<p>I come from a white family, coming from Iraq. I moved to the US about 4 years ago.
Here in the US my parents couldn't find very good jobs, and therefore don't make a lot of money (less that $19K total).</p>
<p>I am good in school, All AP classes, All A's, and I think I have a chance in making it to schools like Berkeley, WPI, Georgia Tech, and Carnegie Mellon (I'm applying to those along with a few others).</p>
<p>My question is this; am I delusional in thinking that If I get accepted to these schools, will I be able to get a substantial (or all) amount from federal aid, like FAFSA, Pell Grant, and others, other than the normal scholarships. Note that all of the schools I'm applying to are out of state (with the exception of University of South Carolina, and Clemson). And that the total tuition for these schools range from $40K, to $55K a year.</p>
<p>Most of the schools on your list do not meet 100% demonstrated need, so it will not be possible for you to get a full ride. </p>
<p>At Berkeley, the only financial aid that you will be eligible for is $5550 in Pell (provided you have a 0 EFC) and a $5500 stafford loans leaving you with a 40K GAP.</p>
<p>You are not in-state for GA tech.</p>
<p>Even for USC, while you may receive a lower tuition rate as an in-state student, you will not receive a “full ride.”</p>
<p>Have you taken the SAT/ACT?
Have you taken the PSAT? Are you a national merit finalist?</p>
<p>Federal aid is very limited and will not provide a full ride to even an instate public university other than perhaps a community college. As sybbie stated, the maximum Pell grant is $5550 a year whether you go to a school that costs $10,000 a year or that costs $50,000 a year. The maximum direct student loan for a freshman is $5500. There are a couple of other small federal programs with limited funding, but they depend are not guaranteed and even if you got them they would not anywhere near bridge the gap between the $11,050 Pell grant/direct loan and a $40-55k COA. So it is not possible to receive a full ride based on *Federal *aid (except to a CC as previously stated).</p>
<p>Only a very few schools promise to meet full need. They are generally private schools and are the hardest schools to get into. </p>
<p>State schools do not generally promise to meet full need even for their instate students. An OOS is charged a higher tuition and is unlikely to get their need met.</p>
<p>You need to focus on schools that promise to meet full need and schools where your stats would make you eligible for generous merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Think about it. Do you really think the federal gov’t has the money to give students $50k per year to go to college? That would be $200k for four years! No way! </p>
<p>No. Fed aid is very minimal. </p>
<p>You need to very carefully choose your schools based on what aid you’d get (either merit or need based). Some of your schools will not likely be affordable…like the UCs or GT.</p>
<p>What are your test scores? What is your GPA? What is your major?</p>
<p>I just finished sophomore year, I’m pretty sure I got a 5 in AP STATS, at least a 3 in AP World. taking AP Chem, Precal, AP Lit, and PLTW Engineering courses.
I have a 5.0 weighed (probably thanks to straight 100’s in AP World), and 4.0 unweighed.
I think I can roll in a 1200 SAT. And I plan to major in Computer Engineering.</p>
<p>In this case what colleges should I be looking at. My EFC will most likely be 0.
And will my scores be able to get merit scholarships. I just don’t want to be burdened with debt for the rest of my life.</p>
<p>The only reason I got that crazy idea of federal aid is because my father is doing BA in Accounting and All free at Western Governors University. Which I know isn’t that great an all, but… I’m just trying to wrap my head around this.</p>
<p>(1) Schools that guarantee to meet 100% of need with no loans. See the list [here[/url</a>]. These tend to be highly competitive schools - so, if your stat’s are good, you’ve got a chance of being admitted, but there’s no guarantee.</p>
<p>The money you’re looking for comes from the school itself - not the government and not some outside scholarship that you have to apply for (although some schools have their own scholarships that require separate applications and you should try for those).</p>
<p>You came here from Iraq 4 years ago? Do you have a green card or are you a U.S. citizen? If you don’t have one of these, you are NOT eligible for any federally funded need based aid. You would not be eligible to complete the FAFSA for federal aid consideration.</p>
<p>The only reason I got that crazy idea of federal aid is because my father is doing BA in Accounting and All free at Western Governors University. Which I know isn’t that great an all, but… I’m just trying to wrap my head around this.</p>
<p>Your dad is likely commuting from HOME, and if this is an instate public, the tuition is likely very low. Just looked…the tuition is under $6000 per year. So a full Pell Grant and maybe a little SEOG or something is covering TUITION. Your dad isn’t getting enough “free money” to pay for room and board…nor is he being given enough to private univ or an out of state public. </p>
<p>It sounds like you have at least a green card.</p>
<p>You really need to strive for higher than a 1200 Math + CR SAT for a few reasons. One, a 1200 isn’t high enough for some of the schools that interest you, nor is it high enough for some engineering schools. Also, a 1200 isn’t high enough for merit scholarships at eng’g schools. Finally, a 1200 isn’t high enough for most of the schools that give great aid.</p>
<p>You need to be striving for over a 1400 M+CR SAT.</p>
Looking at the WGU website, the tuition for 6 months is less than $3000. So yes, federal aid will cover this. Also as an independent student, your dad will have higher loan limits than you will. And presumably he is living at home so his school costs will just be tuition and books. </p>
<p>Not only is the tuition at the schools you are talking about a lot more expensive, but you would have living and travel expenses as well. Federal aid will not cover the full cost of expensive schools. Going out of state is a luxury and federal aid is not intended to pay for luxuries, just to help with the basics (and does not cover that in many cases). As mentioned before, the maximum pell for a 0 EFC student is $5550 a year and the maximum federal direct loan for a freshman dependent student is $5500.</p>
<p>Western Governor’s is a not-for-profit online university. Yes, OP’s dad can live at home, and technically, he doesn’t even have to commute. As other’s have said, it’s entirely possible for a 0 efc student to cover most costs for this school with federal aid.</p>
<p>Thank you all very much this helped me a lot as to what colleges I should bee looking at.
Regarding my citizenship status, I can apply for citizenship status this december.
And as to the National Merit, I think I can make the semi finalist, but will try my best.
And No I only had two AP Classes in Sophomore year, I will though have 6-7 AP classes junior year.
For now that is all but I will be back in a week after getting a good list of colleges that have computer engineering (my major), and good merit and need based stats that I can get.
So if there is a way to close this thread that’d be fine.</p>