bumpety bump!

I am a vet student, so have also been through the process very recently. Definitely start with the FAFSA. You'll most likely get all loans, unless you're very very poor. You will also be shocked at the amount of money they expect you to pay towards education. The first year I applied, out of the $60k we both made that year, they expected we could afford $26k family contribution, even though we'd be losing my measly $20 salary. Nobody I know has actually been able to afford the expected family contribution. The good news is that you can ask for loans also to cover living expenses, and they are a bit more generous for that. I take out about $26k per year, even though my tuition is only $9k, because we really couldn't afford to lose my income. My bro is also an auto technician, and he went with loans to pay for college too. He searched and searched but didn't find any scholarships either. BS and BA money seems really easy to come by, but if you're a grad/professional/technical student you're left on your own for the most part. That said, by bro did just a general auto tech at a community college and started as a lube tech at a dealership that paid for Ford school. Many dealerships offer training for their make, but be sure your son talks to the employees. My bro found out the hard way that just because a dealership says they pay for school doesn't mean they ever find the time to actually send you. He quit his first job because of that. Second place actually did pay for school, so he learned a lot, but they weren't busy enough for him to work so he only got paid for 15 flat-rate hours a week. Now he's working on boats and loving it. Turns out a lot of boat motors are Ford, plus he also can repair AC which a lot of trained boat mechanics cannot. So he's loving life now.

Thanks to all for the info, it sure is hard being a step parent, if we could turn back time I am sure I would have done alot of things different,we are not a family and never will be, I have tried to make us one shareing my childern and grand children and inculding his childern in everything! when we brought our home I made sure each of his children had there own rooms so they felt like it was there home also! rules was suppose to be set but never inforced, I would come home from work and find the house a mess clothes,shoes,popcan and plates where ever they left them while they ran off to do what ever, I tried talking to my husband he would just get mad and go clean up what mess he thought he should, I started haveing stress related problems went to my doctor and he put me on a antideppressed that only made me not care what the house looked like or much of anything else, my husband was fine with this cause I didnt cause any waves witch is how he likes things to be, I had no help with the house work,yard work,laundry cooking dinner anything even thoe I have told him a hundred time how I felt and still do when two people work they should share all the household work, his childern were never asked to do any work at our home only pick up after there self , my sd takes over the coumpter and telephone on the weekends, nothing is ever said, last weekend my father had a heart attack and my sister had to drive 20 miles just to tell me! we bouth get paid on friday by monday theres very little left for the rest of the week because he spent it over the weekend, we never have a day off together without his kids unless we have a side job to do, its all work and no play for us, I should have gotton out of this mess as soon as i relized that I would always be number 4, number 3 is his ex, we spent our frist annivastary with his kids cause the ex was going out of town with one of her boyfreinds, and he would not tell her no, I got my feeling ready hurt and went and stayed at a motel for the weekend, my input about his children is not imporant, he lets his son who was 10 at the time chew stuff even brought it for him, now hes 15 and hooked, hes got caught twice drinking, I told my husband how can you expect him to see the difference when you let him do other adult things, he got upset with me and wouldnt talk about it, if thers a problem with his children he is told to come to the exs house so her and her husband and him can talk about what there going to do, I am always left out, I spent my weekend takeing my sd to look for a prom dress in our area and because her mother kept putting her off, we paid for dress and i wasnt even asked to go to the grand march so i could see her in her dress! I was invited to her graduation the night before [ I wasnt told when it was ) I had nothing desent to wear and didnt have time to shop for something that maybe I could afford so I didnt go, I feel like the maid here one who has to hold down a full time job besides, ok now for my family they usuly come to vist on the weekend, my husband will take off with his kids to his mothers or where else they want to go and leave us setting hes also done the same to family of mine from out of town so they dont come to my home anymore, they say they dont feel welcome by him, my kids have stoped comming I go to there house most of the time, my kids have been very good to him remenbers him on birthdays father day, his kids dont even know when my birthday is, I dont want a gift just to be remenbered, sorry I have rattled on , thanks to all who answered just to have someone listen helps ps my husband and I have dated since 1990, in 97 we brought a house together and married in 99

It is not too early to be thinking about planning for college. For some people, you are starting late. First of all, you son needs to be practicing for the PSAT. That test--taken only once in the fall of junior year-- is the only way he can qualify for National Merit status. There are the thick books that have practice tests. He should do them exactly as if he were taking it for real(timed and in quiet). Then, go over what he had problems with. The same holds true for the ACT and the SAT, if he plans to take it. Taking the tests more than once can really help. The book for the SAT is 10 Real SAT tests. They use old tests for practice. Both SAT and ACT have a website that will give him a practice question everyday. He should start today, and do the question everyday. He also needs one of the big, thick books with all of the 4 year colleges and universities in it. The current editions have the most up to date statistics on what the scores and grades of the incoming freshmen from recent years. It will give him a point of contact. There are many schools that most people don't know about that are fine institutions. You should go to the FAFSA site, and do a "practice" FAFSA, and that will give you your EFC (expected family contribution). Your son will be expected to contribute about $3,000 a year, which is not part of the EFC-- that is your portion. If money is an issue, then I would suggest lower tiered schools. To get much merit money, he needs to be in the top 20% or so of the applicants. Most lower ranked schools are trying to attract top students, so if they get a top applicant, they try to lure them with money. My youngest daughter was accepted into some top schools, but with no money. She also had some lower tiered school, well known schools, but not as highly ranked. She received Presidential scholarships (full tuition + fees) to two private universities. She also was offered 1/2 tuition at another school. She could have gone to any of our state universities on the bright future scholarship -- which was full tuition + book money. She received one outside scholarship for $2,000 a year for 3 years. Her last year she received room and board + salary for being an intern with the campus ministry. She didn't need to apply for the outside scholarship because of that. If your son is a top student, then he can get merit aid at some colleges. In-state universities can cost less, but they tend to have less merit aid to give. There is lots of merit money, if you apply to the right schools. There is a website called College Confidential. There is lots of information there. They have forums, but a large number of those who post worry about getting into the top schools. There is some great information there, if you gloss over the students with the out of this world statistics. Oh, have your son get involved in some activity. It doesn't matter much as to what, but some EC + some service hours can't hurt. Lastly, his junior year of high school is the critical year for colleges. Some schools discount freshman year, as it can be quite a change for some students. Sophomore year needs to be improving, and junior year is they most important year. It is the last full year that the schools see when they are making their decisions.