Unfortunately, this only makes you independent for federal aid.
Many schools that give their own institutional aid already have mechanisms in place that you will not be independent for institutional aid until you are 26 even if you have other life events-(barring death of a parents, ward of the court situations) that otherwise make you independent.
Here’s the thing: if merely choosing not to pay for our kids’ college would mean that someone else would pay for it, then no one would choose to pay.
Opting out isn’t a choice. I’m so sorry that your parents seem to think it is.
I’m sorry about not replying for so long. Even though this is very late, maybe this will be able to clear some things up.
I’m in Michigan. I have a 4.00 in all trimesters. I haven’t taken the ACT but my SAT superscore is a 1510, and my highest composite is a 1480. I am a National Merit Semifinalist and have yet to hear about whether or not I will advance to Finalist. I have about 4 or 5 college credits both from dual enrollment and other programs.
Your stats are worth some good money. How do you feel about Alabama? Oklahoma? New Mexico?
Do you have a major in mind?
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/ might help you, but verify scholarships on school web sites, since some may have changed.
I’m hoping to major in biomedical engineering, but neuroscience is my second choice - so I’m mostly looking at schools that offer both (in case I change, or double major). Alabama doesn’t have either (from what’s listed on their website), Oklahoma doesn’t have neuroscience, and NM doesn’t have either. Again, this is from what’s listed as majors on their respective websites - I know some schools (which I’ve looked more deeply into) have complex major setups so that these aren’t necessarily listed, but are still offered.
Right now part of my problem is that a lot of the schools I’m looking at - I’m applying to 14 - are private schools, which don’t give much even for National Merit. I guess I do want no debt, but I can’t help also wanting a - at least somewhat - prestigious school.
You can only borrow ~$5500/year. How are you planning to pay for the colleges on your list? Do you have any financial safeties?
Do you have an affordable safety, perhaps one with an automatic National Merit based scholarship that will put the price clearly into the affordable range?
Applying to fourteen prestigious schools you can’t afford is magical thinking.
Cheap schools are not prestigious. Apply to some while you still have a chance to go somewhere besides community college next year.
Sorry, yes! I wasn’t clear about that. Not all 14 are prestigious. Among them are Auburn and Baylor, both of which have offered me very substantial scholarships right off the bat - in fact (Baylor accepted me today!) Baylor offered me $80K straight up . . . not even for National Merit.
So yes, I do have affordable schools on my list! However, Auburn has neither BME nor neuroscience, and while Baylor does offer (only) neuroscience, you are not accepted until your sophomore year, and only if you meet certain grade requirements. I’m not TOO concerned about meeting the standards, but that was a major reason I was more interested in schools that offered both majors - in case I decide to change.
I’m also applying to Boston U, Hillsdale, Northwestern, Purdue, Swarthmore, Syracuse, U Mich, UW Madison, Vanderbilt, USC, and Wash U.
Baylor is 60,000 a year. I presume your 80,000 scholarship is 20,000 per year? Where does the extra 40,000 per year come from?
You need a low-ranking, super-cheap for your stats, admissions and financial safety.
University of Alabama Birmingham has neuroscience and BME, but not a full ride automatic scholarship. Still, their 15K scholarship off a 40K out of state price is better than what you have at Baylor so far.
University of Arizona has large (but not full-ride) merit and your proposed majors. Should come in under 20K for your stats.
Will your parents loan you 20K per year? Because the banks won’t. What do your community college options look like?
Are you in-state for Purdue, U Mich, or UW Madison? Will they give a full ride for NMSF?
UT Dallas has both biomedical engineering and neuroscience degrees plus an almost-full-ride automatic scholarship for NMF.
To help others help you, can you mention whether your parents will contribute anything and, if so, how much?
Realistically, you can only take out a federal direct loan ($5,500 first year) and earn a few thousand dollars from part time work during the school year and summer work. So your net price after scholarships needs to be below about $10,000 plus whatever your parents’ contribution is (if any). If your parents’ contribution is $0, you need more than a full tuition scholarship, or a full tuition scholarship to a school with very low living expenses.
Looks like, out of your in-state Michigan publics, MTU, UM-AA, UM-D, and WSU offer biomedical engineering. You may want to investigate whether any of them have large enough merit scholarships.
Baylor is a full-tuition school for NMF but you will still have $13,000 for room and board.
USC’s NMF scholarship is only 1/2 tuition. Still mucho money.
Have you looked at Univ of Arizona or Arizona State? Not sure deadline on ASU but U of A was late deadline last year and near full ride for NMF.
Don’t stubbornly look for BiomedE as a major. That’s short sighted. No career path requires that major.
What is your career goal? Majors like chemE or mechE can get you to the same goal.
