<p>It was suggested to me by someone that responded to one of my threads that I list my daughters stats. This person said I would definitly be able to get more helpful information this way.So I would like to tell you that she is interested in psychology and political science, her GPA right now is 2.80, our EFC is 12,300 ( based on the estimator on this site ) and she wants to stay in PA. I need the most Aid I can get. My husband may lose his job in a year due to restructuring. She is invloved is theater, she is a peer ed advisor, she was a varsity swimmer for 3 years and she belongs to a sorority that does community service through her high school. She is also an alter server for our church since the third grade and does community service for our local wild life rescue( which is Non- profit so I know there would be no scholarship though there)
Any and all info that can be given about colleges that would be best to apply to that offer great aid would be greatly appreciated. I have not saved for school in any way shape or form. Our budget is stretched to the limit and I have no idea how we would squeeze a penny out for a parent plus loan? I am praying a school works out for my daughter, a school that she will be proud to go to.
Thank you so much for your time and effort that goes into answering me. It means so much to me and my husband
This website is a blessing and everyone has been so kind and helpful.</p>
<p>Rankings</a> for 100 Best Values in Public Colleges</p>
<p>Kiplinger list suggests Pitt, Penn State University Park, and Westchester U of Penn for quality, value, low price after financial aid in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>What are her test scores? About what is her class rank? That can be important in aid. Any special issues such as URM status, first generation to go to college? What kind of school has she been attending, and where do the top kids go to college from there and where do B- students with scores like hers usually end up going to college? Are there some local colleges that are state schools, or schools that often give some aid to kids from your high school? Have you talked to her GC yet about possibilities?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I kind of doubt that she would get in at PSU or Pitt. Penn</a> State : Undergraduate Admissions West Chester or any of the State schools would be very possible and good values. I know many kids that have been happy at Millersville, Kutztown, West Chester, Bloomsburg and IUP. Unfortunately, you won't get aid at the State schools, but their prices are pretty reasonable to begin with.</p>
<p>Without test scores and some idea whether the 2.8 is weighted or not, what courses she has taken and is taking, type of high school, it is difficult to say. My son got into Penn State with a 2.8 as a theatre major, but he did have high SATs to balance and his resume was strongly taken into consideration. I have known B students with high stats get into PItt. But the chances for any merit money at those schools is very low with her GPA, and neither school is that generous with fin aid. I don't know how West Chester, Slippery Rock and the other smaller colleges are with aid. Penn State also has branch campuses where you can then transfer to the main campus upon getting junior status. PA also has some good possibilities in Catholic colleges such as Kings, Gannon, Scranton, St Joe's, LaSalle, and many, many more. With the right SAT score, some aid might be forthcoming. Also Grove City and York colleges have low sticker prices.</p>
<p>York is an excellent private that compares very well with the state schools. I had forgotten about it. The sticker price for all of the colleges in the state system are all around $15,000, inclusive. PASSHE</a> | PA State System of Higher Education Between my two kids that were accepted at York, Millersville, and PSU - main campus, only York offered any aid and that was minimal merit aid. Grove City is low cost but the average GPA is 3.85 (!) with a 1280 SAT Grove</a> City College, Pennsylvania - Top-ranked affordable Christian College </p>
<p>Pace, You may consider doing what we did with our kids. We told them they could apply anywhere but that we could only afford blank amount. We then researched the schools to find what the average aid was to see if it was in the ballpark. I think cptofthehouse has mentioned some good privates that offer aid and if your child is interested and has pretty good SAT's you may get some reasonable offers. Just make sure they also find one or two of the State schools that they would also be happy with for safeties.</p>
<p>We are waiting for her newest SAT scores, Math was her weak point but she has been getting help with that. She scored an 1430 over all. Her class rank is 93 out of 313. There may be a few more students then that at this point.</p>
<p>How do you research a school for the amount of aid they give? Is there a list out there that can be reviewed?
Thanks a bunch for all of your help, you are all helping me so much. I would be lost without you.
ALso is it getting late in the game to be getting this information?
My daughter has already been accepted to Kutztown and Kings. I do not want to have her miss out on a good school with good aid. I know I read somewhere that money runs out early.
Thanks again
I will check back when we are home from Kings...... Wish us well, its her top choice!!!!</p>
<p>Good that your daughter has applied to a school in the State system. Did she apply to any except for Kutztown? East Stroudsburg or Bloomsburg?
She may want to check out Albright College in Reading as well.
King's may be a good match for her - did she apply to DeSales? I hear they have a very nice theater department.
