<p>Hey there!
I live in California and I have been dying to go to college for a very long time. I'm not a 4,0 student, but I have a 3.44 GPA and I have gone through a lot just to keep that up. I don't want to go to a school like Harvard, but I do want to go to a university or an art school right after college. No one in my family has gone to college and gotten a degree so it means a lot to me that I have the chance to go. But while looking at the prices, I feel really crappy because I have no idea how i'm going to afford it. My mom has an annual income of $4,000. Neither of us have jobs so I couldn't even try to get a loan because it would be impossible to pay off. I know that I will get some grants for college, but after doing the FAFSA calculations it seems that I will only get 10k which would only pay for a semester :/ I heard that poor kids can go to college for free as long as they have good grades, but I can't find any articles or information on college websites that says it's true. I have just heard my friends say that their friends go to college and don't pay for anything. I have been dreaming of going to a university in San Francisco forever and I have been working so hard as well, but I think I might have to kill my dream if there aren't any ways for me to go for free. </p>
<p>SAT or ACT scores? These can help you figure out if you will get big merit scholarships like the ones in some of the threads linked from <a href=“Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html</a> .</p>
<p>Federal aid will be just Pell grants and federal direct loans. But colleges have varying amounts of their own need-based financial aid. Use their net price calculators on their web sites to get estimates of what they may offer you.</p>
<p>Your state of residency is also relevant. Some states’ in-state public universities (e.g. California) have good financial aid for in-state students from low income families. But other states’ in-state public universities (e.g. Pennsylvania) are much worse in this respect. Use the net price calculators on their web sites. Generally, out-of-state public universities will not give good financial aid (though some may offer large merit scholarships as noted above).</p>
<p>The private schools with the best financial aid tend to be the most selective ones. But check the net price calculators on their web sites.</p>
<p>In some cases, starting at a low cost community college and then transferring to a state university can be a good option.</p>
<p>My ACT/SAT scores aren’t that great. I got a 1360 for SAT and 16 for ACT. I did the net price calculator and it said I would only get 10k which helps very little for my case. I’m trying to find out how other people got to go to college for free but I still can’t find any news about it</p>
<p>@25stormy, unfortunately the colleges that pay for low income students to attend are also the hardest to be admitted to. Your income qualifies for lots of needs based aid but your GPA and scores aren’t in that category. Honestly, you would need an ACT over 30 or SAT of 2100 at least to begin to be competitive for the colleges your friends are talking about.<br>
But your California schools are some of the best in the country (OK the best 
), and there are probably ways that you can work your way up in the system, but you’ll probably need to start by enrolling in a CC and getting very good grades in college. @ucbalumnus and others can help you figure out ways to make local/CA colleges work for you. Getting a job as soon as possible will help, and having reliable P/T employment during the school year and F/T during the summer is important. Sticking with a job during college will mean income increases over time and be great on your resume after you earn your 4 year degree. </p>
<p>What state are you a resident of, and what school’s net price calculator are you trying? Please note that different schools can give very different amounts of financial aid.</p>
<p>Is 1360 SAT all three parts combined? If so, that and 16 ACT are unlikely to get significant merit scholarships, or admission to the schools with the best need-based financial aid, at least for schools that require test scores. You may want to see if any test-optional schools are within reach for your GPA and are likely to give sufficient financial aid, based on their net price calculators. If you are a California resident and are within commuting range of a CSU that is not heavily impacted for your major, then that is another likely option. Another option for California residents is to start at a community college.</p>
<p>With a 3.4 GPA and mom’s income, it looks like you might qualify for a Cal-Grant as well, which can go a long way in paying for a CSU if you start at a community college and transfer. Make sure to have your guidance counselor send your GPA to CSAC and complete your FAFSA by March 2nd, 2015 (providing you are currently a HS senior). </p>
<p>Yes, you need to either find a CSU that will accept you (maybe Monterrey Bay) or start at a CC. You’d get a Cal Grant and a student loan. You will have to work a LOT over the summer and part-time during the school year to cover other remaining costs.</p>
<p>School is rarely free for students. Students generally have to pay for a bit of their costs. Your test scores are below average so that will keep you out of schools that give the best aid.</p>
<p>You might try applying to a couple of test-optional schools that give good aid, in addition to your local CC and some lower CSUs…</p>
<p>Also…keep in mind that MOST students do NOT go away to college. That is a luxury. Most kids commute. </p>
<p>I live in California and I’ve been using the CSU calculator. I’ve just been applying to the cal states that accept that rage
of scores I have and meet the eligibility index too</p>
<p>Can you commute to a UC? The UCs generally offer better fin aid than the CSUs.</p>
<p>You’re fortunate that you live in CA, though. The UCs and CSUs take a ton of CC transfers, and if you get a high enough GPA, transfer admission is guaranteed to many CSUs and UCs.</p>
<p>Would UC Merced accept you? If so, you’d get great aid.</p>
<p>Remember that the San Francisco area is an extremely expensive place to live. Even routine items will cost much more. You might be better off financially spending a summer working there (with a room subleased from a student) than trying to spend 4 full years there.</p>
<p>Also, keep transportation costs in mind.</p>
<p>Most low income students are able to go to their local community college using a mix of federal pell grants, state grants and federal loans. My understanding is that you would be able to take out federal Stafford loans to pay towards the typical costs of your food if you are living at home. A freshman can typically take out $3500 of subsidized stafford loans and $2,000 of unsubsidized stafford loans for the year, for a total of $5,500.</p>
<p>Try to stay away from private loans and for-profit colleges (which includes many art schools). </p>
<p>Most community colleges have simplified the process of transferring to in-state 4 year colleges. The community college will allow you to reduce your room and food expenses, and typically offers much smaller intro class sizes than you find at most public 4 year universities. </p>
<p>Make sure you file the required paperwork on time (which is mainly at fafsa.gov, but there may also be state forms, and there will be follow-up loan forms). </p>
<p>OP wants to attend a school that costs over $58,000 per year:</p>
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<p>It is extremely doubtful that this student would get funding to attend. These type of schools seem to cater to those who can afford to pay.</p>
<p>Only 6% had their full need met, and I would bet that those students were relatively affluent and had very little need (their need could be covered by a $5500 student loan).</p>
<p>Their largest scholarship is only $20k per year.</p>
<p>Your ACT and SAT scores indicate that you may not be ready for college level work. (neither meets the college readiness benchmarks) Your best bet is to start at a community college while living at home. Most community colleges have remedial classes that can fill in the gaps and prepare you for college level work so that when you do get there (and you can!) you will be successful. </p>
<p>^See <a href=“http://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/college-readiness-benchmarks/”>http://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/college-readiness-benchmarks/</a> & <a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/sat/12b_6661_SAT_Benchmarks_PR_120914.pdf”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/sat/12b_6661_SAT_Benchmarks_PR_120914.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thanks for the comments, i’ll definitely be taking everything into consideration~</p>