has been to college — she didn’t complete it,” says Brooklyann. “It’s not so much about them going, as them going and actually completing it.”

Even though Brooklyann always knew she wanted to be a pediatrician, she was worried about her own college dreams.

“My relationship with my mom started to turn and I got put in foster care when I was 16. I was in four different homes before I got placed with my cousin at 17. I was more focused on just graduating. I didn’t have anybody I could go to for help with college. I don’t speak to my mom.”

“When an alumni from my high school came to talk to us about college and financial aid, I was like, I am never going to be able to get that. I really didn’t think I’d be able to get any assistance because I thought your parents were the ones who helped you into college; they help you pay for things.”

She was nervous about asking for help. “I am a closed off person. I don’t wear my feelings on my sleeve.”

Getting the courage to try

But the more Brooklyann thought about the prospect of being in Columbus her whole life, the more she knew she had to try.

“I was like, I need to get the ball rolling on what’s next for me. It is nobody’s choice but my own to decide what I’m going to do with my life after high school.”

She looked at the FAFSA online to see if she could apply for financial aid, but she didn’t know how to answer the questions about her parents since she’s in foster care.

The next day, during study hall, she grabbed two friends and went to talk to Mrs. Rolle, her school’s college advisor from I Know I Can.

What she learned about the FAFSA

Mrs. Rolle helped break down how financial aid works for Brooklyann and showed her the requirements for different colleges.

The biggest thing Mrs. Rolle helped with? “I didn’t know, but there was a box to check if you’re in foster care,” Brooklyann said. She didn’t have to enter any of her parents’ personal or income information to complete the FAFSA. She and Mrs. Rolle filled it out together.

She found out she was eligible for nearly $25,000. Some of that came from the Pell Grant — money she wouldn’t have to pay back — and work-study programs, loans and other financial aid.

“I was happy. I really wanted to cry,” she remembers. “Even though I’ve been through some crazy situations, in the end it has all worked out. A year ago, you couldn’t have told me I’d be going off to college. You never know until you try.”

Brooklyann’s advice: Be heard

Brooklyann has advice for other foster youth who dream of going to college, too. “The best thing I did was come and talk to Mrs. Rolle and tell her about my situation.”

“Be heard. Speak out. Don’t be afraid to tell somebody your business or your story. I know how it feels when you just want to keep information to yourself because you have a lot going on at home.” Opening up was what allowed Mrs. Rolle to know exactly how to help.

“I’ve been through some crazy situations. A year ago, you couldn’t have told me I’d be going off to college.”

“I was prejudging and thinking that she couldn’t help. I was really scared of the process, and I think a lot of times we run away from things because we’re scared. But in the end it wasn’t bad at all. Mrs. Rolle has been there for me, helping me keep track of everything.”

“One day, I hope I can come back and talk to my whole school about how financial aid and college have helped me.”

Brooklyann will be studying nursing at Ohio State University. She hopes to one day go to medical school.

“I’ve always been curious about the way things work,” says Paul. “When I was a kid, I had Erector sets, K’NEX and all kinds of toys like that. I liked building things and taking them apart.”

“I’m heavily involved with my high school’s robotics team. I’m the lead build captain, so I handle a lot of the building of the robot. We compete around the United States. Through robotics — and Boy Scouts, which I’m also involved in — I learned what I’d call gracious professionalism. Even in competition, you don’t step on your opponent. You try to help them,” Paul explains.

“Robotics really gave me the chance to be exposed to the actual engineering side of things. It has helped point me in a direction of a career path. I’m really interested in space and rockets.”

“I’m a really academic guy. A pretty big nerd,” he laughs.

Exploring ways to pay for college

Paul spent lots of time researching the best college for his career goals, but needed help paying for it.

“Money has always been tight in our family. I’ve gone to a public school and qualified for free or reduced lunch all my life,” he says.

Fortunately, he was selected to receive a scholarship through a program for Kansas City students from low-income families.

“I’m very, very thankful,” says Paul. “But they are what’s called a ‘last dollar’ scholarship. They expect me to get other financial aid and scholarships, and then they will fill in what I can’t get.”

“At the beginning of my senior year, my school hosted workshops with counselors to fill out the FAFSA. I knew that I’d fill in some information, put in how much money my parents made, and I might be eligible for money,” Paul recalls. “I thought it was going to be straightforward.”

“Of course, I should have known that, since it’s the government’s money, I can’t put in random or lower incomes to try to get more money for myself. So the process was a little more complicated than I thought.”

Getting the right information to complete the FAFSA

Paul initially started the FAFSA by himself at one of the workshops at school. “I made an account and filled in everything I could about myself and my parents. I didn’t know how much money my parents make off the top of my head though. I had to take information back home to them, and they struggled quite a bit trying to figure it out.”

“All my friends got money and our parents have different incomes. It is not as daunting or scary as it might seem.”