Geographically is she looking to stay in NE PA or at least E PA?</p>
<p>Keep in mind your daughter may qualify for a state grant through PHEAA. You won't know the dollars until late spring.<br>
Have her apply to a variety of schools this fall and then wait for all the financial aid information to come in - March/April.</p>
<p>Pace, I sent you a PM. DeSales has an EXCELLENT theater program. I go to four performances a year with some friends there and the shows are usually sold out. JustaMom, said it just right, apply to a variety of schools now and then decide after the fin aid info comes in. </p>
<p>We didn't even visit the top two choices for my son until he had been accepted and we had the fin aid info.</p>
<p>How about Duquesne University and Point Park University? The latter has an excellent theatre department and your daughter would most probably be eligible for money. Also consider Mercyhurst College outside of Erie. Beautiful campus.</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I don't think her stats are high enough to get much merit aid from a private and with an EFC around 12-13k; she may only get F/A packages with student loans and maybe some work/study. Since you are concerned about your family's financial situation, you may be hesitant to take out loans.</p>
<p>I think that with her scores, she needs to look "in-state". Which part of PA is she interested in? </p>
<p>Is she planning on majoring in theatre? Or something else?</p>
<p>If you take out any student loans... will she be the one who will have to pay them back? If so, you need to consider what her likely income will be once she graduates. Will she be able to afford to pay them back and still pay her living expenses???</p>
<p>Your location lists NE, PA Does your child have residency status in two states? Or is NE an abreviation for a city in Penn? </p>
<p>BTW... and this is just to make sure the apps are correct.... the correct spelling is: altar server (Don't want you to make a mistake on an app :) )</p>
<p>NE is the common abbreviation for the Northeastern section of PA - the Pocono's, SWB - Scranton Wilkes-Barre.</p>
<p>Your D needs to apply to a couple of financial safeties as well as some "favorite choices" in case the F/A packages aren't to your liking.</p>
<p>Are they any univ near enough to your home that she could commute? That would be a big cost savings. </p>
<p>Since your personal financial picture seems to be in jeopardy, will you be able to meet any of your EFC? All of it? if not, how much can you pay out of pocket?</p>
<p>Your d may not be able to go to her "dream school" at first. But, if your financial situation gets better, she may choose to transfer to her dream school for her junior and senior year. Many students do this. It may not be "preferable," but for some, it is the only reasonable option.</p>
<p>Thanks KathieP for the NE clarification.... I should have been able to figure that out, but I didn't :(</p>
<p>Duquesne won't offer nearly enough money, and Pitt and Penn State are expensive (although you may be near enough to Pitt Johnstown or a Penn State satellite campus so that she can save on room and board). </p>
<p>Below Pitt and Penn State, you will find Kutztown, LockHaven, West Chester, LockHaven, Slippery Rock and IUP. IUP is the largest. Tuition, room and board for all of them will be about $15,000, which at least will not crush her with debt if she works part-time and you give her any help at all. If she works as an RA as an upperclassman, her room will be free which makes a big difference. One of these campuses may be closer to your home, which also would help with the room and board portion of college.</p>
<p>She might get signficant financial aid from Clarion, Edinboro and California U. They are also cheaper than the ones I listed above, and people tend to forget about them. </p>
<p>You might also talk to her about doing a community college for a year or two, and then transferring. Many students do this to save money, and she can meet with the Admissions Offices of both the community colleges and local colleges to see whether there's a transition program that would make it easy for her. If she does well in college, she could be eligible for merit scholarships as she goes along.</p>
<p>You can meet with the financial aid office at schools to discuss your situation, but they might not give much weight to your husband's job situation until he actually loses his employment. My spouse has a degenerative terminal disease and was going to start needing full-time care in the coming year, which is obviously very, very expensive. When I called Penn State to discuss the fact that this crushing expense was going to arise in the coming year, the financial aid office was very unhelpful -- they said that it would show up as a medical deduction in next year's FAFSA, and they'd consider it then. Humbug. Other schools may be more sympathetic or work with parents better - perhaps Penn State just has so many students that they think they've heard it all by now....</p>
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<blockquote> <p>She scored an 1430 over all.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>Is this on two sections (CR and Math) or all three including the writing. If it's just the CR/Math, that is a fine SAT score. If it's all three...well...that's not so fine.</p>
<p>Neonzeus,
Clarion, Edinboro and California are in the same cohort as Kutztown, Lockhaven, etc. - The Pennsylvania state schools PASSHE</a> | PA State System of Higher Education I mentioned in post #6. I wonder if financial aid is much different from one to another. Could be, I guess.</p>
<p>Katiep - The cost of Clarion, Edinboro and California is cheaper than Kutztown, Lockhaven, etc. and their admissions criteria are lower (which might result in financial aid for OP). The tuition at Edinboro is only $5,358 for example, and at IUP it's $6,959. While this isn't a big cost difference, Clarion, Edinboro and California do offer a saving. All of these schools are relatively inexpensive.</p>
<p>I thought the 1430 was for CR and M only....hence the private school suggestions. My S got lots of merit aid with a score 200 points lower. Did not realize it was for all 3 sections. My bad.</p>
<p>Neonzeus, I did not know that! I've often thought it was strange that the tuition was different at the state schools but did not realize that there were three that were over a thousand dollars cheaper.</p>