Austerity
A thing I haven't written about because we have been way busy...
Elayna transferred schools this year, from a private college to a state college. Which should have been less expensive, given also that she was accepted there for freshman year and offered a generous financial aid package.
Reader, they screwed us.
Elayna knew early on that she wanted to transfer. She contacted her new school to ask about the process and was told not to apply until after she'd been to their Transfer Students Day. Which was seven days after their preferred financial aid deadline.
Adam double-checked with them. They told us yes, that's correct, the procedure for transfer students = apply after that day, don't worry, it's just a preferred deadline.
I think you all see where this is going. Yes. She got nothing. Last year they offered her thousands in aid. This year, zero. And what else could we do, send her back to the school that was making her miserable?
So this is why we're paying $400 a month for tuition here (after application of the appropriate sliver of her insufficient college fund), as opposed to $150 a month last year.
And yes, this is in addition to the $600/month hole in our budget left by Judah. We're still paying that portion of the rent on the second paycheck of the month; thank goodness for an understanding landlord.
*wry smile* If we didn't have those things, we'd actually be in a really good financial situation right now.
Also, Judah's deposition has been scheduled, and I have to find $500 to pay for *that*. Which... I can't even think about right now. And winter is coming, and, with it, the skyrocketing of our gas bill...
I am putting this all out here because it is a major undercurrent of stress running through every aspect of my life right now, and because I hope that putting it here will stop the panic-loop in my head. Yeah, we're screwed. We will be slightly less screwed in the spring, but still screwed. Summer is really the earliest anything can get any kind of manageable unless something really big changes.
Whee?
(Yes, I continue to look for jobs. Why does everything part-time require the ability to drive, even office work?)
Elayna transferred schools this year, from a private college to a state college. Which should have been less expensive, given also that she was accepted there for freshman year and offered a generous financial aid package.
Reader, they screwed us.
Elayna knew early on that she wanted to transfer. She contacted her new school to ask about the process and was told not to apply until after she'd been to their Transfer Students Day. Which was seven days after their preferred financial aid deadline.
Adam double-checked with them. They told us yes, that's correct, the procedure for transfer students = apply after that day, don't worry, it's just a preferred deadline.
I think you all see where this is going. Yes. She got nothing. Last year they offered her thousands in aid. This year, zero. And what else could we do, send her back to the school that was making her miserable?
So this is why we're paying $400 a month for tuition here (after application of the appropriate sliver of her insufficient college fund), as opposed to $150 a month last year.
And yes, this is in addition to the $600/month hole in our budget left by Judah. We're still paying that portion of the rent on the second paycheck of the month; thank goodness for an understanding landlord.
*wry smile* If we didn't have those things, we'd actually be in a really good financial situation right now.
Also, Judah's deposition has been scheduled, and I have to find $500 to pay for *that*. Which... I can't even think about right now. And winter is coming, and, with it, the skyrocketing of our gas bill...
I am putting this all out here because it is a major undercurrent of stress running through every aspect of my life right now, and because I hope that putting it here will stop the panic-loop in my head. Yeah, we're screwed. We will be slightly less screwed in the spring, but still screwed. Summer is really the earliest anything can get any kind of manageable unless something really big changes.
Whee?
(Yes, I continue to look for jobs. Why does everything part-time require the ability to drive, even office work?)