Plan smarter
UW offers need based as well as merit awards.
http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/ugaid/scholarship.html
Who is your custodial parent?
If you are attending community college first, I highly recommend EDCC. I have been very impressed with most of the profs & dorms are available.
EK…he lives with his mother and stepfather.
He could send a quick app to UA-Birmingham. Yes, it’s great for a premed student. It has a fab med school.
UAB awards merit quite late…and wants more OOS students.
It would still be around 15k-17k year cost of attendance at UAB, which is simply too much. I’m considering CC for a year or two, then transferring to a public in-state and living at home or with relatives. Not ideal, but you do what you can.
NO…you need to apply to UAB and see. THey are giving bonus merit right now. I’ve seen it. They want more OOS kids.
Oh, interesting. Do you know any information on LGBT life at UAB?
I can look into that …
But don’t worry about being gay at UAB. UAB isn’t anti-gay at all. UAB is the #6 med school in the nation for AIDS research. If it were anti-gay, it wouldn’t be so dedicated.
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Are your parents cutting you off for being gay? If so, shame on them.
You might be interested in The Alliance (http://www.uab.edu/alliance/) at UAB for LGBTQ equality. Birmingham as a whole has a lot LGBT resources/community.
Gay Straight Student Alliance (GSSA)
Mission Statement: The GSSA is a student organization that provides resources and opportunities to promote equality and diversity throughout the University of Alabama campus and the community at large; it is our purpose to support activities directed at furthering the well being and empowerment of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity along with their families and allies.
KeywordsGayLesbianBisexualAdvocateEducationSupporterActivismSocialFriendlyCommunityWelcomingAcceptingCelebratingPrideLGBTGLBTQTransgenderPansexualAsexualStraightAllyEquality
Safe Zone (Safe Zone)
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is proud of its culturally diverse population and supports cultural diversity in every way possible. Safe Zone is one way to say that all sexual orientations and gender representations are part of our culture and are acknowledged and supported. The Safe Zone Program provides a visible network of volunteers for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and other students seeking information and assistance regarding sexual orientation. A collaborative effort between Student Life and Human Resource Management, the Safe Zone Program is based on the commitment of UAB to the value of cultural diversity and the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals. Volunteers of the Safe Zone Program are committed to providing an environment in which every student and university employee is free to thrive on an academic, professional and personal level within a community that is based on respect and dignity. Volunteers of the Safe Zone Program have undergone training and are understanding and supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals
Thanks, mom2collegekids. That’s really great to hear. I will be sure to turn in an app right away. I just hope you’re right about the extra merit aid.
Thank you, irlandaise, that is nice to hear.
I have to say that I appreciate @LoganWahl for being a kid who is respectful of advice from CC posters and who also has a realistic attitude and approach regarding the current situation.
I would say that most colleges are welcoming of GLBT. Another issue may be the surrounding areas. I interviewed for a job in NC many years ago, and when the president of the bank asked me if I had any concerns, I told her I was concerned about prejudice in the south. She honestly told me that it would be an issue. She said it was not an issue at the bank, but at times she’d be trying to get help at a store, or ask for directions, or order at a restaurant and would have problems (she was not from the south). This was many years ago, but I moved to the south about 4 years ago and shook my head in surprise at some of the things I heard and saw and experienced, and my daughter who is an URM experienced even more. She’s a pretty strong person and just didn’t put up with being ignored or having comments made about her or to her - she’d just call the person on it.
I think you can deal with it, but you have to be prepared to deal with it. Do I think it would be different at Grinnell? No. A bigger city, maybe, but at most schools you’ll be fine at the campus, maybe have to work a little harder to find comfortable places off campus.
Many years ago, things were different. Many years ago, I wouldn’t have wanted to live in the South because I’m Catholic. But, times change and the South has changed a lot with it. There has been much migration, especially in the bigger cities, so the “locals” in the bigger cities often aren’t even southern-born themselves.
Gay couples are pretty open here in the South, at least in the bigger cities.
