My school guidance counselors have been of no help to me. I am looking for help understanding how to pay for college and how much financial aid and scholarships you think I will be eligible for.
I live with my single mother. I have two younger siblings. My father doesn’t pay child support and my mother makes around $17,000/year. There is no way she can contribute almost anything for me to go to college especially with my brother also entering the year after me. Her credit is also pretty poor.
I have decent grades (93.000 average halfway through my junior year and has been steadily increasing ) and have been projected to score around an 1800 on the SAT. How much should I receive for financial aid and scholarships? I have always wanted to go to Boston University but I’m not sure if it is at all affordable.
It’ll vary wildly, depending on the schools you’re looking at. Financial aid is likely to be substantial if you go to a meets-all-need school, but keep in mind that they can use loans/work study/etc to meet your need. For merit aid, you’ll need to go to a school where you’re in the top percentiles of accepted students (typically with regard to GPA and SAT/ACT).
As far as external scholarships go, both your GPA and SAT are fine. What matters significantly more is extracurricular and community service involvement.
First, a question - you say your father doesn’t pay child support, but is he in your lives at all? Do you have contact with him? And, if so, how much money does he make? It’ll make a difference, even if he doesn’t pay support.
Second, about that “predicted” SAT score, you need to start prepping for the SAT. Now. Get yourself over to the SAT/ACT forums here on CC and find out what you need to do to prepare for the test. And then take the SAT as soon as possible - this year! Don’t wait until next fall. You may need to take it more than once to get your score up, so start now. And if you have trouble prepping for the SAT, try the ACT. Some people do better on one than the other.
Bottom line is that if you don’t have money, it’s your GPA and test score that will pay for college for you - either by getting you generous merit aid awards, or by getting you into a school that provides generous need-based aid.
You should look into Questbridge Program which would help you find a school and ways to pay for it. Also look at the big scholarships for low income students like Coke or Gates. Bother your guidance counselors. A LOT. Apply for everything local - Elks, Rotary, service organizations. It’s a lot of work, so start early.
But doesn’t Coke have a need based component? The others have other requirements too, like minority status, academic achievement, talents, but still worth looking into everything.
Garnering a bunch of one-year local scholarships is not what this student needs. The most generous assistance comes from the colleges themselves, and that’s what she or he needs to focus on.
Yes,I have contact with my father. But he’s not in my life more than happy birthday and Merry Christmas. I’m not sure how much money he makes. He owns a small business.
I have taken the PSAT.
I live in Maine.
I have been prepping for the SAT and I am taking it in April.
So you may have trouble getting a waiver from having to provide your dad’s info and having his income and assets considered in your FA package at any school that looks at non- custodial parent information. I agree that SAT prep and GPA will be key for you.
@gtgonewrong O’k Franklin County meant free board at UMF. Native American =free tuition at all Maine colleges I think which is why I asked. Your closest Maine school in Orono? What is your major?
@gearmom I am about a half hour away from Orono. And yes I believe that is true about the Native Americans. And I am leaning towards either communications or journalism
This will take a little investigating and I will get back to you but l’m pretty confident that you can get to an affordable option in Maine. UMaine at Farmington is free to apply to with scholarships for merit and instate students. Look there first. It is a very good regional LAC.