<p>Hi, I just calculated my EFC and it was $35,000. Do I have any chance of getting financial aid?</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Daniel</p>
<p>It depends on where you go to school. For need based aid, your cost of attendance would have to be more than your EFC. So…if your college cost of attendance was LESS than your EFC, you would not get need based aid.</p>
<p>BUT that is a generalization. There are some schools where your FAFSA EFC might be in the $35K range, but because they have very generous need based financial aid based using institutional monies (and likely the Profile in addition to the FAFSA), you could get some need based aid.</p>
<p>OTOH…you could also apply to a school that costs $50K a year…and not get any aid but a Stafford loan if the school does not guarantee to meet full need (and most schools don’t).</p>
<p>So…basically…not enough information to answer your question.</p>
<p>It depends on the school’s cost of attendance. At a school that costs $50,000/year that claims to meet 100% of need, you have a good chance of getting $15K/year of need-based aid.</p>
<p>For schools that cost less than $35K/year, you won’t get any need-based aid but you might get merit aid.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is true, but at most schools that meet need loans and work study would be a significant part of that which many don’t see as aid. And most schools don’t meet need.</p>
<p>Are your stats high enough to get big merit money? </p>
<p>If so, you should apply to some schools that will give you merit money as financial safeties.</p>
<p>What is your GPA, ACT and SAT (including M+CR)?</p>
<p>What will your major likely be?</p>
<p>I’m from the state of Texas. My UW GPA is 91.33, and my ACT super scored is 31.</p>
<p>So you’re looking at top 25% at the large majority of colleges across the country. That will put you in good shape for merit money.</p>
<p>Apply to numerous colleges (6 to 10). Apply to colleges with generous track records. And spread your applications to a safety, 4-6 matches, and 1-3 stretches.</p>
<p>That will put you in best position for the money.</p>
<p>At least that’s the nutshell description.</p>
<p>What is your best ACT from one sitting. Many colleges do not superscore the ACT - especially for scholarship consideration.</p>
<p>Did you ever take the SAT? (why don’t kids take both!!! LOL )</p>
<p>What is your weighted GPA in 4.0 terms?</p>
<p>Since you are in TX are you in the top 10% of your class? If so you could attend UT.</p>
<p>^^^^
I could be wrong, but at many Texas high schools, the top 10% nearly all have 4.0s (or near equivalents - like 98.00). I think the OP’s GPA is too low for top 10% - since his GPA is an A-</p>
<p>@Erin- I’m not in the top 10% because I go to a very competitive public school. </p>
<p>So far I have applied to:
University of Texas
University of Georgia
University of Florida
University of Michigan
University of Wisconsin
University of North Carolina
University of Washington-Seattle
USC (California)
Wash U in St. Louis
Penn State University</p>
<p>Any help from any of these schools that I’m likely to receive?</p>
<p>Most of your list is OOS public universities (exception being UT, USC and Wash U)…typically, OOS student do not receive significant amounts of money from public universities that are not in their state. There are some exceptions…UVA (which I believe also requires the PROFILE) meets full need, I believe. </p>
<p>To be honest, I don’t believe any of the schools in this list guarantee to meet full need, except USC (which I think meets full need). That being the case, I wouldn’t want to hedge my bets on you receiving anything but the Stafford loans. </p>
<p>I guess my question is…why are you only looking at expensive OOS tuition public universities? Are there any privates where you might get merit aid, or less expensive public universities (e.g. UNC-Charlotte and UNC Greensboro are less pricey and less competitive than UNC Chapel Hill).</p>
<p>@thumper: I’m trying to find a big, public school with great academics, and great sports.</p>
<p>look into University of Va.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So far I have applied to:
University of Texas ---- no help
University of Georgia----no help
University of Florida----no help
University of Michigan–no help
University of Wisconsin—no help
University of North Carolina–no help
University of Washington-Seattle—no help
USC (California)–about $17k of help since COA is over $50k (I think)
Wash U in St. Louis–about $17k of help
Penn State University—no help</p>
<p>Sorry to be so gloomy, but you’ve applied to a bunch of state schools that don’t meet need to OOS students. Nearly all state schools cannot meet need of OOS students thru FA. </p>
<p>UVa is one of the few state schools that can.</p>
<p>You need merit money from OOS publics…and few publics give big merit to OOS students.</p>
<p>What is your ACT from best sitting (not super scored) Since scholarships are not usually based on superscore.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is absolutely NOT true at all schools. There are plenty of colleges that use the same superscoring for awarding merit aid as they do for admissions.</p>
<p>Schools that do award merit aid based on the student’s application and not a separate scholarship application DO (not always perhaps…but certainly many do) use superscoring…just like they do for admissions.</p>
<p>A 31 ACT score is decent enough for merit aid at SOME public universities for OOS students (e.g. U of South Carolina, or as mentioned previously, some of the smaller UNC schools). BUT for the flagship U’s…an OOS student would really have to be exemplary at many of the schools on the OP’s list.</p>
<p>NMSF receive 1/2 tuition at the University of Southern California. BUT that doesn’t sound like it’s going to help the OP.</p>
<p>What about merit aid or scholarships?</p>
<p>thumper…are there really a lot of schools that give merit based on a superscored ACT? I was not aware of that. Which ones do? Do they state such on their scholarship pages? I have never seen such wording on a scholarship page, but I haven’t seen every scholarship page.</p>
<p>You mean merit scholarships (not merit aid) :)</p>
<p>Yes, there are some schools that will give merit. But since some schools do not superscore an ACT, what is your best sitting ACT score.</p>
<p>You have to realize that schools that give merit aren’t going to be equal to UMich or UNC-CH and such.</p>
<p>What’s important to you? Big top ranking name? Sports/football?</p>