<p>Looking for mid atlantic and northeast schools offering best merit based financial packages</p>
<p>Stats, home state?</p>
<p>Are you a domestic student or int’l?</p>
<p>What is your GPA? What are your test scores?</p>
<p>Some schools had a Dec 1st deadline for scholarship consideration.</p>
<p>How much merit do you need? How much will your family spend each year?</p>
<p>Sorry first time posting… We are from Long Island and my sons GPA is 92.8 unweighted (3.75-3.8) 99+ weighted. 7 AP classes total, 3 as Jr (5,4,5) and 4 more this year including the dreaded AP Calc. SAT 2090 (690/700/700) SAT II in US Hist 700. ACT TBD 12/10? I see most schools have need based criteria for financial aid, which seems to nullify academic achievement relative to a comparable financial needy candidate with lesser grades. For example, 2 admissible candidates with same financial need, one with significantly better grades. In most cases, the cost for college will be the same at a need based college. Avg student might get a $15k grant, while the better student may get a $10k academic scholarship, and a $5k grant. At the end of the day, what’s the difference.
We are looking to spend $10k or less all the way down to free! My understanding is that there are some schools that will provide academic money in addition to financial need or simply exceeding the dreaded CSS/FAFSA family contribution. In my research I saw some rankings that listed Drew, Catholic, Monmouth…as having more aggressive merit based packages…</p>
<p>Another Long Islander here!</p>
<p>1st, I hope Geneseo, UB and Bing are on your list. They are your best bet for $10K or less. My son was offered enough merit at UB that we could have spent less than 5K out of pocket.</p>
<p>2nd, you didn’t say what major your son is interested in. Lehigh, for example, has some good merit awards:
[Lehigh</a> University: Undergraduate Admissions: Tuition & Financial Aid: Types of Aid](<a href=“http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/aidtypes.aspx#scholarships]Lehigh”>http://www4.lehigh.edu/admissions/undergrad/tuition/aidtypes.aspx#scholarships)</p>
<p>This thread shows the facts about merit aid at various colleges, as reported in their Common Data Sets:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696637-merit-aid-percentage-common-data-set.html?highlight=percentages[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696637-merit-aid-percentage-common-data-set.html?highlight=percentages</a></p>
<p>If a college in which you’re interested is not listed, you can figure out the percentages using the formulas described in the first post.</p>
<p>Also, you can determine whether a particular college uses need in determining the amount of merit aid a student will receive by looking at item H14 of the Common Data Set for that college.</p>
<p>We are looking to spend $10k or less all the way down to free!</p>
<p>You need to look at scholarships this way…</p>
<p>For you to only spend $10k or less, that means that your child needs at about a FULL tuition scholarship…so that your $10k (plus maybe a small student loan for your child) can go towards room, board, fees, books, misc.</p>
<p>You’re probably going to have to expand your geography. Not many NE schools give free tuition scholarships for a Math + CR SAT of 1390 (which is what most merit scholarships are based on)</p>
<p>You’re also a bit late to the game. Many merit scholarships had a Dec 1st deadline. </p>
<p>* Catholic*</p>
<p>If you’re talking about Catholic univs, I can’t think of any better ones in those regions that will give full tuition scholarships for a 1390 M+CR SAT. </p>
<p>If you’re talking about Catholic Univ of America, that school isn’t going to give you a merit scholarship big enough to leave you with a $10k contribution without higher stats.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, if a school costs $50k or more, then a $15k per year scholarship isn’t going to meet your budget. Many private throw out $10k - 15k per year scholarships, but if your budget is to pay $10k or less, then you’re going to need a LOT more merit money.</p>
<p>Also…do you realize that most schools do NOT meet need? Do you have any idea of what your FAFSA EFC or CSS Profile “family contribution” might be?</p>
<p>* My understanding is that there are some schools that will provide academic money in addition to financial need or simply exceeding the dreaded CSS/FAFSA family contribution*</p>
<p>I think you’re misunderstanding. A merit scholarship get applied to need. **Schools don’t give need-based aid and then add merit on top to cut your “family contribution.” **</p>
<p>For instance…</p>
<p>$50k School Cost of Attendance</p>
<h2>$20k Family contribution or EFC</h2>
<p>$30k determined need.</p>
<p>If you get a $15k scholarship, then that just gets applied towards that $30k determined need. It WON’T reduce your EFC.</p>
<p>To reduce your EFC, you need a scholarship that is sooooo big (like full tuition), so that your remaining costs are less than your EFC </p>
<p>For instance…</p>
<p>$32 = College Cost of Attendance</p>
<h2>$20 = EFC</h2>
<p>$12k = determined need</p>
<p>BUT…if you’re given a $22k full tuition scholarship, then your remaining costs are $10k…therefore you’ve reduced your “family contribution” to $10k.</p>
<p>What is your child’s major?</p>
<p>Wow thanks folks. This posting stuff is a good deal. Actually Binghamton is on the list, but not arctic geneses or buffalo…and I was referring to catholic Univ, as they were listed by us news and world report as top ranked w/merit based…drew, Clark, umbc, Roanoke, catholic, Monmouth. Looking to major in history/Educ w/ Pre-law advisement…</p>
<p>We have applied to about a dozen schools already, most early action - all but 2-3… None early decision, which I know most schools use to leverage scholarship awards…</p>
<p>Was just wondering if I was missing a school are not understanding process completely. According to CSS using 2010 data, and using various net price calculators, we get EFC anywhere from high teens (NPCs which use self help loans work study to get there) to $30k. Looking and hoping for better…</p>
<p>Providence College in RI. Catholic college and they give out about 30 full scholarships/year. Not sure if your child’s stats are high enough for the full scholarship but they also give out 3/4 and 1/2 merit scholarships. I don’t think your son is too late for applying and being considered. EA is Nov. 1 but I believe they will still consider applicants for the scholarships with RD applications.</p>
<p>If your geography can expand, tuition, fees, room & board at Ole Miss would be between $13-14K; $16K at Nebraska-Lincoln. Ole Miss has one of the top honors colleges in the nation.</p>
<p>and I was referring to catholic Univ, as they were listed by us news and world report as top ranked w/merit based…drew, Clark, umbc, Roanoke, catholic, Monmouth.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that “generous merit” is in the eye of beholder. To a magazine, getting a $15k merit scholarship discount to a school that costs $50k+ is probably very generous because it’s like a 30% discount. To a person who wants to limit family contribution to $10k, a $15k scholarship is not nearly enough. </p>
<p>Since it looks like you’re going to have an unaffordable EFC of somewhere between the high teens to $30k, there are only a few ways to get your “family contribution” to $10k or below…</p>
<p>1) find a full or near-full tuition scholarship so remaining room, board, books, fees can be covered with your contribution and maybe a small student loan. (From what I’ve seen, private schools in the NE and Mid-Atlantic often have very high room and board costs…sometimes as much as $15k. 
)</p>
<p>2) commute to a local public where your $10k and a small student loan will cover tuition, fees, books.</p>
<p>If your EFC is around $20k, you will not reduce that unless the scholarship is so HUGE that the remaining costs are affordable. You’re not going to get financial aid to cover need…and then be able to use merit to reduce your EFC.</p>