I need a true financial safety.

CUNY Baruch. Great school. Possibly Albany. If you got some merit and worked, you could (barely) reach your goal.

Oy. NYC area parents who refuse to travel west of the Mississippi.

This Iowa girl would like to remind you that if you pin down an affordable option in that far western cultural desert, YOU are the only one who would ever have to travel there. They can just stay home.

Rant over.

You might look at Temple U in Philadelphia. You’ll have no trouble being admitted but there’s no way to predict your merit award. Longer shots for big merit (i.e., full tuition) would be U Maryland, U Delaware, U South Carolina.

I’m not sure why OP would be so determined to graduate with zero debt. The federal student loans are capped at a reasonable amount for most hardworking graduates to handle. By graduation $27,000 will be less than the cost of a new economy car, which wouldn’t seem like an overwhelming purchase. An undergraduate degree will last a lot longer! I actually think students should be engaged in paying for their own education to the extent that they are able. Parents, too!

What about SUNY Geneseo? The SUNY colleges are a little less money than the universities.

$12,000 from your parents
$5500 student loan
$3000 summer job
You can work a few hours a week during the school year to make up the difference

I think you would get merit from Buffalo and some of the smaller SUNYs.

West Virginia U might give you merit for 33 ACT.

The EFC is $55k, but I have a twin brother going to school at the same time as me so it is split.

If you choose your duel enrollment courses well this senior year, you could enter as a freshman and graduate in 3 years (but you have to choose a university that will take all or most your classes.) Transfer students can get less aid but they also don’t pay for 2 years at the university.

Put it this way, with cc classes the next two years, with even only summer work the next 3 summers you could save your parents 12k and your 10k from work. That increases the yearly budget to 23k a year to finish at the university. 30k if you choose to take a student loan. Added bonus of graduating in 3 years post high school.

It’s a possible safety path.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. Honestly, I may cut some safeties out of my list now. If I’ll go into $25k+ in debt at one despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid, I’ll apply to Bama, Geneseo, Michigan State, and FSU, and shotgun a bunch of matches and reaches instead. I’d rather not have ten years of loans, and any amount of borrowed money does not help me become financially secure. My parents don’t own a credit card, and I don’t plan on getting one either. Our FAFSA EFC is $54,802, but I have a twin brother so it’s $27,401 each… unless it’s not. Anyway, I should’ve tried harder in school these past three years and pushed harder for the ADHD meds I so desperately needed. I was far from a motivated student, but I may have actually put in more effort if my parents told me September of freshman year rather than June of junior year that they couldn’t pay for anything other than room and some board. I’m lucky anyways, as they said they’ll take out stupid amounts of loans for my undergrad education as long as I take out the federal minimum per year. By the way, will I pay $60-70k as a junior transfer everywhere? Trying to figure out if it would be cheaper to do two years of CC instead of one. It sounds like simple math, but it is honestly pretty complicated for me.

OP- debt is a tool just like a hammer or a drill. Using a hammer to unclog a pipe is dumb, that’s not what it’s designed for. But using a hammer to bang a nail into the wall instead of your hand is the opposite of dumb.

Not owning a credit card is one thing. Refusing to consider a judicious amount of debt to get a Bachelor’s degree is something else. Lots of people become financially secure while paying off student loans- if someone has the goods to become a cardiologist (which involves borrowing-- and not the modest amounts people here are suggesting, but extraordinary amounts) but opts to become an ultrasound tech instead (no loans, start earning a wage within two years instead of the 14 years it takes to become a Board certified cardiologist) that doesn’t mean that it’s a better financial decision to become an ultrasound tech. Yes- year three, the tech is out-earning the med student. But the lifetime earnings of a cardiologist swamps that of the less well educated/less skilled medical person.

If it were me- I’d be looking hard at each of the CUNY’s. But if the social life doesn’t appeal to you, then make a ranked order of what you’re looking for, and then be prepared to compromise. Location? Amenities? Distance from home? Debt? Prestige?

Something’s got to give. You seem to be backing yourself into a corner here.

Thank you for the added info about the twin. Now…go back and do the Emory net price calculator and make sure you indicate TWO in college.

For Profile schools, your family contribution won’t be 50% of your EFC, it will be 60 % at most Profile schools.

You need to take a personal finance course. You will learn the difference between prudent loans and over extending yourself.

Graduating with zero debt is the ideal. Keeping debt to no more than the federal student maximum is simply being prudent. Even if you do end up borrowing federal loans, you might not need to take on that whole 27k. Happykid and several of her friends got through two years at the local CC and two years at an in-state U with only the junior & senior year loans.

If you are thinking of two years at a CC then transferring, you have to take into account your dual-enrollment and any AP and CLEP credits. Depending on your major, you might only need to pay for year at the CC and two more after transfer. Check the SUNY websites for information about articulation agreements for your likely major, and for information about transfer scholarships. The CC where you take your DE classes also should have a Transfer Advisor who can help you plan your coursework so as to optimize the likelihood of a successful affordable transfer.

Are you literally in NYC? I think a true financial safety would be commuting 2 years to CC and transfer somewhere within commuting distance. Throw your name in the ring on some places that might throw you some love, but I would absolutely have that as a backup. You might have more luck at some less prestigious privates like in the Midwest where they might want some geographic diversity and your stats would be high.

As someone who lives within walking distance of the Mississippi, I think the rule about staying east of the river is pretty ridiculous. It doesn’t sound like your parents are very engaged in this process. Do you have someone at school you can talk to?

I actually do think your attitude about debt is admirable and rare. But, I do think the federal student loan limits are a decent guideline and you would be ok if you did that.

Agree with suggestion to try some of the SUNY Colleges. My DD received a $5000/yr scholarship to New Paltz and my niece graduated from New Paltz in three years with her AP credits; also worked as a RA the last year to save even more.

Be very careful with a private school that might give need based aid while there are two in college, but not when the one sibling graduates.

You might be better off focusing on instate public schools, maybe even in commuting distance.

If a SUNY is around $20,000 and you would be able to get some merit, it might be affordable.

Sorry, just saw that the brother is a twin.

Yes, merit will be the goal for you and your brother. Because your parents probably don’t want to spend >$50,000 a year for the two of you.

At schools that guarantee to meet full need, it will be necessary for both you and your sibling to be in college together for your family contribution to be split. If, for some reason, your twin leaves school, your need based aid will be reduced by at least half. Just keep that in mind.

If your parents can pay the room portion at a SUNY for you and your brother, then you both can earn $3,000 in the summer and pay for the meal plan freshman year (rent a shared apartment the following years if cheaper); if you get a scholarship and take out the student loan, you can cover tuition and fees.

So please add a few SUNYs to the list.

It is very commendable that your parents use a cash economy and have no credit cards. How did you register for the SAT and ACT online without a credit card? Did they use a debit card?

You will need some form of online payment to submit your Profile, college applications, and SAT/ACT scores.

Debit cards have less consumer protection than credit cards.

Emory’s NPC said full pay even with the twin. Honestly, having manageable debt just to have good credit isn’t something I plan to do. I don’t want to buy cars, houses, or anything else on credit - I can get a manually underwritten mortgage as well IIRC.