<p>I'm currently in New York and I absolutely love the environment. I've wanted to go to NYU or Columbia for the longest time. My biggest fear is the COST. I'm from California and I'm not sure how much financial aid I am eligible for or how I will be able to pay for everything. My family income is under 40,000 & I have a 4.36 GPA. I'm a junior in high school. Is it possible to go to NYU and not go completely broke? </p>
<p>Columbia gives much better need-based aid than NYU. Use the online net price calculators to estimate your costs. </p>
<p>Great thank you I’ll look into that </p>
<p>NYU is very expensive and it is rare to get most costs covered–it is not a meets full need school and does do rarely. Also they have gpa requirements to retain scholarships and it is very sad when people come here who lose the scholarship and have to leave. Columbia will be all need based but it is very hard to get into. Look at Barnard also. Fordham is there too. Use those NPCs. If you get into meets full need schools you may be okay. Don’t forget most schools won’t include the health insurance you may likely have to buy (except UCs) and the additional airfare home for holidays and when the school is closed.</p>
<p>But don’t neglect to apply widely instate. UC will be very affordable for you.</p>
<p>Spend a bit of time to learn how financial aid works. There is a financial aid forum with some info pinned at the top.</p>
<p>You’re a junior when school starts? Good - you have time to really study for the standardized tests. Do your best on those and finding aid will be easier.</p>
<p>If you want NYC you might want to also consider Fordham where you might get merit aid if you keep up those grades and do well on the standardized tests. You should look at both the Rose Hill (traditional campus in the Bronx) and Lincoln Center (small campus in Lincoln Center) campuses while you are in NY. If you are female you might consider Barnard as well.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! Great advice :)</p>
<p>NYU’s net price calculator at <a href=“Estimate Your Cost”>http://www.nyu.edu/financial.aid/misc/npc/</a> estimates a $33,401 net price for your situation. That seems to be quite unaffordable if you do not get merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Columbia’s net price calculator at <a href=“Estimate Your Net Cost | Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing”>https://cc-seas.financialaid.columbia.edu/npc</a> estimates a $5,400 net price for your situation. That is much more affordable in that you can cover it with either a federal direct loan (up to $5,500) or some student work earnings (the net price calculator suggests $3,000, possibly through work-study).</p>
<p>Also consider Cooper Union, NYU-Poly (more merit aid available) and Stevens (just across the river in Hoboken & also with big merit scholarships) if you’re interested in engineering. Oh, and St. John’s is in Queens. And there are CUNYs all over. However, I’m not sure you’d be able to get good fin aid at most of these colleges mentioned here besides Columbia. HOWEVER, if you’re a National Merit Finalist/Semi-finalist, you could get a full-tuition scholarship at Fordham (check their website). Really study to do well on the PSAT.</p>
<p>In any case, you can always move to NYC after graduation. Living in NYC is much more fun if you have a good-paying job giving you money to spend than if you’re a poor broke college student, IMO.</p>
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<p>Note that Polytechnic Institute of New York University is now fully merged in as New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering. As such, PINYU’s formerly better financial aid seems to no longer be available.</p>