Eliminating huge merit schools because they don’t have biomedE or neuroscience is being extremely short sighted. Neuroscience is another major that isn’t needed for any career path.
You have a lot of unaffordable schools on your list. What’s the point of getting a large award if you can’t pay the rest??
You mention Auburn’s award as if it’s large. It’s not even close to what you need. To exclude alabama who has a much larger OOS nmf award is naive. You don’t need to major in BiomedE or neuro. Neither major is marketable with just a bachelors degree. There are no grad programs that only accept those majors.
U Toledo has good pharmacy, health science and engineering programs. They give good scholarships.
WVU might give you a big scholarship.
UCF
Michigan State
Temple
U Scranton or U Dayton
U Delaware
University of Pittsburgh has great neuroscience and engineering with co-op program. You might get merit there if you have top class rank.
Apply to some of these, but keep some safeties like UA and esp UAB in play.
Right now part of my problem is that a lot of the schools I'm looking at - I'm applying to 14 - are private schools, which don't give much even for National Merit. I guess I do want no debt, but I can't help also wanting a - at least somewhat - prestigious school.Sorry, yes! I wasn’t clear about that. Not all 14 are prestigious. Among them are Auburn and Baylor, both of which have offered me very substantial scholarships right off the bat - in fact (Baylor accepted me today!) Baylor offered me $80K straight up . . . not even for National Merit.
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So yes, **I do have affordable schools on my list! ** However, Auburn has neither BME nor neuroscience, and while Baylor does offer (only) neuroscience, you are not accepted until your sophomore year, and only if you meet certain grade requirements. I’m not TOO concerned about meeting the standards, but that was a major reason I was more interested in schools that offered both majors - in case I decide to change.
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Please explain HOW auburn or Baylor are affordable. Please explain how you would cover the remaining costs after their merit awards. Auburn’s net cost and Baylor’s net cost after merit would be substantial yet you’re saying that they’re affordable. Auburn has seriously reduced its nmf award. You’d have to pay at least $25k per year…how is that affordable??
How can that be when your parents won’t pay and you can only borrow $5500?? How will the rest of the costs be covered?
You remind me of other students who post who are in similar situations. They look at a “large merit award” and then assume the school is affordable without doing the math and seeing that after that merit award is subtracted from the total cost, you still have $25k+ more to pay each year. Where will that money come from?
I'm also applying to Boston U, Hillsdale, Northwestern, Purdue, Swarthmore, Syracuse, U Mich, UW Madison, Vanderbilt, USC, and Wash U.
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Why? Why are you wasting your money applying to schools that you know will not be affordable??
I would suggest adding the University of Cincinnati to your list. They do give some scholarships (not automatic) and will give up to a full ride. They give up to 60 NMF scholarships that cover in-state tuition and room, but would leave you on the hook for the ~$15,000 fee for the OOS supplement, which is too much for you. However, with their co-op program in engineering, you would potentially be able to earn money to help pay for the extra costs once you start working. Ask your parents if they’d float you the first year’s costs?
Also look at the University of Mississippi. They have stacking scholarships which could get your costs down low. They offer EE With an emphasis in biomedical. I agree with others who say that you don’t need an undergrad in Biomedical engineering. Go with something broader like EE or MechE (which is also more marketable as just a BS in case you do’nt go to grade school) and then get the Biomed or go for neuroscience in grad school.
Thank you everyone for all this help.
I have no engineers in my direct family so I didn’t realize that BME and neuroscience were so not marketable. I will start looking more into Mechanical! How plausible does a major in mechanical and a minor in one of the others (BME or neuroscience) sound? Will that be too much to handle? Will the minor even be worth it in the working world/grad school? This kind of thing is hard to figure out the usefulness of from colleges themselves - obviously they want to make ALL their majors sound fantastic for careers.
I am in Michigan, which definitely shoots U Mich close to the top of my list.
My parents have volunteered to pay for books, and housing - if I live on campus (which therefore, I almost certainly will do). They’ve been somewhat unclear and aren’t giving a definite answer on whether they will pay for food - I’m guessing it will probably depend largely on how much they’re shelling out for housing, how much of a scholarship I get, etc. So tuition is going to be my largest concern.
This is why I said Baylor (who gives full tuition for NMF) is affordable. Auburn - although they only offer $1-2K per year for NM, also have OOS academic scholarships I qualify for that could get me $8-$15K per year.
I also didn’t know that the maximum loan was $5500; thank you for making me aware of that!
I have hoped to do some sort of co-op program, but my parents told me that they only let students with demonstrated financial need participate in that, which again, is not something I could take advantage of. I will probably work, although I’m sure that won’t chop too much off the final cost.