I’m really new to this college stuff. When top students apply for schools and get accepted, do they often receive financial offers as well, to help with which school to choose?
It depends. Some school only offer need based aid. Other schools, usually somewhat less selective, try to attract student with high scores and grades by offering merit scholarships.
Some schools don’t send out merit aid until Spring, so you may be accepted but still have to wait for all financial offers to come in.
The student needs to APPLY for need based financial aid in order to receive it. Check each college to find out what each college requires in terms of financial aid submitted info and forms.
And look at the DEADLINES. Do not miss the deadlines.
In terms of merit aid, this varies. Many schools award merit aid based on the strength of your application. Some schools have a separate scholarship application. Again…look at application deadlines.
Your “top student” would have to have financial need to get need based aid.
Your “top student” would need to apply to schools that give merit aid if that’s what he wants. Some top schools don’t give merit aid…at all.
And remember…the college will determine your financial need based on the submitted information they require.
There are two types of aid:
-Financial Need
-Merit
To see if you would get Financial need based scholarship, google the college name and “net price calculator”. This will give you a ballpark idea if you would get financial aid. You will have to fill out the FAFSA or CSS to apply for financial aid (google those).
For merit aid, it is given to entice high stat students to come to their school. Some colleges (e.g., Princeton) don’t need to do that because they get enough high stat students without it. To see if a college gives merit (non-need) aid, look in section H2A of the colleges Common Data Set. Your SAT/ACT scores should be above the 75% to have hope for merit scholarship.
How to save money on College
- Look for cheaper schools. In-state school are usually much cheaper than private/out of state schools
- Look to get as many college credits as you can in HS.
a)Your state may have a “running start” or “dual enrollment” program where you can take college courses for free in HS
b) Take AP or IB classes and do well on the AP/IB tests so you can get college credit - Look for scholarships
a) Apply to colleges where your stats are significantly above average to get merit scholarshops
b) Look at Net Price Calculators on colleges to see if you would get need based financial aid
c) Look for colleges with auto-scholarship based on gpa/sat http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ - Study for SAT on Khan Academy to raise scores
- Go to community college for two years, and then transfer to a state school