Paul decided to bring his mom to one of the workshops at school. “She brought all her tax documents. The counselors walked us through what information on her tax forms needed to go into the FAFSA and where to find it.”

“Finding somebody like a friend or counselor who understands these documents was helpful. Someone who can say, ‘Oh, you need this form. It looks like this and has this information on it.’”

Paul and his mom were able to complete his FAFSA, and then he waited to hear back. “It wasn’t as instantaneous as I thought it would be. It took a few weeks,” he says.

Even though he knew his scholarship would help cover whatever he didn’t receive from the FAFSA, he was thankful when he found out he got financial aid.

“The least I can do is try to lighten the load by getting financial aid myself,” he says. “Now my mom doesn’t have to worry so much about trying to pay for college for my younger sister when she graduates in a couple years.”

The experience also inspired Paul’s mom to fill out the FAFSA and go back to school, with the help of GradForce KC. “She’s a massage therapist and runs her own business. She’s going back to school to learn nutrition so she can improve her business as a whole,” he says.

Paul’s advice: People from all walks of life can benefit

“Fill out the FAFSA no matter who you are or how much money you think you have,” Paul says.

“All my friends got money and our parents have different incomes. It is not as daunting or scary as it might seem. If you are worried, find experienced people who have done it before. They will ease you into the process, and it will be like nothing.”

Paul will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and studying aerospace engineering. Because he’s an Eagle Scout, he says, he’s no stranger to the bugs he’ll encounter in Florida.

“I like to give back to my community. I was in the student council and helped kids learn to ride bikes in the bicycle club. And every Monday, I volunteer at my church to help give out food and clothing to people in need,” says Alejandra.

She explains that before that, “I was one of those girls going down the wrong path. I was hanging out with the wrong group of people and skipping school, going to gas stations or abandoned buildings. I got arrested twice in 8th grade.”

Alejandra says that volunteering helped her turn things around. “Marsha, who runs the volunteer program at the church, invited me to come help. It was so much fun watching the little kids be happy when they got new toothbrushes or a backpack for school.”

“I stopped hanging out with those friends and started going to class. Things went up from there. I ended senior year with straight As.”

Wondering if college would even be possible

“College wasn’t really my thing,” says Alejandra, “until I took psychology in 10th grade. I fell in love with the class and realized you can actually do this for a career.”

“I decided I wanted to go to college for child psychology. I know some children who come from the worst families in the world. They need someone to tell them they will survive. Half of my own family told me I would never make it through high school. I’m proving them wrong. I’m getting through it so I can help other kids.”

Even with encouragement from her boyfriend and his family, Alejandra wasn’t sure how to make college happen.

“My family lives in a lot of poverty. It was always hand-me-downs. I just knew there was no way my parents could afford tuition. I started looking into community colleges, but they didn’t have the classes I would need for my education,” explains Alejandra.

She decided to talk to her school’s advisor through Missouri College Advising Corps, who helped her learn her financial aid options.

“When I didn’t have class, I would go to Ms. Redmond-Wilson’s office and we would just apply for anything and everything we could find to make sure I had enough money. We also started the FAFSA together.”

Getting her mom’s help with the FAFSA

Alejandra knew the FAFSA would help her get money for college, but she needed her mom’s help to complete it.

“At first, my mom had absolutely no idea where her tax and disability forms were. She didn’t keep them in one spot.”

“I told her a week before that I needed it. We spent that week digging through drawers and old purses. On the third day, I just wanted to give up. I was so frustrated, but I said, ‘Mom, they are here somewhere. We’ve just got to find them,’” Alejandra remembers.

“My mom remembered that we have boxes in our attic with important paperwork like hospital bills. We found the tax papers on the fifth day.”

“Half of my own family told me I would never make it through high school. I’m proving them wrong.”

With the papers finally in hand, Alejandra was ready to finish her FAFSA. “Our school had a FAFSA day where they brought cookies and juice for the kids and their families. My mom doesn’t like coming to the school, but I said, ‘Mom, this is going to benefit my future. I need this to have a good career,’ and so she came.”

Ms. Redmond-Wilson helped Alejandra’s mom understand that the FAFSA would help get grants and scholarships, not just loans. She also helped them figure out where to put the tax information into the form. “That was one of the most frustrating parts, because we didn’t know what we were doing.”

But they got the FAFSA done. And right before Thanksgiving break, Alejandra got a letter.

“I got home and saw I’d gotten a packet from the college. I think it came back quicker for me because I did mine as early as I could get it done. I opened it, and I literally cried because I never thought I would be going to college. It said I got around $30,700 in financial aid.”

Alejandra’s advice: Your life is not a game

“I did my FAFSA and that really, really helped me a lot. I’m the first of my parents’ children and the first on my father’s side to go to college. Financial aid was my savior for college,” she says.

“You never know what you are going to get. Don’t take it lightly — take it seriously because it is not a game. Real life is not a game.

Alejandra will be attending Avila University and studying child psychology. She is taking a four-plus-one program, which allows her to get her bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years.