<p>College Park is good for Theatre. Not a conservatory program, but a solid program.</p>
<p>Have you run NPC on college websites? What about a FAFSA forcaster? Most schools do not give much in the way of talent aid, and academic merit aid is generally for entering freshmen. Unless you are over 24 or meet the other criteria for being considered an independent student your parent’s finances will be taken into consideration when calculating a need based aid package. The school will not generally take into account what your family thinks they can pay, rather the school will calculate what they think you can pay. </p>
<p>FAFSA EFC is generally considered the very LEAST you should expect to pay for college costs. Most schools will gap a student (meaning that the student will have to pay more than the FAFSA EFC). </p>
<p>As a transfer student your SAT may not be considered at all for admissions or aid.</p>
<p>Even if you are willing to take 4 years to complete a program that does not mean you will be considered a “freshman” for admissions or aid purposes.</p>
<p>Generally speaking in-state public schools are going to be your best bet for completing your degree… particularly schools that will accept transfer credits from your CC, so you could complete your degree “on time.”</p>
<p>There is a poster from MD --happymomof1, I think. – Her D completed an associates at a MD CC and is now at a MD state school completing her degree. She would be a good person to reach out to for MD specific advice. </p>
<p>If you do not have “unlimited” funds for college (most do not!) You will have to be strategic in your college list and cost will likely be a significant factor in where you attend.</p>
<p>Private scholarships will likely not come close to helping you pay for college… most are non-renewable. the best aid comes from the colleges themselves, but this is not generally the case for transfer students. </p>
<p>The exception is schools that promise to meet full financial need for all students (even transfers), IF your family ends up with an EFC of “0” and has no significant assets, a family business, or a non-custodial parent (and/ or spouse) with a more significant income or assets that would raise the amount you and your family is expected to pay for college.</p>
<p>Even a “significant” scholarship from an expensive private or OOS public university is likely to be no more that $10,000 (particularly for a transfer student)… if the cost of attendance is $30,000 - $60,000 per year and you cannot afford more than $10,000 per year that $10,000 scholarship is still going to leave an insurmountable gap.</p>
<p>I do not say any of this to discourage you, but to empower you to ask the questions that will make it affordable for you to complete your education at a school with a program you would like to attend. They do exist!</p>
<p>All the best!</p>
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