<p>For very poor students? Suggestions?</p>
<p>Well endowed (typically highly selective) private schools and in-state public schools are often the usual places to look for need-based aid. Check the net price calculators.</p>
<p>Large merit scholarships can sometimes be found at low safety schools. For example, you can look for the full rides in the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a> if your stats are high enough. Some other schools have competitive full ride scholarships to apply to.</p>
<p>Some students do their first two years at a very low cost community college, then transfer to an in-state public four year school to complete their bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>Aw, man. I thought as much with regards to the most selective places having the best fin aid. :\ I was hoping for less selective options. </p>
<p>Thanks so much, though!</p>
<p>The main low cost options for less selective schools are in-state public, community college followed by transfer to in-state public, and large merit scholarships.</p>
<p>What stats are you talking about? </p>
<p>Generally, if you are in the top 10% of a school’s students you’ll get aid, and for some schools, being in the top 10% isn’t even a necessity. Whether that ends up being enough aid or not is the million dollar question.</p>
<p>If you offer your stats people might be able to offer suggestions. Kids from our high school seldom have great stats as per cc, but many of them get nice offers. We’re not in a wealthy area.</p>
<p>Also, if you are willing to go farther away from home, geographical diversity can being in some more $$ (as long as you aren’t looking at OOS publics).</p>
<p>Go to the Financial Aid Forum and start reading. You will find lots of good information there. You also should pay a visit to [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org)</p>
<p>But do be prepared: the best money out there is for the students with the best grades, test scores, and class rank. If you aren’t quite “best” and you need a lot of aid, you will need to search harder to find the money.</p>
<p>One last little fact worth knowing is that nationwide, more students commute than live on campus. If you find that you can’t afford “sleep-away college” and/or that you have to start at your local community college and/or that you have to work full-time and study part-time, you will not be alone. Many, many students have those situations.</p>
<p>Alexis…</p>
<p>In another thread, you mention applying to Harvard. If so, then does that mean that you have high stats? </p>
<p>If so, what are they? You’re also AA, so there may be some good choices for you out there for aid.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the information!
@mom
I have a 3.9 w and 4.51 w. I have some decent ECs for my circumstances. My essays are decent and recs should be strong. The last thing I need are test scores and I’m taking the sat subject tests and the act in December. My stats are decent enough, but I don’t feel as though they are super competitive. I’m therefore looking for other options in the event I get rejected from the elite schools I’m applying to that offer the greatest financial aid. <em>^▁^</em>
I need to have all of my bases covered. The list of schools that give full rides/tuitions for certain stats was quite helpful!</p>
<p>Depending on your test scores, the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a> may provide you some safety schools. With your GPA and an ACT score of:</p>
<p>34: Alabama - Huntsville
33: Southeast Missouri State
32: Howard if you apply before they run out, Louisiana Tech, Newberry
31: Troy
30: Arkanasa - Monticello
28: Alabama State
27: Jackson State, Florida A&M if Florida resident
26: Prairie View A&M
1820 SAT: Coppin State</p>
<p>You would get an automatic merit scholarship of tuition, fees, room, and board at the named schools. If merely full tuition is sufficient, then there are even more choices in that thread.</p>
<p>So, are you saying that you don’t have ANY test scores yet? </p>
<p>did you take the PSAT? If so, how did you do on that?</p>
<p>Rice University - Almost full ride if income under 80k
Ivies</p>
<p>Really most of the top 20 private national universities and top 20 LACs</p>
<p>Without test scores it is really hard to tell.</p>
<p>Although the student has a high GPA, we don’t know the strength of her school. Lots of kids with high GPAs have modest test scores. </p>
<p>It’s unfortunate that testing is being done so late. The app list could dramatically change depending on test scores.</p>
<p>In another post, the OP mentions that her mom believes that she’s a shoo-in for Harvard. No one is a shoo-in, and without test scores, it’s anyone’s guess. And, if test scores come back modest, it might not even make sense to waste the time/money to apply.</p>
<p>Yeah. :\ I’m pretty terrified of standardized testing. I got a 205 on my PSAT. I didn’t know about the National Merit stuff, so I didn’t take it seriously. My sophomore year I got a 170.
Well, my school was kinda competitive. Its currently #2 in the state (I no longer live in this state).</p>
<p>Thank you for the list, ucb! I’ll work hard to get a high score on the ACT.</p>