<p>William & Mary has instituted a focus on lower income applicants. Plus since its a public school, the tuition is already discounted from Peers like Georgetown, Dartmouth, and Amherst</p>
<p>You are doing a great job, justlouise. Looks like your efforts will change the course of many young lives for the better.</p>
<p>Re danas comment: S attends Williams. We sent him with $500.00. He has more than half left after books and all entertainment costs, including an occasional pizza. Williams offers virtually free books to anyone with any financial aid.</p>
<p>There are some fabulously wealthy kids there. Believe me, you would recognize the names. They don't spend any more than S does.</p>
<p>New Paltz and Geneseo are LAC-like schools in the SUNY system. Purchase is a public arts college.</p>
<p>Beyond that, token adult, you know there are many threads on merit money. </p>
<p>And no, there is nothing to stop NYS schools from enrolling higher income students, but NYS is one of the few states that sends more kids to publics than privates, so most upper income kids do not elect to apply or attend.</p>
<p>Admissions</a> dept. seeks rise in low-income students - The Stanford Daily Online</p>
<p>this is from last June</p>
<p>High Achieving Low income students in NYS residents are probably also HEOP (Higher Educational Opportunity Program) eligible. At the SUNY Level it is EOP and at the CUNY level it is SEEK & College Discovery</p>
<p>Introduction</a> to HEOP</p>
<p>HEOP Schools:</p>
<p>Students in NYC and Lousiana can also apply for a Chase SMart Start Scholarship, which covers full tuition, and provides the student with an afterschool job and summer internship with JPMorgan Chase.</p>
<p>Columbia University has a National Opportunity Program</p>
<p>Academic</a> Success Programs</p>
<p>This year Barnard College is rolling our their BOP (Barnard Opportunity Program)</p>
<p>Barnard</a> College Admissions</p>
<p>In addition, programs like Questbridge and Posse have also helped to open the doors of higher education to low income students.</p>
<p>
[quote]
but NYS is one of the few states that sends more kids to publics than privates
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I guess you were distracted by something in your busy real life when you typed that. I'm sure you meant "but NYS is one of the few states that sends more kids to privates than publics," which is something I had previously heard about Massachusetts but hadn't heard previously about New York. Yes, out here in the upper Midwest, most high school students go to public colleges, and most parents think that the way to save money is to go to a public rather than private college. Many families here are quite unaware how many discounts from list price there are at a wide variety of colleges. </p>
<p>I'll second the praise here for justlouise, who will help a lot of students by getting the word out that many famous (and famously expensive) private colleges steeply discount their list price for low-income students.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In New York, is there anything stopping SUNY and CUNY colleges from mostly enrolling reasonably well-off students who want to save a buck? That's a pretty common phenomenon in most state university systems.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Reputation. There is no way CUNY and SUNY can truly compete with the elite privates in NY State. Sometimes I think it's very much politically motivated to keep things in this manner.</p>
<p>It's hard to talk about specific colleges. Just like in any other income group, different low income students will have different abilities, priorities, preferences, and needs.</p>
<p>Financially, I would say that good schools are ones you can afford without extreme hardship, good schools are upfront about their costs. I'm no good on specific schools, but this is how I would go about finding a school that was suitable:
- As others have said, merit/need based aid can make an expensive school a cheap option. On the other hand, don't assume because a school says it will meet your need or give you a tuition waver that necessarily means it is free.
- Applying to a number of schools means you can compare aid packages and also increases your chances of finding a school that you can afford.<br>
- Read offers of financial aid carefully - can the aid you receive change each year and can you cope if it does? It's surprising the number of colleges that think this kind of practice is just fine, when for a low income student, it can mean the difference between graduating and dropping out.
- Likewise with scholarships. Of course apply for them, there are quite a few where having need is an advantage, but be sure you know how long they are for, the chances of them being renewed, and what you can use them for. Don't assume you can use scholarships to pay your EFC.
- Think carefully before taking out big loans, especially if your parents' income or credit score means you have to take them out on very unfavorable terms.
- Don't fool yourself about what you are willing and able to do to pay for college. It's so easy to be seduced when you see libraries full of books and beautiful dorms, you imagine that you are willing to work every hour of the day if it will just allow you to have those things. Maybe you will work every hour of the day, but you won't have much of a life or much of an opportunity to appreciate those things you wanted so much.
