<ol>
<li><p>Does having a full tuition scholarship negate your ability to receive need-based aid?
I am eligible for the full tuition plus $2500/year scholarship (which I understand is very, very generous), but the $11,000/year residual COA is still pretty steep for my situation (of course, I want to go to school for as cheap as possible).</p></li>
<li><p>How is the chemical engineering program at UA? Anyone have any experience with it, and does it have a good reputation?</p></li>
<li><p>Where do engineering students from UA go to grad school? </p></li>
<li><p>How conservative/religious are the students of UA?</p></li>
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<li><p>Need-based aid is determined by your EFC when filling out the FAFSA. Scholarships reduce your estimated need. UA can and does give need-based financial aid to those who need. When calculating costs you need to include more than just tuition, room, and board. UA estimates the price a full-pay OOS student would pay for everything, including incidentals. to be $43,604 ($28,074 for in-state students). With the scholarship you mentioned, your estimated total cost at this year’s prices would be $13,654. Note that this number assumes you live in a suit-style dorm and have the all-access meal plan. Traditional dorms will cost less ($3200 less this coming year) and you aren’t required to have a meal plan after your first year. </p></li>
<li><p>There are a few parents of ChemE students on this forum. The program tends to get great reviews.</p></li>
<li><p>Ones choice of grad school really depends on the specific student. A lot of ChemE majors are also pre-med and go to med schools. </p></li>
<li><p>UA is one of the more liberal parts of Alabama, which tends to be a more conservative state. There are students from all over the US and the world, so there are both many liberal and many conservative students. There are many different religions represented at UA. There are also many non-religious students. </p></li>
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<p>Don’t expect any need-based aid if you’re an out-of-state student, however, as that is not the norm at state schools (with the exception of a few), which reserve those limited funds for their own residents.</p>
<p>Depends on how low your EFC is. If it is below 6000, then you will get some pell money. If you have determined need, then you would also be given a subsidized loan. You can also get an unsub loan. You might be given work study.</p>
<p>How much can your family pay each year?</p>
<p>do you know what your efc is?</p>
<p>Yes, bama’s chemE is very good. my son graduated last year with his chemE degree.</p>
<p>Tuscaloosa is rather moderate…it has a Democrat congressperson. The students range from liberal to conservative. </p>
<p>Where do engineering students from UA go to grad school? Everywhere. and some go to med school (like my son). and some prefer to get well-paid jobs right out of college.</p>
<p>Depending how low your family’s EFC is, you may still qualify for federal need based aid (Pell grant funds and Perkins loan). (Per a calculator I found on the internet, to be eligible for a Pell grant, your family’s EFC must be lower than $5081).</p>
<p><<<
usually live with my mom, and she makes about $45k/year.
<<<</p>
<p>You would use your mom’s info on FAFSA, but you have to include any support that your dad pays your mom. If that support will end when you graduate, then you need to ask for professional judgment to have your EFC adjusted.</p>
<p>how big is your mom’s family? has she remarried? if so, then your step-dad’s income counts, too.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if a 45k income is low enough for Pell…it may be. try the NPC and see what you get.</p>
<p>Are you applying to CBH as well? if so, that can also be a source for merit money.</p>
<p>Note that you can definitely get at least SOME need-based aid even if you are out of state, depending on your FAFSA numbers / EFC. We are out of state and my son was awarded Work Study funding.</p>
<p>Try applying for outside scholarships, esp those in the chemical and Chem Eng’g industry. Look for chemical associations - there are many. Do not only look at need-based scholarships. If you’re female, you’re golden. If you are high stat, many of these association scholarships are merit based, and are given regardless of need. Scholarship and grant applications do not stop at senior year in high school - many continue through college, and in fact there is significant $$$ out there for those who chase it. You have missed the deadlines for most scholarships now as a graduating HS senior; start looking now, however, for next year, and narrow down what you want to apply for for ~Dec deadline and beyond. You will need letters of rec + copies of transcripts + essays. Avoid the lottery scholarships (those with 100000s of applicants and offer mere $500 to 1 or few people). Focus on the larger awards with very specific requirements that you might qualify for. The more unique a scholarship, the less people apply for it, and the greater your odds of being recognised. Once you are at UA, join any of the several engineering-related societies on campus (most are free to students or minimal membership dues) - this allows you access to those scholarships as well (and provides some networking). Good luck.</p>
<p>^^
True.</p>
<p>My ChemE son got extra scholarships from Tau Beta Pi (engineering honors society) and from the College of Eng’g (which was an endowed scholarship).</p>