<p>It is becoming impossible for the middle class A/B student to receive any type of financial aid or scholarships anymore. It is strictly based on merit or need. Why is there not scholarships for this class? I work a full-time job and maintain NHS status, volunteer, Class President, and more and I'm constantly denied because I am not need based nor merit because I'm not in the 4.5 or above merit range.</p>
<p>Who that fit in this category believes that there should be some type of help for us? I would like to challenge more companies to look at not just the smartest, the most athletic, the most needed.....but the well rounded individual for their scholarships! </p>
<p>I want to go to college and focus on my studies. I don't think I can keep up with a full time job in college and maintain a vigorous field of studies.</p>
<p>If anyone knows of such scholarships, please advise.</p>
<p>What can your family pay? Something? Nothing?</p>
<p>Are there any commuting-distance schools that offer your major that would be likely to admit you? If you live at home, you will almost certainly save more on rent and utilities than you will spend on commuting.</p>
<p>Nationwide,more students commute than live on or near their college/university campus. Natiowide, more students start out at community colleges than at any other type of college/university. If you find that you need to do this because of money, you will be in good company. It is what my B average middle class kid and many of her HS classmates did.</p>
<p>Just to be clear. there are many, many schools out there that offer significant merit aid to students with less than a 4.5 GPA. If you’re not finding them, you’re not looking in the right place. Go to [Princeton</a> Review](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/schoolsearch.aspx]Princeton”>College Search | The Princeton Review) and look for schools where your scores would put you in the very top of the applicant pool . . . those are the schools that would be willing to offer you merit aid. If you’re an honor student and are talking on all the other responsibilities that you list, you should have lots of options.</p>
<p>There is merit aid available, but change your focus. Some examples: Baylor, Whitworth, Gonzaga, Chapman, all private schools with merit aid based on the numbers- SAT, GPA, rank.</p>
<p>Check them out and look for more like that in your area. </p>
<p>Also, if you fill out financial aid paperwork and you, the student, are working full time now, but will not in university, then ask for the form to indicate that income will not continue. You may get that income subtracted for FAFSA schools</p>
<p>Check your guidance office at school. Ours has local scholarship lists and I can tell you that at our HS almost all of those scholarships go to kids with great ECs and community service, ahead of the top-ranked GPA kids. Those aren’t typically huge 4-year scholarships that will make a big difference in affordability, but may be the icing on the cake and let you reduce your loans freshman year. </p>
<p>Also check the descriptions of schools’ merit awards. Many have awards that include a heavy leadership or community service component in the qualifications. Choose schools where your stats are well above average to have the best chance!</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are based on…well…MERIT. That means rewarding high academic performance. If merit were awarded to all the “good students” then nearly the entire school would qualify and then what would be the point? </p>
<p>Yes, it’s frustrating when choices are limited by finances, but that’s life. Many kids in your situation commute to their local state school or CC. Frankly, most college kids do NOT go away to school. That is an expensive luxury that most cannot afford.</p>
<p>It is always difficult to get money. There is financial aid, some from government, but most from colleges, but that is based on need and even those who have a lot of need do not usually get full need met at most colletges. Usually those who have a lot of need and/or those whose families cannot or will not help out in paying enough for college, go to a community college or local state college, living at home, working part time and taking courses bit by bit. Or take out a loan–most students get a $5500 loan approval for freshman year from Direct loans if the FAFSA is completed regardless of need or lack thereof. The amount goes up a bit thereafter which can pay for most state school tutions. </p>
<p>Otherwise, a college will discount its cost if it wants you. That is where scholarships and merit come to play.</p>
<p>I dont think Stafford loan covers tuition for a four year school, although it should for a two year.
Combining Pell with Stafford might for those who qualify.
I think it is expected that those who dont qualify for PELL have family resources to at least match the amount of Stafford loan available, through savings, income & loans.
Since OP is workng fulltime, I wonder if that money has been saved for college?</p>
<p>While there are some states that have very high tuition rates, many states have lowish rates.</p>
<p>Another option if instate tuition is too high…go to a CC for the first two years, bank your student loans, work summers and during the school year, bank the money, then when you’re a junior and senior, you can borrow $7500 per year, add in the other money, continue to work a lot in the summer and part-time during the school year.</p>
<p>Instate flagship schools are often more than the Stafford loan amounts for students. Though NY is pretty much within the $5500 amount with the SUNYs other than in a few examples. Community colleges and smaller,local state schools, however, are usually within that amount or close to it. Throw in a job and some money from the family, and it is usually doable for a family that does qualify for other need. Not saying it is easy for a family that is strapped. Every dollar counts in such cases. But it’s usually doable.</p>
<p>My cousins son worked throughout high school to pay for his car, and thought nothing of it. But was not happy about the idea of HAVING to work through college. For some reason, he felt it should ALL be covered by whatever aid or scholarship he could get. His parents had that idea too. That they lived in a state with the highest in state tution for the major state universities makes things a tough go. He was a good student, but not a great one, with good, but not great test scores, and his family EFC was several thousand below what an away experience at the flagship state school would cost. </p>
<p>It meant considering schools with names that were unfamilar to them. The namebrand, name recognition schools tend to have higher threshholds for giving money. Since few schools give everyone 100% of need, even getting financial up to the EFC is an issue, and having the higher stats helps with that. But by looking around and varying his choices, he did get some affordable opitons, and is happy where he is, though, yes, he does have to work for his discretionary spending money And everyone had to borrow some to make it happen.</p>