<p>I heard that very selective colleges like Harv, Stan, MIT etc offer full rides or huge discounts for tuition if your family income is below a certain point like 100k/y, in which case no matter where they set the marker, our family would probably qualify.</p>
<p>Yes, a few schools have done that. There are various levels of cut-off, 60,000, 75,000, etc. It varies. Some have set limits on loans at 60,000, and others. Investigate your own schools' financial aid policies. The schools that have done this for middle- and low-income families are those with very high endowments.</p>
<p>which schools are they</p>
<p>There are a number of schools that guarantee to meet 100% of need. Their need, however, is defined by them, not you, and you will have to complete the PROFILE and FAFSA to get your need defined. The next step with those schools is how they meet the need. Some are more loan heavy than others. THe very top schools tend to be the most generous.</p>
<p>If you get a copy of the USNEWS&WORLD REPORT ULTIMATE GUIDE or subscribe to the premium service of USNews college guide on line, there is a section that lists the schools that meet the largest % of need. YOu can then look up each school and see what their average grant/loan/work ratios are. </p>
<p>Bear in mind that the schools that tend to me the most generous also tend to be the hardest to get entry, not always, but usually. Though you do have to file FAFSA, keep in mind that the expected family contribution figure (EFC) is a number that qualifies you for government grants and loans and is not the number most full aid colleges will use as need. They will either have a supplement, their own app or most commonly PROFILE that they will use.</p>
<p>The biggest hurdle at schools that offer the huge financial aid incentives is getting accepted. These schools include Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Yale...others will add to the list. These schools typically accept only 10% of those students who apply. First, you have to get accepted...and if you do, the financial aid is excellent for those who qualify.</p>
<p>This might be helpful:</p>
<p>Student</a> financial aid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>What they are trying to do is a limited type of social reform. Reading Elizabeth Warren's (Harvard Law school) essays would give a good insight as to their rationales. </p>
<p>And if one were to be somewhat cynical the elites have taken these steps to allay criticisms of their institutions being either a incestuous academic breeding ground, or simply too expensive. </p>
<p>But to give due moral credit what they are trying to do is admirable. And as noted the cut off amounts are scarcely limited to what is considered the poor.
Because of other limitations, such as immobility, poor schools and etc it is profoundly difficult for the genuinely poor to attend these schools no matter how deserving they might be...</p>
<p>The irony of course is because of the escalating costs of education and policies which are too swayed by the edudebt industry many who weren't poor before their education often get an unfortunate acquaintance with that state after their education. It's a situation that those visiting from more equitable countries have a hard time comprehending.</p>
<p>are any of those family income based financial support related to the SAT or the ACT or academic performance?</p>
<p>Yes, academics are considered along with other factors. </p>
<p>One of the problems the elites have had in the past when trying to bring in other populations (in contrast to their usual legacy contingent) is the problems resultant from the subcultural pressures and norms within their own institutions. They already have services in place to assist in adjustment, but getting around those subcultural pressures could be the most difficult aspect someone of a differing class will have to achieve.</p>
<p>Look at the bottom half of the page:</p>
<p>FinAid</a> | Answering Your Questions | No Loans for Low Income Students</p>
<p>Better chances of admission at these colleges:</p>
<p>Colleges</a> That Change Lives </p>
<p>Also review the following book by Dr. Joan Digby
Smart Choices Honors Programs & Colleges and visit the website
Member</a> Institution</p>
<p>Yes, these things are offered. My son was offered two, one at a LAC, one at a state university. He would qualify for a number of programs at other top ivies, but he had his heart set on the LAC he attends.</p>
<p>Most top schools do this. </p>
<p>However, you're usually considered RICH if your family makes $100k a year, not poor... Poor (for families with college kids--I believe the definition of poor follows those with families making less than 13k a year) is like $30k a year!</p>
<p>ASC: Exactly. I know CC'ers don't like to think about it, but an income of 100K puts you in the top 19 percent of wage earners. $150K is the top <em>five</em> percent. 100K families may feel <em>socially</em> middle class, but they are <em>financially</em> not at all.</p>
<p>TrinSF, ASC</p>
<p>Astute observation about the CC forum and those likely to be reading. And as a correlation those perceptions are often extended into the elites subcultural perception of students from lower economic classes. Sometimes this takes the form of assuming that the poor are poor when by other standards they are quite successful. </p>
<p>These unwritten codes, and how the differing groups may be involved but not understand how the signals are being crossed are one of the more difficult situations a student entering these institutions will face. </p>
<p>For example, in one area I taught, students would sometimes show up with one lens in their glasses. Or would have to read slowly and hold the book right up to their faces. In the former case they weren't being slovenly, or hadn't been in a fight-it was the problem that replacing broken lenses was difficult or impossible due to poor local health services and long distances to better services. In the latter case it wasn't because they were illiterate and somehow limited intellectually it was because they couldn't get corrective lenses. </p>
<p>Now in that context the aforementioned examples wouldn't have even warranted comment as it was the normal conditions. But outside of that context the people involved would perhaps have been viewed in a less than favorable light.</p>
<p>from what I heard, below 100k means free ride at stanford and 90% discount at Harvard?</p>