So my parents arent paying for my college tuition and i know colleges dont usually help with those cases. Im a pretty good student and can get some merit based scholarships.
What are some good, cheap schools outside of new york (where i live) that have mechanical engineering (and maybe biomedical and chemical) and computer science
Depends on what your stats are. List them and people can come up with some viable options.
Sat 1520, gpa 94.5/100, take 11 aps
Sat 2s
Physics -710
MAth 2 -780
Will your parents contribute anything at all?
and are you a junior or senior?
Nope.
Senior
There is a thread in the financial aid forum that lists automatic scholarships for specific stats. Go to that forum, and read through it.
Will your parents pay anything? Cell phone bill? food/housong/utlilities/car if you live at home and commute? Health insurance? Will your parents file the FAFSA with you so that you can qualify for any federal or state aid? Or will you be absolutely, utterly on your own?
Yes, start at the end of the thread and work your way forward http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/2006094-2017-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html#latest
You are probably past many deadlines, so you’ll need to hurry. From that thread, It looks like Alabama Huntsville has a later deadline - be sure to check websites carefully
You are a senior whose parents will contribute nothing? Have you applied to any schools yet? Follow the advice given above… you may have missed the deadlines for merit.
Can you commute to a SUNY/CUNY school? The $5500 student loan combined with work earnings can make that possible. Do you qualify for merit at SUNY? Can you live at home?
Thank you all ill look into them. Yeah i applied to four
Look at applying for local scholarships (ask your guidance counselors if they know of any). Certain colleges will offer scholarships based on your grades in high school and standardized test scores, so check them all! I know you say you want to go out of state, but that might not be the most financially reasonable option. If worst comes to worst, loans are always an option. Work part-time while you are in college and minimize costs as much as you can.
@Hdiflfodj585902 , it is probably too late for the OP to apply to local scholarships, they are mostly small and only a one time thing. Worst comes to worst, take out loans? A first year student can only take out $5500.
If your grades convert to at least a 3.5 GPA, Tuskegee and Prairie View A&M look like full rides, from the list linked to in #9.
If your family income is less than $125k, you may qualify for the NYS Excelsior grant. That would cover your tuition. A summer job and/or the federal student loan would cover commuting costs. Will your parents let you live at home and commute?