<p>I don't truly understand how money and college work. </p>
<p>Can families who have incomes ~ 50,000 find ways to afford to send their children out of state, even across the country? Will scholarships, loans and money from universities be enough for a student to live off of for four years with minimal/no help from home? </p>
<p>Or do finances limit a student as far as ensuring the student has a full ride with excess in scholarships/loan money to give the student money to live off of? </p>
<p>Personally, I would love to go to a school in D.C (American, GWU, Georgetown)</p>
<p>What can i do to start financing a school that's out of state? I'm from IL. </p>
<p>28 ACT
3.93 UW GPA, 4.6 W GPA
Several EC's </p>
<p>^^^ </p>
<p>What beyond that can i do to try to make this a reality?</p>
<p>Georgetown is private, as I believe GWU and American are as well (not entirely sure, and yes I know it’s easy to look up), so the tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state.</p>
<p>The thing is that the schools that “meet need” (determined by family income and assets) often require very high stats. Even schools that “meet need” will require your parents to pay a determined share unless they’re low income. </p>
<p>American and GWU don’t meet need. </p>
<p>In truth, most kids can’t afford to go away to school. The aid isn’t often out there. Most schools don’t have enough money to help students. </p>
<p>mom2collegekids is right. You can try retaking the ACT for a higher test score (a 28 won’t make you competetive at any school that meets need) or getting a summer job of some sort.</p>
<p>Your stats will produce a good merit scholarship at UA Birmingham, leaving about $10,000 of net cost per year.</p>
<p>You may want to look for the “full tuition” and “full ride” merit scholarship threads.</p>
<p>Some super selective schools will give nearly full rides with need-based aid for students from families of your income level if you get in – but an ACT of 28 makes that unlikely. Some other schools that are less selective do offer competitive full ride scholarships for students who may otherwise have a chance of admission to the super selective schools.</p>
<p>But it is true that most college students commute to the local community college or state university.</p>
<p>Some colleges are need-blind in admissions and claim to meet 100% of demonstrated need ([Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)). These schools range from selective to super selective “crap shoots”. With your stats, you’d probably have a fair to very good shot at the following need-blind, full-need private schools:</p>
<p>Bates College
Beloit College
Boston College
Brandeis University
College of the Holy Cross
Emory University
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Knox College
Lawrence University
Trinity College
University of Miami
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
Wake Forest University</p>
<p>Some of the other need-blind, full-need schools (like Georgetown) might be worth an application, but your chances would be much lower.</p>
<p>I’ve taken the ACT twice. Once, the national test in February and got a 28. (24E 27M, 33R, 28S, 9W) and for IL’s state achievement test no writing 28:(27E 27M,30R,28S)</p>
<p>I’m signed up for the test in June, and would taking it in September/October be recommended? if need be? </p>
<p>Would a thirty cut it? or would 31-32 make things much more certain? </p>
<p>And do you have any advice for schools in IL? </p>
<p>I really don’t want to end up at depaul or UIC (where most of my school’s graduating seniors who go to college go) </p>
<p>I’m interested in UIUC and U of Chicago (high reach there)</p>
Bowdoin is test-optional and therefore also a reasonable option for the OP; his/her GPA is very good. Bowdoin provides excellent financial aid and is one of the few that eliminated loans for all students.</p>
<p>ACT of 32 gets you the full tuition scholarship at UA Tuscaloosa, leaving about $10,000 per year of costs. ACT of 30 gets that plus $2,500 if you are an engineering major.</p>
<p>ACT of 31 gets you the full tuition scholarship at UA Huntsville, leaving about $10,000 per year of costs. ACT of 34 gets you the full ride scholarship there.</p>
<p>$10,000 per year may be doable if you get a Stafford loan and a decent summer or school year (possibly work-study if offered) job. There may also be frugality opportunities at some schools where you can cut costs by living in a cheaper dorm or off-campus housing, or cheaper or no meal plan (if you like to cook).</p>
<p>You may want to consider the SAT, since some students do better on the SAT than on the ACT (or vice-versa).</p>
<p>Going to school out-of-state is overrated. You don’t have to see your parents (or people from high school) all of the time just because you live near home…but it certainly can make things more convenient.</p>
<p>Clearly you do have “noimagination”. A high school senior has lived his entire life where his parents planted him and this is a first opportunity to possible live somewhere else. It may not be a financial reality for some but the chance to choose to live somewhere else is hardly overrated.</p>
<p>It’s a five year mentoring program that helps students get in/progress through and after college. </p>
<p>The first meeting just happens to be June 2nd 9-12 </p>
<p>so thats out. </p>
<p>And no imagination, </p>
<p>My high school lacks… that intellectual vibe. </p>
<p>Or i could deal with some normal people who don’t feel the need to scream and curse down hallways at the top of their lungs… </p>
<p>along with security staff who insist that even though i’m known as one of the smartest, respectful students at my school that they think i was the one smoking in the bathrooms… (the list goes on and on and on) </p>
<p>(the only intelligent conversations i have are the ones with my teachers) </p>
<p>And on an unrelated note… </p>
<p>does anybody ever see the word “patronage” to mean something a monetary gift? thats how my Lang&Comp teacher explained it rather than what i believe it means using a higher position to give favors/jobs </p>
<p>Honestly, i got to find out what a square was a couple of weeks back… I want out</p>
<p>*I’m signed up for the test in June, and would taking it in September/October be recommended? if need be? </p>
<p>Would a thirty cut it? or would 31-32 make things much more certain? </p>
<p>And do you have any advice for schools in IL? </p>
<p>I really don’t want to end up at depaul or UIC (where most of my school’s graduating seniors who go to college go) *</p>
<p>A 30 would be better…a 32 would even be better. you also need to take the SAT because many schools just use the M+CR sections so if you study those two and do well, you can get good merit that way.</p>
<p>If you major in engineering or Comp Sci at Bama, then you only need a 30 and a 3.5 to get free tuition plus the 2500 (eng’g bumps an ACT 30 to full tuition and gives the 2500 per year). </p>
<p>If you don’t major in Eng’g, then you’d need an ACT 32 and the 3.5 for free tuition. You have to apply before Dec 1st and the app goes live in July.</p>
<p>Publics in Illinois are often pretty bad about merit scholarships. Some of the privates (DePaul and Loyola) might give some merit for “tuition reduction” but your remaining costs will still be high.</p>
<p>UIUC is not going to be affordable - the cost of attendance is about $27,000 or more (depending on your major), and there’s very little aid available.</p>
<p>The other state universities are not a whole lot cheaper for residential students.</p>
<p>What can your parents realistically afford? That’s the starting point. It might come down to, realistically, two years at a community college, working and saving money, then two years at a state school living off-campus.</p>
<p>That’s been a consideration, not a preferred one, but one nevertheless. </p>
<p>My college counselor knows my financial situation and hasn’t presented that to me as the only option yet. I was given a list of universities and she chose many of the 100% need basing ones for me to look into, (BC, Grinell, Davidson) so i’m unsure what intentions her advice was trying to steer me towards.</p>
<p>And “what my parents can afford” isn’t going to be much of anything. So basically, it’s all on what i can come up with. My parents have good credit? yeah, thats about it. So it is all on me.</p>
<p>My intended major is either political science or public policy (if they offer it at the school i’m going to for undergrads)</p>
<p>I believe my EFC if that’s what you’re referring to is roughly 3,500-4,000? </p>
<p>Where my parents are coming up with four grand is beyond me, Unless i did the Calculations wrong. I will have to have my Counselor help me with that.</p>