<p>I'm a high school senior in Texas without any money. My parents are divorced. My mom is a self-employed realtor who earned 55,000 last year, but after business expenses were factored out the Gross Adjusted Income was 35600. My dad however made around 100k. I have no relationship with my father ever since the divorce 7 years ago so he will not contribute. I'm a 2180 top 6/5% 3.95 gpa nm commended type of student with a few ec's but nothing spectacular. I would like to major in engineering, but would consider finance/math double. I eventually want to go to law school, but am choosing engineering as a backup plan.Which schools match up with my stats alright that I would get good aid at? I figure that my best bet is to go to a fafsa only school, but which schools are the best fafsa only school? Do any of the fafsa only schools give generous enough financial aid so that I, without any money saved could graduate with less than 60-75 grand in debt (preferably much less like 25)? Furthermore what is the deal with the financial aid at schools like rice that promise not to let students graduate with more than 10k in loans? Is that just if your efc with both parents is low?</p>
<p>You should check schools that have guaranteed merit aid for students with your stats. University of Alabama is one.</p>
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<p>What is your CR/Math SAT breakdown. Here is what UA’s website says taken from the College of Engineering section of their website.</p>
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<p>Mom2collegekids is good at explaining these awards!!</p>
<p>I do qualify for some pretty good ua merit, but I’m not so sure about the ua area. Went on vacation around there and ehhh… I still applied though and will definitely be considering it!</p>
<p>The college campus is wonderful. Unless you vacationed IN Tuscaloosa, and on that campus, you would not get a feel for the town or the college itself. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about it…</p>
<p>The scholarships are very good.</p>
<p>You might also want to apply for the McNair Scholarship at U of South Carolina…it’s a tough application but if you are selected, it’s a full ride total…including a laptop (last I heard).</p>
<p>Well I fall into the highest UA category for full out of state tuition 1430 (760m/670r) 32 act, but USC’s mcnair seems interesting but I’m afraid it might be a stretch!</p>
<p>You might look at Pitt. It has nice merit (not related to income at all) money and a good engineering school.</p>
<p>Rice considers the income of non-custodial parents so that would not help you. Being in the top 6% of your class would make UT a safety. They have an outstanding engineer program. What would that cost you?</p>
<p>About 80,000 before financial aid is factored in… so probably about 65000</p>
<p>I doubt you vacationed in Tuscaloosa. It was recently named Most Livable City in America</p>
<p>Anyway, glad to hear that you applied.</p>
<p>I HOPE you listed an engineering area as your major. If not, then change that ASAP!!!. As an engineering major you’d get an additional 2500 per year IN ADDITION to full tuition.</p>
<p>*could graduate with less than 60-75 grand in debt *</p>
<p>YOU can’t borrow that much unless your mom cosigns…which she probably wouldn’t do.</p>
<p>YOU can borrow the following amounts…</p>
<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>
<p>Well I do have a cosigner lined up in my mom’s boyfriend… but at ua that wouldn’t even be a problem! Plus I’m beginning to learn about schools that cap their loans like rice and middlebury</p>
<p>*Well I do have a cosigner lined up in my mom’s boyfriend… *</p>
<p>That’s risky business. He would have to co-sign for all 4 years…who knows if your mom and he would still be together during all that time. And, he’d have to keep requalifying every year…</p>
<p>That said…it’s a really BAD idea to borrow more than the federal student loan amounts. Do you have any idea of how hard it would be to pay back $60-75k in debt? The loan current fed loan limits are already hard for newish grads to pay back. No school is worth that kind of debt…not even ivies.</p>
<p>*Plus I’m beginning to learn about schools that cap their loans like rice and middlebury *</p>
<p>They cap their loans in their aid packages. They do NOT cap your loans needed to cover your “family contribution”. You have a non-custodial parent whose income will require you to have a high family contribution…loans would be needed to cover THAT.</p>
<p>With your dad’s income and mom’s income, you could have a “family contribution” of $40k per year or more. They don’t cap the loans needed to cover that. </p>
<p>And…BTW…CSS Profile schools are known to “add back in” some of the deductions that Realtors declare.</p>