- When working out what you can afford, overestimate your outgoings, underestimate your potential to earn money, if it still seems reasonably affordable, then it just might be. Don't forget to include indirect expenses in your outgoings - transport to and from college, money you may wish to send to your family, etc</p>
<p>Socially, I think it depends on the individual. I don't think it's right to say that the top schools that meet 100% need are always going to be the best school for someone who is high achieving with a low income. For some people they are amazing, but for other people, just because they can afford to go there and it's a good school that will offer a lot of opportunities, it doesn't mean it is the right school for them. Some people will feel outcast or envious or pitied when surrounded by people with much more money than them, but other people won't mind at all. </p>
<p>Personally, I am low income, and go to one of those nice schools that meets 100% need, and I am very happy. But I grew up in a city, my mother has a PhD, and I have interacted with people of all different income levels, and I think those things have really made a world of difference. I don't find college so intimidating or the people so unfamiliar. I can see, though, how some people would feel like that and might be happier at a different school.</p>
<p>When I was researching colleges I thought it was very important to be able to save money by living in cheaper dorms/rooms and opting out of meal plans, but now that I am at a school where everywhere costs the same and the meal plan is compulsory, I feel quite glad. Although I find the meal plan expensive, I like that, generally, no-one can look at where I live or where I eat and know immediately how much money I have. With the exception of the extravagantly rich, I am just the same as everyone else and no-one can try to pity me. I don't feel that I miss out on lots of things, I am finding that I have more than enough money to do the things I want to do and I am able to send most of the money from my job home to my mother which is a great relief for me. I was very lucky with scholarships though, and I am used to managing money and not buying lots of unnecessary stuff, whereas a lot of people get an allowance from their parents that they spend in the first week of every month and then the rest of the month they have no money at all, so they are the ones who are saying "no, I can't afford it" I never imagined I would come to such an expensive school and be the person who was able to lend other people money!</p>
<p>I'm sorry to have written such a long post, and to have given you no specific schools for the TokenSons, or anyone else, to consider. This site is such a great resource for low income students, I wanted to post anyway.</p>
<p>TokenAdult: Yes, your correction is correct. My bad.</p>
<p>It's nice to have dorms that are all the same, but it was also nice last year when D was not on the meal plan but cooked in her suite. We saved quite a bit of money because she doesn't eat much. But sadly, among girls, that is a status symbol! Of course, in NYC inexpensive food is quite available. (Gray's Papaya.)</p>
<p>Will share this thread with a neighbor who's an alum of Davidson. He's the child of a single mom, rural football player, who Davidson welcomed (I think) with open arms several years ago. I hope he can share his thoughts on the social atmosphere as well. I know the school has continued this commitment in recent years, and I'd love to hear more about how that feels socially. I went to a big State U on scholarship and was surprised at the wealth I saw. Found my niche, but wonder what it's like for similar students at smaller schools.</p>
<p>And one more "middle-ground" school, between Harvard and Berea:
Rhodes, in Memphis, I hear.</p>
<p>I was just accepted to Wells College in Aurora, New York. They give amazing financial aid and scholarships.</p>
<p>A dated but nonetheless informative Harvey Mudd College compilation of Pell Grant recipient data for leading universities and LACs: <a href="http://www.hmc.edu/admin/deanstu/strategicplan2006/pellgrants.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.hmc.edu/admin/deanstu/strategicplan2006/pellgrants.pdf</a></p>
<p>As someone who works with low income students, I think first we need to define what we mean by "welcoming to low income students." Are we just talking about schools that give the most money to low income students? If so, then any of the 50 or so colleges that promise to meet 100% of need can be termed "welcoming" not just the ones who offer no loan packages.</p>
<p>Or, are we talking about schools where a low income student will be comfortable and not feel like a fish out of water because there is a sizable group of other students from similar backgrounds? Many low income students have expressed fears to me about being surrounded by "rich kids" and being the "only" kid on financial aid. For many of these students, racial diversity is also an issue.</p>
<p>Or, perhaps some combination of the two? </p>
<p>I also think it is important to keep in mind that not every low income student can attend the Harvards-Davidsons-Dartmouths of the world. In fact, College Board research has shown that students who are very low income tend to have significantly lower test scores than those who come from wealthier families. Not every low income student has the grades to get into these schools as well -- and, for most of the students I know, the academic intensity of top level schools is not an appropriate fit. Additionally, many students from low income families have a strong desire to stay close to home, something that no one has yet mentioned. I have had students from disadvantaged backgrounds turn down full rides at schools on the other side of the country to attend a public institution close to home for just this reason. </p>
