Financial Aid?? - Colorado schools

<p>I am planning on applying to CU-Boulder, CSU-Fort Collins or University of Denver my senior year next year.
Here is what I have:</p>

<p>GPA - 3.0 unweighted (Increasing) 3.4 weighted
ACT - 27 (Planning on retaking)
2 AP Classes (Taking 2 or 3 next year)
Multiple honors classes
Hispanic
Income 60,000 both parents
Many volunteer hours
Varsity Swimming and Tennis
3 Clubs
My english teacher thinks highly of my writing and believes I can write a good essay</p>

<p>I feel that my low GPA is going to hurt me. In fact, I didn't care early high school and I have multiple "D's" on my past report cards. Oops. But I have lettered in academics this semester.</p>

<p>I Would like to know what scholarships are available to me at these schools and how much. </p>

<p>Thank you much.</p>

<p>FA generally refers to need based aid, which is determined by your family’s financial situation and for publics, whether you are IS or OOS.</p>

<p>For merit scholarships, go to the college websites and see what scholarships you qualify for.</p>

<p>You should also look at the Resources sticky thread on the Hispanic Students forum, there are links to scholarships, diversity fly-ins, etc. Do you qualify for NHRP? You should also consider QuestBridge (see the subforum under this forum).</p>

<p>p.s. In your different threads, you post having ACT scores of 27, 28 & 29. Please review CCs Terms of Service (link available at the bottom of the page) regarding Registration and Your Identity, misrepresentation of any kind is not permitted.</p>

<p>Please keep in mind that credibility is very important in this community and posting histories are open for all members to view.</p>

<p>U of Denver is a private school and has a different way of awarding merit and financial aid. The Colorado state schools are not known for granting a lot of aid. You should ask your GC for a list of outside scholarships you can start applying to.</p>

<p>Use the NPC and see what results are returned. With a gpa at 3.0, you will have a hard time getting into CU, especially if you are from a metro area with a lot of other students applying to CU. Make sure you have other schools on your lists.</p>

<p>A bigger issue will be obtaining non-need based merit aid for the OP. While a 3.0 and a 27 on the ACT is fine, most merit based aid goes to the high GPA/high test score taker. All of these schools are expensive unless the OP lives in Colorado and if the OP has a lower family income then federal financial aid is not going to make a dent in the costs and I’m not sure these 3 meet need…so hopefully the OPs name means the OP lives in Colordao :-). There used to be a Colorado Opportunity Fund for in-state students, but I don’t know if that survived the economic downturn. If the OP isn’t a Colorado resident then the OP needs to find out how much the parents can contribute and go from there. The OP might want to look at the public LAC Ft. Collins or Western Colorado which used to be a public LAC but is now a university. The stats for those schools are a tad lower than for Boulder, so the OP might be the arena for some scholarships.</p>

<p>According to another post the OP does live in CO so that at least solves the issue of potential OOS costs.</p>

<p>The Colorado Opportunity grant is automatically figured into the tuition at schools now, so it’s there but doesn’t help much because the tuition is just really $2500 more than listed, or something like that. There is no LAC in Fort Collins that I know of, just CSU. Western State in Gunnison is a state school.</p>

<p>It is just very difficult to get into CU and a 3.0 will probably not cut it. If there is some other hook (living in SW Colorado, certain awards, etc) then maybe, but having a 3.0, being Hispanic, a few APs and one sport is common coming from the Denver metro area. OP needs to keep other options open. CSU is a little easier to get into, but it is no slam dunk either. I know a lot of kids with 3.3-3.4 who weren’t accepted to either school.</p>

<p>OP, what do you plan on studying?</p>

<p>Run the net price calculators for each school.
Then, investigate some colleges out of state, either privates where your stats place you above the median, or publics where a 3.0 waives the OOS extra charge (I think AZ and NM have this possibility, but check.) Use WUE institutions:
<a href=“http://wue.wiche.edu/search_results.jsp?searchType=all”>http://wue.wiche.edu/search_results.jsp?searchType=all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Whoops sorry I meant Ft. Lewis - got my Forts mixed up while multi-tasking.</p>

<p>The WUE scholarships are competitive at most schools, and a 3.0 may not be enough. Several of the surrounding states do have good scholarships for OOS students. At Wyoming, the Rocky Mt. Scholars would give $3000-6000 which brings tuition to below in-state for Colo schools. Utah has generous scholarships, and OOS tuition at South Dakota is lower than the 150% offered by WUE.</p>

<p>Look at all the options.</p>

<p>What are your parent willing to pay for your college? What can you earn during the school year, and what nest egg do you and your parents have to start? Run the EFC estimator and see what federal and state aid you are entitled to get. Run NPCs for the various schools on your list. Yes, it is possible for you to get accepted to University of Colorado at Boulder, but could you afford it if accepted? They do NOT guarantee to meet need. </p>

<p>Thank you!
If I am planning on majoring in Computer Science or Physics. I am willing to pay as much as I have to, even if that means loans. From rental properties and myself working, my parents and I have enough money to get me started.
Also, I apologize for the mixed ACT scores. I took it earlier and have been guessing possible and hopeful scores. This, however is my true ACT score.
Also, I know a couple people with 27s and up on the ACT and similar or lower GPAs accepted to CU from my school with less credentials than myself
Also, anywhere in the west is welcome. My parents just really want me to stay in Colorado.
Also, I am taking engineering and computer science courses now. I take the hardest classes I can, but my school doesn’t have much to offer.</p>

<p>And I live in Southern Colorado</p>

<p>Look into Denver (DU). They are meeting full (CSS) need for all CS and engineering students, and upgrading their programs and facilities. Rentals will reduce need-based aid; what’s your EFC? Run their NPC. Not sure if you would get merit aid with a 3.0/27 ACT, but maybe you can get them up a little. They do give pretty good merit aid if you have good stats. S got $19,000 with a 3.93/31 ACT. We got very good need-based aid as well, but we have minimal assets.</p>