The title says it all.
Is it true that only freshman get the best aid? I am looking to transfer out but before I do anything crazy I want to be sure.
For the most part, financial aid is harder to come by as a transfer student. In terms of need-based/merit scholarships, there are very few options.
That being said, there are a handful of colleges that guarantee to meet full demonstrated need for -all accepted applicants-, including transfers. Do a quick Google search, “Need Blind Admissions”, and access the link for Wikipedia, there should be a list there of the colleges.
Keep in mind that some colleges, while they do meet full need, are need aware during the admissions process for transfers. This results in an even greater uphill battle, but if you’ve got the profile, I’d encourage you to apply.
The best aid for transfer students is in the form of merit scholarships.
Seattle University
UW Bothell
Suffolk University
Adelphi University
Roger Williams University
All give competitive merit scholarships which would probably be paired with financial aid (if there is unmet need).
If you are attending primarily on need-based aid, you should look at schools that provide that. The College Board Big Future site provides average percentage of need met as a search parameter. Federal Pell grants and loans are available wherever you qualify regardless of freshman or transfer status.
If you are using primarily merit aid right now, yes, the list of schools that offer generous merit scholarships to transfer students is much smaller than the list of who gives to freshmen. It’s more than just post #2, but expect to have to hunt snd ask lots of questions before applying.
The other option is low price tag schools: in-state schools and/or living at home and commuting.
^ Of course, I’m only posting the ones that came up in my college search!
It appears that merit scholarships are usually less common for transfer students, though there could be exceptions at some schools.
It is commonly said on these forums that need-based financial aid is worse for transfer students. However, this is probably not true for most public schools (though it depends on the state how good or bad public university need-based financial aid is, and it is generally bad to nonexistent for out-of-state students). Private schools may vary. For example, Columbia University claims to “meet need” for frosh and regular transfers, but not Combined Plan (3+2 engineering) transfers.
You may have to look at each school separately rather than making general assumptions.