<p>Ok my mom only makes 28k a year and she raises 3 kids(thats including me). So naturally every single Financial aid calcualtor I've done ends up with my family contribution of being $0. This is where I get confused though. Of course I'm going to use the FAFSA but do I still need to pursue scholarships or will the FAFSA get the govt to pay it all? </p>
<p>If I still need to pursue scholarships then do yall have any suggestions for where to go?</p>
<p>With an EFC of 0…FAFSA doesn’t get the gov’t to pay it all. That’s a common misunderstanding. Some think that with an EFC of 0 that they get to go to the college of their choice and have all their expenses paid for. That really only works at a few ivy type schools, but that’s because they use their own money, not the gov’ts money.</p>
<p>FAFSA determines what grants you qualify for, but those grants don’t often add up to enough to pay for most/all of college costs, unless you go to a local inexpensive state college and live at home. You’d also likely qualify for some work/study program, but that also won’t cover enough.</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are different. What are your stats??? GPA and ACT/SAT scores?</p>
<p>I figured I was thinking wrong. I got a 3.7 GPA unweighted. And I got a 1360 SAT for CR+Math. Only 520 on writing :(</p>
<p>But now I know I need to apply for scholarships. Now I am going into nuclear engineering and I have been told to look into NRC scholarships. However, these scholarships are school specific. Can I wait to apply to these scholarships when/if I get accepted to the colleges I applied to or do I have to apply to them now?</p>
<p>What are NRC scholarships…</p>
<p>I don’t know what they are, but typically you have to apply for various school scholarships when you apply to colleges (not later after acceptance). But, I don’t know anything about NRC.</p>
<p>Are there deadlines for NRC???</p>
<p>Your stats are good enough to get you some merit money at some mid-level schools…not likely top 50, but in the rankings of 50-110 or so…</p>
<p>Are you retaking the SAT or ACT?</p>
<p>Are you in California? If so, you might also qualify for some added cal grant money. Do you have any UC schools in mind? Or a Cal Poly? I love Cal Poly SLO <a href=“http://www.calpoly.edu/[/url]”>http://www.calpoly.edu/</a> , but I’ll check to see if they have nuclear engineering. Cal Poly Pomona <a href=“http://www.csupomona.edu/[/url]”>http://www.csupomona.edu/</a> is nice, too. 
The Cal Polys have scholarships as well as F/A.</p>
<p>I’m not finding nuclear engineering at either Cal Poly…is it sometimes called something else??? Or maybe I’m missing it.</p>
<p>Ah… I think I’m finding it as a minor at Cal Poly Pomona…is that typical???</p>
<p>Oakland, what state do you live in? Because I know here in Michigan, you would get full financial aid at both U of Michigan and Michigan State. Check to see if your state has something similar.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Is Nuclear Engineering also called “Energy Engineering”???</p>
<p>Does your mom get child support?</p>
<p>To the others…does FAFSA have the custodial mom include child support payments?</p>
<p>I live in VA. I’m not looking into any CA schools. Nuclear engineering is a major. There is only like 14 that are approved by ABET so its no surprise you can’t find many. NRC is the nuclear regulatory commision.</p>
<p>I don’t plan on retaking SATs… I got enough stress on me as it is. Especially now that I realize half of the colleges I was looking at are not feasible.</p>
<p>From what I have briefly looked into it seems VA has nothing that helps much. They have a decent amount of $2000ish scholarships but I don’t know if they can apply to OOS schools (there is nothing in VA that offers nuclear engineering. So I am forced to go OOS). And even though my mom should get child support she doesn’t… kind of a touchy topic. I’m beggining to think I am screwed.</p>
<p>These were the schools I WAS looking at:
-U of Florida=$32k
-Georgia Tech=$18k (I can get in state their due to some clause)
-U of Illinois-UC=$40k
-U of Michigan-Ann Arbor=$46k
-Purdue=$35k
-Penn State=$36k
-MIT (I don’t even expect to get in. But how can I not apply to the best engineering school in the world?)=$50k
-U of Wisconsin-Madison=$35k
-Texas A&M=$33k
-Virginia Commonwealth University (fall back, and now most probable)=$17k</p>
<p>Unless these super reaches will let you apply for free, I wouldn’t waste my money or time applying to super reaches.</p>
