In the common app it asks, “Do you intend to pursue need-based financial aid?” Should I click yes or no and what is need-based financial aid mean? My parents aren’t willing to pay full price for my tuition.
Need based: based on income
Merit: based on grades
Your SAT was 1140, you aint getting merit.
If your parents aren’t going to pay your tuition, you are stuck, who is going to pay?
There are a few types of aid. Need based aid is usually based of what your parents earn and their assets, not if they are willing to pay. If your parents won’t pay, you’d better check that you will be applying for financial aid from the schools.
From a school there might be merit aid, usually based off your gpa and scores, and perhaps an interview or essay. This is also ‘talent’ which might be athletic, music, art, from a department like chemistry or engineering.
UVA meets 100% of need anyways, so if you can get accepted there, you should be fine.
I would also suggest that you apply for outside scholarships too. It’s tough competition, but worth a try.
What is your family income? While UVA meets full need…you have to QUALIFY for need based aid. Also, the school calculates your financial need based on the info provided on the Profile. It’s possible that your family contribution could exceed what your parents are able or willing to pay.
Oh ok, thank you for everyone’s feedback!
A student with an 1140 SAT is very unlikely to be accepted to UVA.
@Aceres Which public colleges are closest to home?
The closest would probably be George Mason University. I’m applying there as a safety school. I know UVA is a very high reach, but my parents wanted me to apply there anyway.
@Dragonflygarden
Best of luck to you. My S’11 and a non VA resident, had a 2190 SAT and a 3.5 GPA and did not get accepted to GMU. You may want to make sure you have other safeties.
I hope you didn’t bother applying to Penn State.
How much will your parents pay each year?
GMU may not be a safety. Do you know if your parents will pay for it? Have you been admitted? If not, what if you’re not accepted?
What are your local community college options? Have you sat down and talked this over with your parents?
What bout Old Dominion, or any of the other smaller VA public universities??
Penn State goes by GPA first, then test score. They will only admit you to a branch campus most likely, and as an OOS student it’s going to be pretty expensive, so you might as well attend a VA school for less money.
Go to College Navigator website. Enter your GPA and SAT score. Other criteria that’s important to you, and see what schools in VA are a target for you.
You and your parents should run the Net Price Calculator on each school’s web site to get an idea of what your family will have to pay.