As I get ready to enter my senior year I am increasingly worried about funding for college. In addition to any aid from the actual schools, does anyone know of any good places to seek out scholarships? I am not underrepresented.
Your parents have a high income. that will exclude you from nearly all the multi-year outside scholarships. Outside entities who provide 4 year awards typically use NEED as a requirement.
@mom2collegekids thank you for your continued help
Read the links in this thread. Lots of good scholarship information. The best awards come from the colleges where you get accepted.
@thumper1 nice to see! I hadn’t stumbled on that yet. Thanks!
@colleenmarie most of the outside scholarships out there are for small amounts and only for ONE YEAR ~ frosh year. They won’t help you bring down the cost of a need-based school.
there are a few multi-year outside awards, but as mentioned, they typically have a “need” component. Outside entities just don’t have much interest in providing 4 year college awards unless the entity has vested reason. Typically, the reason is to provide for low-income and/or URM students.
Did you ask your parents how much they’ll pay each year?
@mom2collegekids I did discuss that with them. The response I got was that although instate merit based tuition would be far easier to pay for, I “shouldn’t worry about cost, that’s for them to worry about.” How can I not worry when it’s their money I will be depleting?? We are financially very stable but college will still be a strain.
Coleen, you might want to go to the websites of colleges you have discussed with your parents. Print out the cost of attendance for the full year, and show them. Then suggest they do the Net Price Calculator on each of the college sites. This will help give you all a better sense of the potential finances for one year.
Many parents say “don’t worry”. For some it’s fine, because they have the resources to really not worry. Others, however, are shocked at the actual colleges costs.
@thumper1 I have asked them to do that and it turned out that we are not offered any aid at them that is need-based. I feel like I am the only one worrying!
Well…they know the numbers.
If you are truly competitive for these highly competitive colleges, then you could receive decent merit aid elsewhere. If you want to ease the financial burden for your family, then include some sire thing scholarship schools on your application list…schools that you would,also,be happy to,attend.
That way, if,the cost does become an issue…you will have some affordable options.
@thumper1 thanks for the advice!
@colleenmarie Are your parents insisting that you apply to certain need based only schools? If so, then go ahead, but know ahead of time that if the NPCs are accurate for your family that you are very unlikely to go there if you get admitted. That way you also won’t feel like you are defying your parents. At the same time, create a list of safety and schools that offer merit scholarships that you think you can like, no matter which one you end up attending, and focus your efforts there. Your parents will be delighted next March/April when they realize just how much those need based schools are going to cost them from their budget or even panic when they finally understand that they can’t afford it and you will have some other more budget friendly choices that you can attend instead. Make wherever you get into to and can afford your dream rather than have a dream dashed because of your family didn’t help you to realistically front load the financial realities. Sorry that you have the burden of figuring this out on your own.
@NorthernMom61 thanks for the advice about dashed dreams. I think some part of me will always wish to be an Ivy girl but you’re right, setting more financially realistic goals will be good for me. Hopefully my parents come to their senses!
This whole college admissions process including the financing of things is a steep learning curve. I was woefully ignorant as a parent myself a year ago, and if this website has helped me immeasurably with the financial aspects of a college education. Our family also makes too much money to qualify for financial aid, but we also were not willing to pay $60,000+/year for an undergraduate education out of pocket. My daughter will however, be attending a $60,000+/year undergraduate school, but only because she earned a large merit based scholarship and we are thrilled as a family about it. The road to college admission is long, and where you are today in your thoughts and plans may turn out to be very different by the time you get to this point next year. If you plan well, make a list of schools of which you would be happy to attend any, you can enjoy the ride and come out happy at the end. Be prepared though, it is a stressful process, though very exciting too!
@colleenmarie Unless you know that your parents have all the college funds for you three kids locked down in some trust or similar, you need to proceed with caution. Go ahead and apply to some top schools that won’t give you aid/merit and see what happens.
BUT…protect yourself…also apply to 2-3 schools that you like that will give you large ASSURED merit for your stats. …and by large, I mean very large…like full tuition, so your remaining costs are about $15k.
So many things can happen between now and next spring. A job loss, health issue, an extended family member has an issue, marital issues, etc. Every year we see kids who end up with no affordable schools because their parents were vague and told them “not to worry,” only to later find out that the parents expected merit or FA, or their income dropped or some other issue comes up and suddenly their schools aren’t affordable. Also, you’d be surprised how many parents don’t know that the rules for borrowing have changed. Some think their kids can borrow a lot more than they can.
@NorthernMom61 thanks yet again. I think I need to encourage them to be more honest with me or do more research into this themselves.
@colleenmarie The fact that you are trying to be proactive about it is great. You will find your place, even if it isn’t covered in Ivy. @mom2collegekids knows her stuff when it comes to college financing. I have learned a lot from her.
@NorthernMom61 thank you, I’m trying!! And you are definitely right on that one.
Colleen…just have a varied application list…and like every single school on it. Include schools where you will get merit aid, and/or are otherwise affordable.
If you have a varied application list…AND are prepared to walk away from any offers that are unaffordable, you will be fine.
@thumper1 it will be hard but thanks!