<p>Also, students from lower income backgrounds tend to have higher college drop out rates than those from higher income brackets. So, any discussion of schools that are "welcoming" to low income students needs to take that into account as well.</p>
<p>Finally, how are we defining "low income?" As we've seen in numerous discussions here, one person's definition of whether their family is "low income" may vary greatly from another family's perspective.</p>
<p>I'd suggest using Pell Grant eligibility as a measure of "low income." In order to qualify for a Pell Grant, a family needs an EFC of under $4100 or so. </p>
<p>Using that as a measure of low income, I ran the numbers on colleges that have 20% or more of students receiving Pell Grants. Twenty percent or more gives a low income student a 1 in 5 chance that their roommate freshman year won't be driving a car to campus, or flying off to the carribean for spring break. (Some students may still not feel comfortable).</p>
<p>I then sorted those colleges with 20% or more by the six year graduation rate -- unfortunately, data on the percentage of pell grant recipients who actually graduate is not available. But, let's assume that if there is a high graduation rate overall, it will translate to pell grant recipients as well.</p>
<p>So, based on those two measures, here are the schools that have at least 20% of students receiving Pell Grants who also have six year grad rates above 75%. It's a good bet that a low income student at most of these schools will feel fairly comfortable (although obviously "comfort level" and fit will vary with individual qualities -- an hispanic or african american student may not feel as comfortable on a campus that has a tiny minority population, for example) </p>
<p>The list is in order of graduation rate with all of the schools having 20% or more (in some cxases, significantly more) Pell Grant recipients. What I also find interesting is that many of these schools are ones where students with more average grades (compared to CC users) and test scores stand a chance of admission. I would suggest that for the majority low income students, that in itself makes these schools "welcoming." :)</p>
<p>UCLA
UC Berkeley
Azuza Pacific
Smith
Simons Rock
UCSD
Occidental
University of Southern California
Thomas Aquinas
UC Davis
UC Irvine
Mt. Holyoke
Pepperdine
Taylor U (IN)
U of Florida
SUNY Geneseo
UC Santa Barbara
Gonzaga U
Fordham U
Simmons College
SUNY Binghamton
Westminster College (PA)
Whitworth College
Loyola Marymount
Austin College
Lawrence U
Ursinus
UT Austin
Allen Colege
Knox College
Luther College
Spellman
Juniata
Willamette</p>
<p>I'm talking about United States median income or below, in other words approximately the first defined population for the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative. At almost all colleges, being below the United States median income puts you well below that college's median.</p>
<p>I am not a frequent visitor to this discussion board, nor do I have college age children who can benefit from the panel, but I was referred by Purplexed because of my experiences at Davidson.</p>
<p>Background
Based on family income, there was no ability to contribute anything to cover college costs.
Single parent home, 2 younger siblings.
What I did have in my favor is that I had a grade point average of 4.35 in a 4 point system. I am not sure what the grading scale is currently, but because of advanced level courses, an A was worth 5 points instead of 4.
In addition, I had SAT scores that were well above average.</p>
<p>Experience
For the most part, I loved my experience at Davidson. There were times that I did not have the resources to take the big spring break trips, and travel abroad during the summers, but there were ways to compensate. For example, Davidson participated in the Bonner Scholars program. It is a need based scholarship that promotes community service in exchange for some financial support. During the summers there were service trips both domestically and abroad. We would spend half of the time performing service work, and the other half enjoying the travel experience.</p>
<p>There were also other policies that made the experience work. Davidson uses a Cat Card system. Instead of using cash or a credit card, student could make purchases using a campus card system. Part of one's food allowance was applied to the card. Thus a student who did not have the cash flow of others would not immediately stand out.</p>
<p>Finally, there were ample work-study programs available. </p>
<p>Last Remarks
Finally, it was the combination of scholarships, financial aid, work study, small loans (this policy has changed), and grants that made it possible for me and many others to attend. Most of us have gone on to be quite successful in our careers. And we tend to have a life long love affair with Davidson. I give back financially when I can.</p>
<p>These comments so far have been a bit one sided as I have not made any mention of the times when it was difficult. There were some, but none that made a lasting impression. From time to time, Davidson will come up in conversation and I will mention that I also play a sport while there. Some people assume that an athlete must have been given preferential treatment and lower admissions requirements. This is more about society's view on sports rather than economic status. It frustrates me.</p>
<p>But when people learn that over 60 percent of Davidson's students are Division I athletes or play an intramural sport, those assumptions get challenged.</p>
<p>Thanks for the report about Davidson.</p>