Hey CC
So, I’m currently at the end of my Junior year of high school, and I’ve started thinking of colleges (who hasn’t, right?). Anyways, I have some pretty high colleges that I want to attend, and I wanna apply for the Gates Scholarship. My question deals with income. I think I’m highly qualified academically, but I’m not so sure financially. I would say we are 60k range, give or take.
Any past winners or anyone in general: what are my chances of getting Gates with that income?
You have to be eligible for a Pell grant to apply. Unless your family is large, that income will probably automatically disqualify you.
How about a family of 4?
Sounds like you have a fighting chance. A friend comes from a family of 4 and a 50k income, and they’re Pell grant eligible. I’m not sure how much difference the 10k will make – if I recall correctly, I think you need an EFC of around 5200 or less to be Pell eligible.
You could always run the FAFSA4caster now and see where you are, though it’s not always the most reliable tool (in my experience).
Have you taken any dual credit in which it required you to complete your fafsa? I know our local college requires it for students in dual credit. If so, you should know what your EFC is.
I’ve taken distance calculus with Georgia Tech, but they don’t count that as dual enrollment, so I don’t know my EFC. What do they prefer? Courtney says <5200
It’s hard to say because it depends on the number of dependents in the home. I know we have a cousin who makes roughly 65,000, but still have 4 dependents in the home. I’m fairly certain that they will qualify. I doubt they will have an EFC of “0”, but from what I understand is that you can have an EFC up to 6000 and still be PELL eligible.