LEWISTON – When Diane Roy and her husband, Norm, walked into Lewiston High School on Wednesday night, they knew only two things for certain: Their daughter’s dream school is a sprawling Catholic college in Massachusetts. And it costs $32,000 a year.
“When we were on the tour, she said, Save your money, this is where I’m going,'” Diane Roy said.
The Roys badly needed financial aid, but they didn’t know where to start. They didn’t know what was available. They weren’t sure whom to ask.
Then, they and 20 other parents went through Lewiston Adult Education’s first financial aid class.
“I even debated coming. I wondered Do I really need this?'” Diane Roy said after Wednesday’s class. “Now I know. I needed this.”
The four-part class was created this year to guide families through the maze of college financial aid. In later classes, parents will talk with financial aid officers and get help with the federal form required by most schools.
Wednesday’s class started as a simple introduction by an official from the Finance Authority of Maine. It quickly turned into rapid-fire question-and-answer session as parents seized their first opportunity to talk with an expert.
“I usually file my tax return with an extension in October. So I guess need to get on the ball with that,” said Cheryl Guay, as other parents laughed.
For two hours, the class learned about financial aid forms, where to go for grants and the difference between student loans and parent loans. Scribbling furiously in notebooks and on scraps of paper, they realized that advice from neighbors, in-laws and co-workers isn’t always accurate.
“I was told by several people to never take the first offer,” said Claire Beaulieu, whose 17-year-old son wants to attend a $38,000-a-year college.
You can try to negotiate, said Angela Dostie, the finance authority official who led the class. Some schools may bend a little if they really want your teenager. Others won’t.
“Most schools are going to say, We’re sorry, what we gave you is what we gave you,'” she said.
At the end, many walked out looking slightly dazed, but happy they’d finally gotten some answers.
“I have a whole better huge understanding,” said Beaulieu.
Diane Roy agreed.
“I think I’m not quite as nervous as I was before,” she said “With this information, I feel like our kids have an advantage now.”
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