''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…" This is absolutely not true. Definitely look into the University of Cincinnati - great engineering co-op program.
^^^
OP may be confusing co-op programs with work-study.
if they pay for room and board and books that makes a huge difference. a full tuition merit scholarship will set you up in good shape.
I think you qualify right now for full-tuition at UAH and they are solid with engineering. It might be a good idea to lock it in now as an affordable option:
https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/scholarships
why not Michigan State?
UT-Dallas was a good suggestion, definitely look into them.
you can get full-tuition or very close to it at Ole Miss:
https://finaid.olemiss.edu/scholarships/#8
you are wasting a lot of time and $$$ applying to schools you cannot afford. unless your parents will relent and pay for a “name” or “elite” school, your time and $ are better spent researching possibilities like UAH, Alabama, Ole Miss, UTD, MSU, WVU, Cincinnati, etc. and ya gotta hurry before you miss the application deadlines for some automatic merit scholarships
If your parents will pay $10-15k that would be very generous!
If you could get free tuition somewhere, then your loan and summer work earnings would pay for meal plan, fees, and books (you can save money by renting or buying used in some cases).
For engineering the most important aspect is that the program is ABET accredited, and facilitates research and internships or coops related to your studies.
So don’t be afraid to go go a school that is less “prestigious”, but is willing to give merit for high stats.
See if your parents can qualify for AOTC education credit. If you have tuition covered, they can still claim it for books and fees. They would claim this on their taxes. I think married filing jointly can earn up to $160,000 before it phases out.
http://www.utoledo.edu/engineering/co-op-and-careers/
Here is some info about U Toledo coop
I don’t think mom2 was saying BME isn’t marketable - though it’s pretty specific - she’s saying you can do BioE work with a regular Mech-E degree as well. And that’s offered at a lot more schools.
Neuroscience, at many schools, is a concentration rather than a major, and some schools have a different name for the major. Failing that, many schools would let you create your own major/concentration in it - it’s mostly Bio and BioChem and Psych with some neuro-specific courses. That could work, depending what you think you’d like to do with it.
As m2ck said, you don’t need to pursue biomed undergraduate degree only. In fact, it is very possible that you pursue chemical engineering and pursue BioMed engineering in GRADUATE programs.
Ok, in that case, a full tuition merit scholarship is likely to be sufficient, assuming that they made the promise to pay for housing and books knowing how much it likely costs ($10k to $20k, varies by college and whether meal plan is included, but a federal direct loan and some work earnings should probably cover any shortfall).
If you are willing to do mechanical or chemical or other engineering (probably better job prospects than biomedical engineering anyway), then you should have lots of options. But not if you insist on wasting applications to schools that will not offer enough scholarship money.
Start your list with one or more safeties that you like, that have your desired majors, and that offer automatic full tuition or better scholarships for your NM status or stats:
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/ (section 1)
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20798968/#Comment_20798968
Then you can add reach schools where the full tuition or better scholarships are competitive:
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/ (section 2)
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
Verify all scholarships on college web sites, because some of them may have changed since these listings were made.
One of our kids really, really wanted to go to a prestigious school. She had a very hard time coming to terms with our low budget.
Despite acceptances to some prestigious unaffordable to prestigious affordable but with much pain schools, she reluctantly took the full ride at U of Kentucky.
It’s working out very well for her. All of the angst from a 2 years ago, during application season senior year in HS, is in the rear view mirror.
She has a lot more options and freedom, without financial worries.
She really is making the most of the school she’s attending. Bloom where you are planted.
micec1357
Congrats to your high stats and acceptances!!! All of us parents are rooting for you.
I am not giving your own parents the benefit of the doubt. The parents on here are dedicated and so maybe they can’t fathom another parent behaving like that. But, the same thing happened to me regarding my high income parents not helping. The system is not set up this situation and it really is hard not to be bitter. So, now that my own parents are old, they want me to help them! Your parents aren’t thinking about THIER own future!
Ok Parents are not legally obligated to help. But, one day they will need your help!
Ok, I jut read that your parents will pay for your dorm. That is something. Maybe they aren’t so bad. Did you show them what we were saying? :))
Haha, I have read a number or replies to them, but mostly technical replies about finance or majors - nothing about fairness or unfairness . . . I don’t want them to revoke what they have already offered!!
Yes, contributing to books and dorms, etc. is something I’m realizing more and more to be the better half, because although a number of colleges offer full tuition for NM, very few offer full rides!
Wayne State would give you basically full tuition+ 5k towards R&B for being NMF: https://wayne.edu/scholarships/president/
They have BME
Please check the requirements at the colleges to which you apply. MANY colleges require freshmen residing in the dorms to have a meal plan. Lots of colleges require that freshmen live on campus…and have a meal plan. Your parents (or someone) might be required to pay for food if you reside in a dorm.
Some schools don’t have room for students to stay in dorms after frosh year. Are your parents saying that they’ll only pay for housing if you’re in a dorm? If so, that could mean that you’ll be SOL after the first year.
I believe all the schools to which I am applying have dorms for all four years, but yes, they have said they will only pay for housing when I am in dorms.
OP-A couple of points in follow-up:
- Be sure to look into Baylor's special scholars weekend event. I believe it you attend you get an extra $2K but it also puts you in the running for a more generous scholarship. You have to apply or sign up for it (can't remember since it has been a couple of years since one of my students has done it).
- I agree that it is better to be an ME major with a BME minor. My DD attends a major engineering college and many of her friends regret majoring in BME, just not the same internship and job opportunities for the undergrad BMEs. You haven't mentioned what speciality you might want to go into for BME, but you could definitely adapt your ME to concentrate on a BME emphasis. Make sure your engineering program is ABET approved. Look at the website www.collegemajors101 for a list of ABET schools. Also look at the college profiles under publication for the American Society of Engineering Education, https://www.asee.org/papers-and-publications/publications/college-profiles You can learn more about each major at those colleges.
- Although private scholarships are harder money to get, for my engineering students it seems like they are more successful than other students in being awarded private scholarships. Between December to March is when most applications for private scholarships are due. Do some research and find those given to STEM students both locally and nationally. Here is a list to get you started. https://www.engineergirl.org/GetThere/Scholarships.aspx Some here on CC may say you need financial need for private scholarships but that has not been my experience for STEM applicants. My DD has been successful with private scholarships. It is not a given but if you have what they are looking for then it can be successful.
4.You parents are wrong about co-ops. My DD has done 3 of them and it really has helped her pay for college. I suggest when applying at colleges you look their career services office and co-op/internship opportunities. For example, Alabama (both campus suggested) have great merit and the engineering students I know who have gone there have had profitable co-ops. Also look at Ohio State, with the National Buckeye and Provost scholarships my students have found it affordable.
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believe all the schools to which I am applying have dorms for all four years
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Auburn doesnt. Recently they didn’t even have dorms for all frosh. They may now have them for all frosh.
I doubt Purdue has dorms for all four years. Publics often do not.
I agree many large public Us do not have dorms for four years. Be sure to confirm what is available. Investigate the cost of off campus housing.
Off campus housing for WSU is cheap but I’m pretty sure there’s enough on-campus for all 4 years.