<p>My son is obviously very "math and science" oriented. He took the ACT several times. This last time he got a 35 in math and science however is overall score is a 30. If we superscore he would be 31. I know a score of 32 would be full tuition to most places but do you think he could possibly get one for his 30 because of a strong math and science? We are co-signing a loan for him but he will be paying for college on his own. Also do some colleges make you complete the FAFSA? We do not want to do this because we will not qualify for anything and quite frankly we don't want him to know our finances.</p>
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<pre><code> Most places in your state?
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<p>Well I thought but maybe not.</p>
<p>33 and up can be full tuition at some places, but they’re not the best schools. To get full tuition scholarships, schools will pick winners based on other factors. Test scores are simply a filter.</p>
<p>With an ACT 30 and a 3.5 GPA , if your son majors in Engineering or Computer Science, then Alabama would give him free tuition plus 2500 per year. He would have to apply before the Dec deadline. The app is very easy.</p>
<p>It is not a good idea to have him borrow for all of his college costs…he’d have toooooo much debt. </p>
<p>What is his major?</p>
<p>I don’t think any schools give merit based only on science and math scores. </p>
<p>Most schools do NOT give free tuition, even for an ACT 32. </p>
<p>You do not have to fill out FAFSA to get that Alabama award.</p>
<p>For an ACT 30, he’d get
2/3 tuition from the university (for any major)
1/3 tuition from the College of engineering
2500 per year from the CoE.</p>
<p>Total award worth over $110k</p>
<p>cross-posted</p>
<p>Also, why would you not want to have him understand your finances yet be prepared to risk your financial status by borrowing money for him? You will carry the loan risk beyond that basic student 5,5k loan. Your son understanding your finances might be very helpful if you can’t actually afford to pay for college (hence the loans). It might have him look harder at the cheaper options beyond your assumption of free based on his stats. If he understands the financial and the competitive aspects he will be better able to make informed decisions. Does he aso assume a 30 ACT will give him a free tuition package? </p>
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You will carry the loan risk beyond that basic student 5,5k loan.
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<p>It sounds like there won’t be a $5500 student loan. The parent has said that they won’t be submitting FAFSA.</p>
<p>BTW…your child does NOT have to see your finances if you submit FAFSA. Your child can fill in his part…and then he can “disappear” while you fill in your part.</p>
<p>Just an aside…if you don’t want him to see your finances because he may wonder why he’s having to pay for all of his college costs, then it would make sense for you to steer him towards schools that he will get HUGE merit, so that the amount that he would have to borrow will be minimal.</p>
<p>I’m very concerned that if he doesn’t get a huge amount of merit, he’s going to be saddled with ridiculous loans.</p>
<p>Look at it this way…</p>
<p>If he were to ONLY get a full tuition scholarship, then he’d need another $15k each year to pay for room, board, fees, books, personal expenses, and travel. That alone would mean a total debt of $60k by the time he graduates. That is a LOT of debt for an undergrad.</p>
<p>If he were to work summers and part-time during the school year to minimize his borrowing to $10k per year, that might be more manageable.</p>
<p>Are you saying that you can’t pay ONE CENT towards college? Not even a few bucks to pay for books or a meal plan?</p>
<p>We filled out FAFSA & CSS Profile for all four years without my kid ever seeing the forms at all. We just asked him for his information (income, checking/saving account balances etc.) This had nothing to do with him knowing our income and financial situation - he already knows all that information. There was just no need for him to fill out the student part. Also, iirc, when the accounts are set up the student’s signature is created and that remains on file. </p>
<p>I’m not going to comment on having your kid pay for his own college. That is your choice and none of my business. </p>
<p>ACT 32 would not get you a full tuition scholarship at most places. Even ACT 35 would not get a full tuition scholarship at most places but would be eligible for some merit aids at many good schools.
The problem for your son is, with 35 in Math and Sci and a composite of 30, the reading and english scores would be around 25. The load reading score may balance out the advantage of a high Math score. In other words, you are still looking at a composite ACT of 30-31. If you are looking for substantial merit aids, you may want to look for schools that have mid 50 ACT much below 30 or those schools with automatic scholarships with cut offs below your son’s credential.</p>
<p>Look at the pinned threads above…one is for scholarships. There is a link in it to the current information. There ARE places where your son’s 30 ACT would get him a great award assuming his GOA is high. </p>
<p>And U of Alabama is probably the highest ranked, and most generous school on the list. Get that application done ASAP.</p>