<p>Did you take SAT IIs?? Some of these schools require SAT II’s ( I think.)</p>
<p>I thought you were from Calif because of your screenname.</p>
<p>Most of the schools on your list are OOS, which means HIGH OOS fees. I could be wrong, but I don’t think you’ll get much “free help” help with the OOS portion of your costs of these particular school. Anyone???</p>
<p>Yeah I’m taking the SAT IIs now. And yeah… screen name doesn’t fit. So I am pretty much screwed then, thats just great. THX VA for having nothing in state for nuclear engineering!</p>
<p>and I edited for OOS costs above</p>
<p>From what I can see based on superficial stat you gave, the only truly reach school on your list is MIT. However, it is also the only full need school on your list, I believe. If you get in, you are bound to get lots of money based on your 0 EFC. It is a long shot but I would never say never. I would also try to see if you are qualified to get application fees waived and apply to as many as you can and see who gives you the best FA package. You have a very special major, so there is not much else to look into except these bunch of schools. I don’t know much about scholarships but one I heard about is Gates Millenium which gives full ride to promising lower income kids. There are probably a lot of other scholarship but I would concentrate on getting as much from the schools first.</p>
<p>Have you looked at RPI? I know they have a nuclear engineering degree.</p>
<p>Your stats make you a solid candidate and they have decent financial and merit aid, and you can get a fee waiver on the application.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be afraid to apply at any of those schools, you don’t know what you’ll get if you don’t apply. One or more may give you a great package.</p>
<p>Have you considered Navy ROTC? The Navy has more nuclear reactors than just about anybody.</p>
<p>^^^
ROTC is a very good idea. </p>
<p>There are many ROTC programs that will not only pay for all your costs, but they’ll give you a stipend, too.</p>
<p>Isn’t RPI all male (or nearly all male?)</p>
<p>Does anyone know what typically happens when an OOS student needs a lot of F/A from an OOS public flagship like UIUC or UFlorida? I’ve heard that in such cases most of the F/A is student loans. Is that true?</p>
<p>To the others…does FAFSA have the custodial mom include child support payments? </p>
<hr>
<p>Child support received is reported in the untaxed income section. </p>
<p>Child support paid also has a place to report the amount the parent paid out. I have seen families with both support received & support paid.</p>
<p>Along the same line as ROTC but I think it is a lot better:</p>
<p>[SMART</a> - Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation - Part of the National Defense Education Program](<a href=“Page not found”>Page not found)</p>
<p>Check this out: [SMART</a> - Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation - Part of the National Defense Education Program](<a href=“http://www.asee.org/fellowships/smart/]SMART”>Page not found)</p>
<p>You already know you can get instate rates at GA Tech for your major through the Academic Common Market; see here: [ACM</a> Programs Available to Virginians at Institutions in Other ACM States](<a href=“http://www.schev.edu/Students/ACMprog4VAtable.asp?from=students&atLevel=1&atState=AnyState]ACM”>http://www.schev.edu/Students/ACMprog4VAtable.asp?from=students&atLevel=1&atState=AnyState)</p>
<p>You may be able to use Virginia scholarships for this, too, since your major is not available in VA; check with those scholarships to see.</p>
<p>With your stats and low income you’re not likely to be able to pay for any of the colleges you listed although Georgia Tech might just be doable. However your stats are decent for instate colleges.</p>
<p>You might also look for STEM scholarships, administered by some colleges.</p>
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<p>This is my concern, too…</p>
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<p>This may be your best bet. Look into the Common Market. I’d hate to see you overlook this opportunity and rack up student loans unnecessarily.</p>
<p>You would likely be a candidate for SMART, but I think it’s only for juniors and seniors…so you’d have to wait for that.</p>
<p>Don’t apply NROTC just to pay for school! The military is a calling. Every student I have seen who joined an ROTC program just to pay for school has washed out.</p>