My S is a junior interested in engineering(mechanical or civil). Will not qualify for financial aid.
ACT: 32
SAT 1340
Unweighted GPA 3.6
Weighted GPA 4.2
Work experience 2 years at same job
Robotics club
Looking for suggestions to keep total net cost per year under $20k /year. We were hoping for Alabama but they raised the bar for tuition waiver to ACT 33. What others schools offer great merit aid packages based mostly on grades/tests?
Where did you see that Alabama raised to 33 ACT?
I called the Admissions office and they told me. They are in the process of updating the website. It was very disappointing for us. If anyone knows/hears differently please let me know!
I suppose that was inevitable. Too many takers.
So retake act and sat.
What are your instate options? Those are likely your best bets for lower cost and engineering combo, given his stats.
We are in Illinois. I doubt he’d get any merit scholarship at u of I. Probably around $30k for our instate schools.
UA may also offer an additional engineering scholarship that could bring your COA closer to 20K a year.
University of South Florida has a very good engineering college. It’s OOS tuition is about $17,324 a year. Your son would qualify for the USF Green & Gold Presidential Award ($12K a year). Other OOS scholarships are offered that stack with the Presidential Award (like the honor’s college scholarship).
http://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshman/admissions-scholarships/nonflorida.aspx
The University of Central Florida engineering college is on par with USF (better for some majors). They also offer OOS scholarships, but they are not “automatic” like UA and USF. However, based on passed results, he should qualify for the highest level of OOS scholarship.
FSU (FSU/FAMU’s engineering college) would likely offer an OOS tuition waiver (in-state tuition is about $6,300 a year). Plus a smaller Freshman scholarship. Once again, your COA would be close to $20K a year.
While doing your search, you can use the ASEE online profiles to get more information on each engineering program.
University of Alabama Huntsville. 32 ACT = full tuition scholarship. He can also apply for competitive scholarships. UAH allows students to continue standardized testing up until August of their entering year. If he can get a 34 ACT/ 1520 SAT, he will also get room covered.
Just going to throw this out there, as they are supposed to have a great engineering school, I did apply to the University of Alabama in Huntsville as my only Alabama in-state safety. With a 32, they will give your S the Charger Distinction award, equal to full tuition (for you, that is $20K), which would put your COA around $15K - $16K per annum. They are much smaller and many call them a comparatively commuter school, but they have an admirable focus on Engineering and are extremely appealing especially for aeronautic engineers (though all engineering is cool there). Plus, they’re pretty much in the thicket of an industrial park. Might want to check it out.
PS: Sorry to hear about Alabama. On the other hand, there are still a few open ACT tests that your S can take, and maybe you can hit that magic 33. Best of luck to him
Put that pedal to the medal and sign up for all of the next ACTs–I believe you can take it through December?
Other than Alabama and UAH or staying at our local branch university, our kid found no huge significant merit anywhere. She’s an “average excellent student” with high GPA and class rank, ACT 34 but no national research or awards, no hooks. High EFC.
She found merit that would put other schools within range of IN-state tuition costs or a 2-5K less.
If you were considering the main Alabama campus for engineering, then you should definitely check out Alabama-Huntsville at the northern end of the state. UAH is much smaller and lacks football (they play hockey instead), but the Huntsville area is a major technology center and the school has a strong reputation for engineering (especially aerospace).
UAH has a higher acceptance rate than the flagship campus, but also higher ACT scores. The 2016-17 Common Data Sets show Composite ACT of 25-31 at UAH, vs. 23-31 at UA.
You should also look at the University of Wyoming. You might be able to keep COA under 20k. Nice size school. http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/scholarships/non-residents/rms.html
Look into Ohio University. They have several scholarships your child would qualify for including the Russ Impact Scholarship.
https://www.ohio.edu/admissions/tuition/scholfinaid/signature.cfm
I second Wyoming. There are lots of good schools that are simply cheap without a lot of aid. New Mexico Tech is another. He’s amassed a solid record, but both GPA and test scores are low to expect lots of merit aid. Schools are essentially paying for stats to raise their rankings. Publics that are already better priced and that have automatic scholarships are the best avenue. Good luck.
@momoftwoofftou, there are still multiple opportunities to take the ACT before the December deadline. I would have him keep taking the test. My daughter tested through the fall when she was a senior, and pulled her score up from 31 to 33 on the last test Alabama would take, not because she studied or prepared any more, but simply because that particular test happened to be easier for her. That said, I would definitely have him look into UA Huntsville. UAH is a very good engineering school, and between the Cummings Research Park and all the space/defense work that is there, there are lots of internship and other opportunities. It’s not going to be the same experience as Tuscaloosa, but it will be a great education.
Some students do better on one than the other. Does he want to give it another trial? My D1 took SAT twice but neither one was better than her only ACT attempt. My D2 also got a much better score in ACT than SAT last semester like your son. We thought she would just use that ACT score for college application. Then she took the state mandatory SAT last month and got a score better than her ACT equivalent. The good news for SAT this year is the new August test date. If he can do some practice in Summer, he may get a good score before the school resumes.
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ lists automatic-for-stats scholarships (some may be first come first served, so apply early if interested). Check school web sites for changes. Those with engineering where 3.6 / 32 would earn a full tuition or better scholarship if criteria are not changed include:
University of Alabama - Huntsville
Tuskegee University
Howard University
Florida A&M University
Louisiana Tech University
Prairie View A&M University
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/ lists competitive (probably reach) full tuition scholarships. Again, check school web sites for changes.
South Dakota School of Mines
There are a couple. New Mexico State, Lake Superior State. Not flashy, but ABET, and that’s kind of a big deal.
UAH seems to be running around 11-12k COA plus books and transportation with a frugal kid on scholarship, if that matters.
look at OU and LSU.