Hi think $25k was guaranteed with his stats.
Run the net price calculator at Susquehanna and Allegheny, they give merit estimate for stats I believe.
@mommdc both are too small anyhow. I did quickly run Susquehanna’s NPC and came up with $28K grants, so I guess it does put it in range if that’s accurate in any way. If I were really interested, I’d probably artificially bump up the income just to make sure it’s really all non-need based that they are including.
I guess good point that I should be running the NPC for all schools we are looking at.
I just remember a thread for kids with gpa’s under 3.6 or something like that and they got big merit from Allegheny and Susquehanna. I think their COA was in the low 30’s, but not sure. I agree that they are small, but I don’t think that the instate students make up 95percent. However, if your D doesn’t like smallish schools they may not be a good fit.
At UMBC, only 5% of undergraduates are from OOS. I suspect many of the 5% are from Maryland neighbors (southern DE and PA, northern VA). Towson’s OOS population is a bit higher (13%), but again, I suspect many of them grew up within ~100 miles of Towson. Historically, these have been commuter schools, more or less.
You may need to relax some of your “fit” criteria if you want a good selection of OOS schools with strong academics and an affordable net cost (as well as a good - not perfect - fit). At Loyola University MD, within a few miles from Towson U, 85% of freshmen are from OOS. But then, it’s a Jesuit school (not the same as a so-called “Christian College”, but still not 100% secular).
Towson has bee increasing its OOS enrollment. Lat year the incoming freshman class was 20%. In comparison, UMD-CP was 28% for freshman and 21% overall.
We are in MD so this is one of DD concerns. If she does go to an OOS public she wants to find one with a large % of OOS enrollment.
Any suggestions on an ideal % of OOS students to make it feel less like a state school?
U Alabama has lots of OOS students, thanks to their generous scholarships.
@mommdc Yes. Alabama is on our list for that reason, they have about 60% OOS. Unfortunately, they have started raising the bar for merit aid, which might push just outside our price range.
Here is what they have listed on their website. I assume the are firm with these numbers.
Capstone Scholar
A student with a 27 ACT or 1280-1300 SAT score and a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA will be selected as a Capstone Scholar and will receive $20,000 over four years ($5,000 per year).
Collegiate Scholar
A student with a 28 ACT or 1310-1340 SAT score and a minimum GPA of 3.5 will be named a Collegiate Scholar and will receive $24,000 over four years ($6,000 per year).
Foundation in Excellence Scholar
A student with a 29 ACT or 1350-1380 SAT score and at least a 3.5 GPA will be named a Foundation in Excellence Scholar and will receive $52,000 over four years ($13,000 per year).
UA Scholar
A student with a 30-32 ACT or 1390-1480 SAT score and at least a 3.5 GPA, he or she will be named a UA Scholar and will receive $76,000 over four years ($19,000 per year).
I know, most schools are raising their merit bar. Temple used to give full tuition to anyone with an ACT 32 and 3.8 GPA, in recent years merit has become competitive there.
UA still gives some good awards. It might lower the cost to around $20k-$30k for some
But really, why does it matter where you are from?
My D at an instate school has one friend from PA and two from Ohio. The “OOS” Ohio girls are no different from her, she doesn’t go home more often than them.
@dcnatfan You think those are guaranteed awards? Is that 3.5 Weighted or Unweighted? I’m finding that’s often not noted so it’s a bit confusing. Is it almost always weighted if not noted?
I did the NPC with a 3.55 and 30 ACT and it indeed did give a $19K/year award.
How do we uncover other schools that give similar awards just based on stats alone like this?
@mommdc No the OOS and in-state kids are no different at the core. I’m sure at a school with 95% in-state kids, there are great kids to make great relationships with. I think though with geographic diversity comes the opportunity to meet kids with different backgrounds and viewpoints and there’s definitely some value in that. Both my older daughter and I go/went to private schools with national pull and I think that’s been great to have met kids from virtually everywhere. Considering our criteria, is that a top consideration/deal breaker, probably not.
There aren’t that many schools that give automatic (guaranteed) merit for certain stats.
But UA is one of them. I am not sure about the W versus UW GPA question though.
UAH has a merit grid. I think U Toledo does too.
https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships/merit-tuition-scholarships
https://www.utoledo.edu/admission/freshman/scholarships/2018/
Ohio State has the Buckeye (OOS) scholarship (not guaranteed though).
http://undergrad.osu.edu/cost-and-aid/merit-based-scholarships
This list was compiled a while ago, and might not be up to date, although efforts are being made to keep it updated.
@mommdc I will look through that thread.
The Alabama FAQ answers W vs UW. https://scholarships.ua.edu/faq/ It says the highest one on the transcript wil be considered.
@lexluthor I have just started looking on the website of various schools. If I find anything I have been entering it into a spreadsheet. It is very hit or miss.
@mommdc It doesn’t matter where they are from as much as it matters if they are going home every weekend. We visited Shippensburg, which is only about 7% OOS. Every other person in the information session was from PA and many within 50 miles of the school.
We look at the OOS % as a starting point in evaluating whether or not the school is a potential “suitcase” school. Not sure if this is the right way to approach it or not. We are new to this whole “process:”. 
U of Maine Orono has automatic flagship matching tuition. They match your in-state flagship tuition. (Not sure if this school was mentioned already)
But here is where an honors college at a public school can help. They might attract students from other states because of the perks offered.
They want to have some ethnic and geographic diversity in their student profile.
@Dustyfeathers U of Maine is on the list. There was discussion earlier. I have flagship match noted in my spreadsheet, but haven’t quite confirmed if it applies to NY.
@DCNatFan agree. High in state is doable. A school where a high percentage go home on weekends would be a problem.
@mommdc yes, I’m trying to note schools with honors colleges. For example, U of Rhode Island honors requirement is 3.5 GPA/27 ACT. My daughter hits that. If she got into URI honors with say, $7-$10K merit, that would be a highly attractive option (assuming we have a good visit next week).
Also at any school there will be friends that go home on the weekends, others that don’t.
My S will be about an hour away, and not going home every weekend.
@mommdc I agree but it can vary greatly from school to school.