<p>I'm almost 18. I'm in an alternative school where all work is done on NovaNet and you can work at your own pace. I need 9 and a half more credits by next May (at the latest August, but May would be great so I could attend that graduation, there's a graduation each severer). My principle said I could get all of those credits by May. I really want to go to college out of state. I need public transportation, and really want (need for me actually), new opportunities to meet people, both for dating and making friends. My little town sucks and most people are rude and stuck up. The ones who aren't want to leave too. 5 colleges I have in mind (I found out only the first two are public, the other three are private, but I won't rule them out yet), University of Washington, Portland State University, Boston University, New York University, and University of Denver. I don't know for sure what I want to major in, but I want to help people. People with metal, physical problems, troubled teens (I was bullied a lot before I transferred, I know how it feels, also I've had metal problems, although a lot of people do). I've never had a girlfriend so its important to me to have lots of opportunities to meet girls, so no colleges with more guys than girls. Like tech schools, which I don't want to go to anyway now. I rather be someone who can talk to people AND prescribe medicine (does anyone do both of those in the US?), or start my own alternative high school. How can I afford out of state tuition? My family isn't poor or rich. So I might not get alot of aid, I'm going to try to get done scholarships, but I know it'll only help a little, but every little bit counts. But I can't just take a bunch of student loans out with doubt that I can pay it all back. I want to live in a big metropolitan city. In small towns, everyone knows each other, not good. Even if I wanted to, there's no college in this town, except for a community college, but I want to go straight to 4 year, which is my I'm getting back on the recommend plan. Community college would also be more money when I can earn those credits for free in high school.</p>
<p>You don’t necessarily have to leave the state to have larger schools where you will meet more people. What state are you in?</p>
<p>For out of state public colleges, you usually can’t rely on aid beyond the student loan you are entitled to ($5,500 the first year) and any Pell Grant money if you are qualified for need based aid (up to $6,500). </p>
<p>Have your parents agreed to meet their EFC? For the private schools you mention, NYU doesn’t claim to meet need, so you might have a larger bill than you can afford. Not sure on BU, likely the same. If you have really good gpa and scores you might get some merit money.</p>
<p>Go to the Net Price Calculator on each college website to get an estimate of how much it will cost you. You will need your Parent’s income info. Get them to sit with you and work out the numbers, if possible.</p>
<p>All of,the schools on your list are going to be costly…$45,000-$60,000 a year. NYU and BU are in the $60k per year range. The others will be above $40,000 per year. None guarantee to meet full need…and they don’t. </p>
<p>You need to find out how much your parents are able and willing to contribute annually to your college costs. Then you need to sit with them and so,the net price calculators for those colleges. I’m suggesting doing this with them because you will need their income and asset information to complete the NPCs.</p>
<p>Also look on the websites to see if any of the schools offer guaranteed merit aid for your,SAT/ACT scores and GPA. I believe that BU and NYU do not offer any guaranteed merit awards…but maybe the others do.</p>
<p>Then check the stickie at the top of this forum for guaranteed merit awards…and see if you qualify for any of those.</p>
<p>OOS public universities typically do not offer much aid to OOS students as their mission is,to educate the kiddos of their tax paying residents. </p>
<p>You would be wise to look at one or more of the public universities in your state. You may find these to be affordable, and as noted above…most large universities offer a wealth of new people to meet. It doesn’t have to be out of state.</p>
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The vast majority of scholarship $ come from the colleges themselves. Select colleges where you have a chance of getting good financial aid (for need) or merit aid (for your accomplishments).</p>
<p>Consider nursing. Huge demand, good money, you help people, and there are lots of ways to go with that pathway. </p>
<p>Plus, at many of these schools women vastly outnumber men. :).</p>
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<p>Max Pell grant is $5645, if you have a 0 EFC</p>
<p>The net-price calculator can get a little sketchy though I feel. You can also apply for multiple private scholarships!</p>
<p>Sik…most “private scholarships” are for one year only. PLUS at most schools, those private scholarships will reduce your financial need,and therefore will reduce your need based aid.</p>
<p>The NPCs are not “sketchy”. They estimate potential aid from the school.</p>
<p>The way most students go to college out fo state, private colleges, sleep away colleges, is that their parents pay for all or enough of the cost to make it possible. Though financial aid is out there, getting enough to pay the full cost, including transportation, living expenses, books as well as tuition and fees is a long shot If your family is low income, low asset enough for you to qualify for financial aid, it has to be according the the college’s calculations and definitions, not yours or your family, and even then, only a few schools meet even that kind of need for all of their students. Those schools tend to be the most selective college too. If you have high test scores, have taken rigorous courses and done well on them, then you would be a good candidate for such colleges and also for merit scholarships at any number of schools Also the better you are in terms of academic excellence, the better your chances of getting a good financial aid package even from schools that do not meet full need for most of their students. You could then be that rare student at such schools to have full need met…</p>
<p>Ask your parents what they will pay each year towards college for you. Then get income and asset information and fill out some NPCs of schools that interest you and see how much they are expecting you and your family to pay. The problem is that gap.</p>
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<p>While their accuracy diminishes with more complicated family finances (divorce, remarriage, parents own a small business or have variable income, etc.), using them before applying is a lot less sketchier than applying blindly and hoping some college turned out to be affordable in April.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>I live in Texas</p>
<p>Sorry BrownParent, I can’t quote! How do I quote?</p>
<p>[ quote ]Message Here[ /quote ]
Remove the spaces between the brackets.</p>
<p>“What state are you in?”</p>
<p>I’m in Texas</p>
<p>I can’t get it to quote but I answered you brownparent</p>