Will this affect my financial aid package?
Have your parents given you a budget to work with, such as we can afford no more than $x per year? Add that to your student loan amount and you can start figuring out how large of a merit scholarship you need.
They said they can pay no more than $8500 a year. This is concerning considering most of tuition is more triple this amount.
Home state? Stats?
Between your parents contribution and a student loan, your room and board expenses are covered.
If we have information about your GPA, test scores, work and school activities, minority status, we can start building a list of places that offer full tuition scholarships.
What state are you in? How far away from home are you willing to go?
Or tuition could be covered if there is a computable option.^
You need a less expensive option. What other places are you looking at?
Early Action:
Northeastern University (Communications)
University of Miami (Communications)
Regular Decision:
New York University (Business)
Boston University (Communications)
University of Southern California (Communications)
Safeties:
Baruch College
Queens College
York College
Brooklyn College
St. John’s University
GPA:
UW: 92.66/100 (approx. 3.67/4)
W: 93.11/100 (approx. 3.72/4)
SAT Scores:
1270 (640 Reading, 630 Math) I know, not good 
About Me:
African-American (Caribbean)
Female
From Long Island, New York
AP and Honors Classes:
AP Biology (Dual Enrollment)
AP Music Theory
French 2H, 3H, 4H
Music Theory 11H
Pre Calculus Honors (Dual Enrollment)
(my school has a grade requirement to take AP classes and unfortunately I always missed it by a point or two or else I would be taking A LOT more advanced classes)
EC:
Costume Club 9, 10
Dance Cheer Team 9, 10
Band 9, 10, 11, 12
A Capella 11, 12
Religious Eucharistic Minister 12
Musical Theatre 11, 12
School Newspaper Editor 12
Mission Club Representative 12
Volunteer Work:
Hospital Volunteer (100 hours total)
Key Club 12
Work Experience:
Waitress at Friendly’s Restaurant
Honors:
National Honor Society
National Language Honor Society
National Music Honor Society
Alumnae Scholarship (I go to private school)
Extra:
I lived in Africa for two years when I was in middle school, and that may have not been as recent as high school but I remember all of it and it had a significant impact on my life
^ that is supposed to say Baruch College, haha
If you are a NYS resident, do your parents earn under $110,000 a year?
If you qualify for Excelsior Scholarship, tuition would be covered at SUNY/CUNY.
You can study communications or business at a number of SUNY/CUNY schools.
They don’t. The reason why we can’t afford college is because all my sisters and I are in private school/college, lots of taxes, mortgage, etc. They have so many expenses that there’s barely any money for college.
A need based financial aid package usually leaves your family paying at least your FAFSA EFC. Please tell us more about yourself so we can see if there is a school with merit aid that might be affordable to you.
How is your community college system?
Not the best. It’s sort of like a place where people go because they have no other options, plus also I want my bachelor’s, not associates. And transfer students don’t usually get good scholarships too.
@anniehhh Is the information in a chances thread correct? http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20941136#Comment_20941136
If so, I would send in an application to Arcadia University. They have a handful of full tuition scholarships, with the important caveat that the $ does not increase even if the tuition increases.
https://www.arcadia.edu/admissions/financial-aid-scholarships/undergraduates/scholarships-grants
The Arcadia University President’s Scholarship
A full tuition scholarship awarded to a limited number of first-year applicants.
Criteria
Applicant must be enrolling as a first-year, full-time student.
Applicants are evaluated for the award based on their grades, class rank, SAT and/or ACT scores, and leadership in school and the community.
Application Process
No special application required, all first-year students who apply for full-time admission will be considered.
Special Notes
Students selected for the President’s Scholarship are not eligible for any other Arcadia merit aid that may have been awarded during the admission application process.
The value of this merit scholarship does not change annually even though tuition will increase; the amount of the President's Scholarship will always equals the cost of fall and spring tuition for the scholar's first year of entry.
I have one anecdote for you that is about 3 years old. I knew of a girl who applied to Arcadia but the money didn’t work out (actually didn’t work out at any of her colleges.) She didn’t send in her decline of enrollment. A couple of days before the final day to commit, Arcadia upped her scholarship. It was now affordable for her family. She attended and last I heard had a good experience. It is a tactic I would not recommend to everyone but it did happen.
Your application essays need to be stellar. Some of the parents on here occasionally help with editing. Do not just go with what your English teacher says is ok. You need to shine in order to get the scholarships.
Go through this list:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/2006094-2017-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-p1.html
On that list is this information
Howard University
Application deadline: no specific deadline*
Award: Tuition, Fees, Room, Board, $950 Book Voucher, & Laptop (Presidential)
Requirements: 3.75 GPA, 34 ACT or 1530 SAT
Award: Tuition, Fees, Room, Board & $500 Book Voucher (Founders)
Requirements: 3.50 GPA, 32 ACT or 1450 SAT
Award: $3,500 - $32,231 (Capstone) (note: tuition is $25,997 for 2017-2018)
Requirements: 3.30 GPA, 28 ACT or 1270 SAT
https://www2.howard.edu/student-financial-services/cost-of-attendance
*Scholarships are automatically awarded on a first-come, first-served, basis
@“Snowball City” No one knows whether Howard is still awarding those scholarships, as they took them down from their website.
Thanks
College financial is offices do NOT consider consumer debt when they consider financial aid awards. This includes taxes and mortgages. Private school expenses of any kind are considered a choice.
You will need to find affordable options within your parent price point. Thes could include places where you could get some merit aid or commute from home. $8500 might cover the tuition costs at a public university in your state. You can also take a $5500 Direct Loan in your name…so you would have $14,000 as your budget for year one.
How are your college age siblings paying for college costs? Ask them…maybe one of them has a suggestion that will work for you too.