Hi,
My first-choice school, Oregon State, has a COA of 26k, and my more budget friendly school, Portland State, still has a COA (for me) of around 18k, meaning that I need lots of financial aid to go to college. My EFC is too high to qualify for any need-based aid (I’m middle class), and I only have around 2k in savings for college (my parents are trying to put in more).
I have already applied to several scholarships already, including (but not limited to), OSAC, my parents’ employer scholarship, and the general application for scholarships at Oregon State (meaning that I’m automatically considered for most of their scholarships). I haven’t won anything yet, and am hoping to hear from a scholarship soon. I’m still searching for scholarships online.
With school starting to end, I now have a lot more time to fill out more scholarships, including more time-consuming ones. I do realize that most good scholarships have probably closed by now, given how its almost May, but are there any scholarships that come to mind that I should look into?
Major: Computer Science
GPA: 3.3 (I was unmotivated during the first 2 years of high school, but have now been earning almost all A’s in my classes the last 2 years)
SAT: 1320
ACT: 27 composite
Off-topic (maybe), but how difficult will it be to work part-time for my college in the library or at a helpdesk? I’m considering working part-time in college.
Is this for college starting later this year? If so, when do the colleges require that you notify them that you will be enrolling? I know this doesn’t help anything, but now is too late in the game to be figuring out what you can afford and where the money will come from.
Yes, I’m going to college later this year. I already confirmed my enrollment for Oregon State; one possibility that I’m considering is that I transfer to Portland State if Oregon State proves to be too expensive for me.
How much is Oregon State expecting you to pay each year, and how much of that do you have? Oregon State is expecting $26k/year ($104k for four years at current prices) and you have a total of $2k? Is that right?
I think you are too late for scholarships. The thing with outside scholarships is they are for specific types of students, many are non-renewable and most schools with decrease your financial aid by the amount of any outside scholarships you earn (check how Portland State and Oregon State account for scholarships)
Do you have a summer job lined up yet? You should be able to earn $3K over the summer, and you can take out the direct student loan of $5,500. And with your $2K, that’s $10,500. I expect you can find a job at either school (or the surrounding areas), and make another $2K or so during the school year.
So, you need about another $6Kish to attend Portland State. Can you parents contribute that?
Lastly, make sure that $18K COA includes the $1,750 student health insurance, unless your parents’ policy will cover you at school, and it meets the requirements. https://www.pdx.edu/shac/insuranceplan
@BelknapPoint yes, at the moment
@Mwfan1921 I don’t have a summer job lined up. I’ll talk to my parents later about getting one. Also, I think my parents can contribute the 6k, but not entirely sure; I’ll speak to them about this later. I have private health insurance that meets Portland State’s requirements.
Yes, OP, time to have a sit down with your parents…just lay all the costs out and what the current gap is. Hopefully you can find a summer job as well. Great on the health insurance. Good luck.
Both OSU and PSU have agreements with the community colleges for transfer credit. Remember that the name on your diploma is where you last attended- so do your first two years very cheap and then transfer.
You should still apply for Oregon Promise- look at their FAQ page on EFC below and above $18k. They’re saying that grants for EFCs above $18k may get funded. They may not. But you have a limited time to apply.
Is PSU convenient for commuting? It’s probably just out of range in terms of costs for your first two years without Promise, but you could do the last two years there. Internship opportunities are plentiful in the Portland metro area compared to those in Corvallis.
Are there any colleges you can commute to from home?
Yes, there may be some scholarships still out there. The Oregon Promise looks like one you should pursue. The fact of the matter is that most awards have been given by now. Typically people make school decisions by May 1, given the financial information they have ar that time. Anything else is gravy.
You need to come up with $18k to attend PSU. Given that total COA for the school is about $24k, you have somehow come up with $6k towards those costs. Did they give you a merit award?
You can borrow $5500 in Direct Loans (if you are not already putting that towards that $6k you have towards the costs). That leaves you with $12,500. I suggest you find a job NOW if this very important to you and see if you cannot come up with some money towards school. It is entirely possible to come up with $3500-4500 over the summer if you work your tail off. My kids came up with double than that, bussing at restaurants as well as multiple jobs on top of a full time summer position.
You need to have a serious talk with your parents as to what they can contribute towards your college. They need to come up with about $9k each year, for you to have done breathing room. With your savings, and if you find part time work during the school year, and if you bust your backside during the summer, yes, it’s doable. But it’s important to leave some margin for unexpected issues that always crop. You can cut it tighter if you find a job ASAP.
When you go to college when the finances are cut this tight, you cannot take anything for granted. You need that job in hand. Yoj need a commitment from your parents on what they will pay. You cannot hope things happen as you did for scholarships. Too often they do not. As they did not for you already. Most scholarship money comes from the schools and your schools have already told you want they are willing to give you.
If this is not doable, look into going to a local school where you can commute and costs are lower. Such as a community college and start now with your sights set to transfer to a 4 year school by getting your finances ready to roll. You now know scholarship money is scarce, your family finances put you in the position of being ineligible for financial aid, and your parents don’t have that much they can pay.