<p>How can I find a way to afford university?</p>
<p>I currently live in the United States. I am hoping to major in biology/chemistry and advance to medical school. I attended private school and achieved a 3.94 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). I have a 34 ACT score. </p>
<p>I qualify to get into most universities but there is no way I am able to pay tuition. Again, my grades and test scores qualify me for entrance into university but I do not qualify for the top merit based scholarships. </p>
<p>My parents earn $140,000+ yearly so I don't qualify for any FAFSA money. They are not willing to pay a dime for my education. Other than getting married, is there any way to avoid being judged by my parents' income for FAFSA or need-based scholarships?</p>
<p>I am also willing to study in England if it would be affordable as I know their university tuition is often government subsidized.</p>
<p>Are you a citizen of England? If not, I don’t think their government would subsidize your education. Have you already been accepted to some schools? If not, you need to do your research, and find schools where your stats will put you at the top of the students applying. Then, you should qualify for some good merit to help you. Without parental help though, you may need to go to community college, and then your state school - whatever is most affordable is most important. You will be able to succeed whereever you go to school, and that is the most important part of getting into medical school. You will have to most likely take out loans for med school, so you don’t want to take on too much undergrad debt if you can avoid it. It doesn’t matter where you go to school as much as how you do while in school.</p>
<p>With a 3.94 GPA and a 34 ACT, you will qualify for a significant merit aid package at the huge majority of private colleges and universities in the United States, and many public ones as well. And since your goal medical school, a top record at any reasonably selective college will be just fine. I’d suggest seeking out schools where your stats qualify you for an automatic merit scholarship. The sad fact is, however, that even with significant scholarship help, with zero help from your parents, you’re probably also looking at at least a moderate amount of loans.</p>
<p>“My parents earn $140,000+ yearly so I don’t qualify for any FAFSA money. They are not willing to pay a dime for my education.”</p>
<p>If you are eligible to file the FAFSA and you do file it, you can borrow the maximum Stafford loan each year. That, plus summer and school year jobs, plus a big merit-based scholarship will come pretty close to covering your cost of attendance. Scroll down through this forum and read the threads on guaranteed merit-based aid. There are several on that topic and at least one covers full-ride scholarships.</p>
<p>Sit down with your parents and find out just exactly what “not willing to pay a dime” means for them. If you commute from home will they expect you to pay your share of the rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, home-repair bills in addition to the cost of tuition, fees, books, materials, transportation? If you study too far away to commute, will they feed, house, and clothe you when you are on vacation? How soon after high school graduation do they expect you to be supporting yourself? The next day? The next month? You may have bigger issues than just how to pay for college.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re an international student your chances of attending medical school in the US are vanishingly small.</p>
<p>Most US medical school flat out do not accept international students and of those that do only 4 or 5 provide any financial aid to internationals.</p>