OOS and in-state cost differences only apply for PUBLIC schools. They also don’t give great FA (except for perhaps the Excelsior scholarships of NY https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship )
PRIVATE schools are eager to find 1) high achieving; 2) lower-income students and they 3) provide financial aid based on NEED. Some also offer merit aid plus need-based aid, combined. Then for low-income students such as your family the government also provides aid. You would probably also be asked by the school to do some work study for aid. And then there will be a small amount of debt, but that debt can be less at a private school than at some publics.
To summarize, there are several private schools near NYC (or on the Northeast Corridor train and bus lines) that profess to provide 100% OF NEED for low-income students. Please bear in mind that NEED is calculated differently from school to school. You won’t know how they calculated your need until you are accepted and see the FA package they give to you. Some of the schools, once they accept you, will guarantee that you can go – in other words they will adjust their need assessment to ensure that you can attend. Your need assessments can vary greatly from school to school. Net Price Calculators on each college’s website will give you an idea of what you’d pay, but that is just an estimate. Strategy for applying to these schools and getting the best deal is usually to apply REGULAR decision and then compare FA packages. Bargaining with them is perfectly acceptable and should be done. They expect this. In other words, you see how much they are asking from you and then you ask the rival schools if they can give you a better deal. Some people, though, use a different strategy. They take a school at its word, that it will give you 100% of need, and will apply early decision. ED locks you into attending that school UNLESS YOU CAN’T AFFORD THE AID PACKAGE. Then you are released from that obligation. Sometimes some schools stagger their ED deadlines such that you can apply ED to several schools SEQUENTIALLY. So maybe ED I to Wellesley (because it guarantees you will be able to attend). If rejected then EDII Vassar (because it’s aid is so good AND because you can still apply to Skidmore ED if rejected by Vassar). If rejected by Vassar, then Skidmore EDII at their deadline, the rest all Regular decision.
Here is the estimated net price of some schools that profess to give 100% of need (as they calculate it). By net price, that’s what it will cost you PER YEAR including tuition and room and board (maybe some expenses too) –
As a point of comparison, SUNY Albany net price for your income bracket is $11K per year.
** I’d immedately get on the mailing lists of all schools that interest you. Go to their Admissions tab and fill out their form for more information **
- Haverford--estimated net price for your income bracket -- $7K -- https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=haverford&s=all&id=212911
- Bryn Mawr (women's school in consortium with Haverford -- they share a campus basically -- go here if you can, they have excellent premed and a nurturing environment with less of a weed-out environment. Very Nurturing School.) In addition, Bryn Mawr and Haverford are part of a consortium that includes Swarthmore and University of Pennsylvania. They provide free transportation to these other schools. Also BMC truly looks holistically at the entire application. If you really like the culture there (they have an honor code that allows for a non-competitive academic atmosphere and it allows you to take exams without proctors self-scheduled; and students self-govern) then write about this carefully in the "why BMC" essay. They pay close attention to this essay. Also BMC does interviews in NYC. If you sign up to get their emails you will be notified when they are. BMC is NOT need blind. If they don't have FA for you, they will not accept you. But if they do have FA they will accept you, if you qualify otherwise BMC net price for your income level is $10K
- Skidmore net price for your income level is $11K
- Vassar -- has some of the best FA available -- note that they have changed their subject test requirements lately Net price for your income level is $5K
- Wesleyan University Net price for you is $5K
- Smith (part of the Five-college consortium with free buses to the other campuses) For you $9K
- Mt. Holyoke (also part of the Five college consoritum with free buses to other campuses. Like Bryn Mawr, this is a Very Nurturing School with less of a weed-out environment.) net price $11K
- Amherst -- Net price $6K
- Swarthmore but to my mind it has a more competitive environment and I would not encourage you to go there if you're worried about weed-out schools. Net price about $6K
- Wellesley -- also excellent in all ways but a tad bit more competitive than the other schools. It may suit you, though, and they also GUARANTEE that if they accept you, you can attend. They have been known to adjust FA accordingly to make sure that will happen. Net price -- $8K
- Barnard -- part of the Columbia University system. FA is all need-based, but again you will need to check to see how you like how competitive the atmosphere is. See if you can go to the campus and ask students there. $7K
- Connecticut college -- also a great choice -- match school for you probably $12-$15K
- Wheaton in Massachusetts (not Illinois) -- provides 95% of NEED $15K
Trinity College – $10-$14K
Hamilton – $8K
Union College – $8K – and if you’re female they will want to recruit you all the more. This is a boy-heavy school. There is also more of a party culture here, and if you can ignore that, you can get an excellent education here. Also it’s on the Amtrak and bus lines to NYC and it may be a MATCH for you
Hobart and WS – $14K – this seems a little high but they have in the past recruited low-income students from NYC and they make you a nice offer
Not sure if they provide 100% of need but the estimated net price is very reasonable –
Wells college (and can cross register for some classes at Cornell) This is probably a SAFETY school for you.
This college is outside of your region, but it has a super cheap estimated net price for you
Beloit – $5K It would also be a safety school. Attending college far from home is not the easiest thing, but I did it. I couldn’t go home for holidays, for example. But in the end it was okay. I was happy to have chosen a nurturing school. It completely changed my life.
St. Olaf is a little more expensive at $10K but it’s an amazing school
Davidson – $8K
University of Richmond – $8K
Bates – $3K
Colby – $7K