Well, I was talking about 20 years ago for the interview, but just 3 years ago we moved to Florida where ‘separate but almost equal most of the time’ is still the rule. You don’t think there are incidences of racial or social discrimination because you and your family fit in to the area you live. No one would exclude you or your kids because you are in the majority. I was pretty shock too, as we’d spent 15 years without incident because our family looked like everyone else, mixed. As soon as we were different, we were treated that way too.
At my office, groups self segregated by race and religion even though we were from all over the country but with a heavy concentration of southerners. The HS cafeteria was definitely self-segregated by race, especially the AA kids. My daughter wasn’t asked to date much, and I do feel it was at least in part because of her race. You, mom2, have often said there isn’t a discrimination or racial problem at Alabama because everyone is so nice. I know someone who is biracial and felt the discrimination immediately, so much so that she left the school for a while. She wasn’t prepared to be treated as different because she never had been. I was surprised when my daughter told me some of the things said to her. One of her best friends was from a family of real bigots. It was fine for my daughter to spend time at their house, but they would have died if their son wanted to date DD. Things were said directly to her about her race. Yes, people are nice and friendly, until you want more than just to say hello. Dating, socializing, marrying? Not so much.
My daughter didn’t want race to be an issue in college, either being in the majority or minority. She just wanted to BE. She has found a very good school with a lot of international students, and race, religion, and nationality don’t seem to be the focus or the majority. The students still self-segregate socially, but there seems to be enough crossover to make it not be an issue. She is the only minority on her team, but not in her classes, sorority, or dorm. She is just another student. In the town the college is in? She’s very much a minority.
I’m not saying the OP shouldn’t go to UAB, I said most schools are more liberal than the communities they are in, and that is especially true if he leaves Seattle for Iowa or Alabama or Texas. Austin Tx? Sure, great, welcoming of all types. El Paso? Maybe not so GLBT friendly. Look at the fight that Alabama just had about gay marriage. Yes, it’s allowed now but there are still almost 1/2 the population that feels it shouldn’t be. Be prepared. Just because people are from other areas of the country doesn’t make them liberal or accepting.
Birmingham is one of the most liberal cities in Alabama, which generally corresponds with a general acceptance of LGBT people. It surprises people, but if you haven’t actually lived there (which I have) then it’s easy to assume it falls into the same old Southern stereotype. Please note that Jefferson County, of which Birmingham is the seat, did continue handing out marriage licenses while most of the state went on strike, and did perform same-sex marriages once the US SC rejected the state’s bid. Don’t confuse the voice of those spearheading the anti same-sex movement to be that of the majority of those in OP and I’s age group.
There continues to be a significant liberal and LGBT population, and really shouldn’t be “lumped” in with the rest of the state’s stereotype - which I don’t hold to be true either, but doesn’t apply here.
It is something to think about, though, as many students want to stay in the area where they go to college, and it is usually easier to find a job in the area. If you don’t want to deal with the atmosphere outside the “college bubble” and the city of Birmingham, then that might be a consideration. However, at this point you have a limited number of options…
Thank you for the input,everyone. It’s nice to hear the different sides. Still exploring options. I think they are as limited as they would have been had things been different when I applied. I applied to Temple U, and will apply to UAB. Maybe large merit scholarships from these places will be enough. Maybe not. If not, I’ll take a few months and apply at UW Seattle or Western to start winter quarter next year. I have a grandmother who has a house in Seattle, and she lives in Vegas for a better part of the year, so I could likely house sit for them during the school year, and not have a huge commute to UW. Might go CC for a year or two as well depending on how things shake out. Just taking this one step at a time. Thanks for all of your help.
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At my office, groups self segregated by race and religion even though we were from all over the country
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I’m from Calif and I saw the same there as well. The self-segregation isn’t because of racism, it’s usually just because of similar interests/culture. As you say, your office people are from all over the country…so it’s not a southern thing.
If your parents will pay zero, and will not support you financially otherwise, you should look into being declared independent. That would especially be true if they have disowned you because of your lifestyle choice, and you might be able to find some free legal help such as NYLAG’s LGBTQ Law Project.
I am not sure if it matters if you are pursuing a 50K per year or 20K per year school; the EFC is the EFC, and if your parents won’t pay, they won’t pay. You would need a full ride, unless they are lying to you about not paying at all.