Merit aid, transfers, and more

Paying for College
1

<p>howdy!</p>

<p>I'm an older(much) student, and I'm attending a 4-year college. I just finished my first semester at college, with 6 courses, and a 4.0 GPA. I also won a scholarship/award for some Freshman writing this year. </p>

<p>My college doesn't have any non-racial merit societies, and few merit grants/scholarships other than those offered privately or through the state (TX).</p>

<p>So my question is: Is it feasible to transfer after I finish the 2nd semester, and if so how the heck would I pay for a school which wants $17K/semester (compared to my $3K/semester now)? </p>

<p>Ideas? Full Pell is going to be what- $5,750 for 2011-2012? Independent student Federal loans will be another $11,000 (yay...) That would cover tuition, but not books, or fees, for just 1 semester. Dangit. Oh, and Rice says it's not awarding loans for students with families that makes less than $80,000 (family- what's that?)</p>

<p>on Jan 1st I'm going to send off my FAFSA to a list of schools I'm interested in and see what comes back. But there has to be some way for me to get the funding I need to attend these schools. </p>

<p>On the flip side- I'm applying for an science organization where I am now that awards several thousand to 100+ students a year, as long as the intend on graduating from the school. This would def. help my situation, but I feel would deny me the education I really want. </p>

<p>Or is this just some pipe dream at my age (pushing 40)? Should I just be happy going to the university I'm at now, and forget about these other schools?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>One of the schools I'm keen on is Rice University.</p>

2

<p>Unless you’re awarded amazing aid, you need to stay put.</p>

<p>*Oh, and Rice says it’s not awarding loans for students with families that makes less than $80,000 (family- what’s that?)</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>Rice doesn’t put loans for students with families making less than $80k. I don’t know if they consider a single person who lives alone making $79k per year as a “family” who can get full aid with no loans. you’ll have to call and ask. Frankly, it would be very odd for a school to give that much institutional aid to a single person who earns that much (I know that you’re not saying that YOU earn that much…I’m just addressing your concern about what Rice calls a family).</p>

<p>Just because a school doesn’t put loans in FA packages for low income families does NOT mean that the student still can’t take out a federal loan to go towards family contribution or any gap in funding (up to each year’s set limits).</p>