<p>You can go to a community college to get your pre-requisites … there are articulation agreements with the 4-year publics, and you can get your first 2 years for a great price, then transfer. If your CC GPA is good, you may qualify for an automatic scholarship. Just make sure to see an advisor to plan courses that will transfer.</p>
<p>If you are intent on going to a 4-year school right away, consider staying at home and commuting. If you are near Oakland U, they have a $2,000/year automatic scholarship for your stats. That would make a full time course load about $9,000-$10,000/year. Wayne has scholarships, but I don’t know if you would qualify (try!) - you would need to apply on time (<a href=“http://honors.wayne.edu/scholarsday/index.php”>Irvin D. Reid Honors College - Wayne State University). Again, commuting is what would work here. If you are driving distance to Flint, UM-Flint is very affordable, and they may have automatic scholarships. MSU and CMU are going to be too expensive (sorry) - unless you go to CC first, work & save, and then transfer. </p>
<p>For your sister, she can check out the Woodbridge Ferris Scholarships (<a href=“Incoming Freshmen Scholarships for Fall 2023”>Page Not Found - Ferris State University). Warning, though, that Ferris would be expensive (she couldn’t commute). My S went there freshman year, and even with his scholarship, it still cost us quite a bit (housing is expensive). </p>
<p>You should start looking for summer job opportunities in February or March. My son had direct deposit straight into a savings account and made over $5k last summer as a rising junior. He did not spend a penny of the money he earned. A dorm plus meal plan cost between $9-$15k per year at the schools we have looked at. </p>
<p>If you don’t have great grades and test scores I’d be looking at in state schools. Consider schools that you consider a level or two beneath your profile. They are more likely to give you money than a reach school.</p>
<p>As someone else posted the National Guard in some states will give free or reduced tuition. Good luck.</p>
<p>I was once in a very similar situation. Somehow I managed to get to MSU for the first year on savings, loans and some scholarship help. After that, the money ran out. I went to OCC and transferred the credits to MSU a year later. In order to pay for all that, I worked full time at night as a waitress in a suburb of Detroit (Novi area) . For several years I worked full time at night in the Novi area and drove to classes and my apartment at MSU. It can be done, with work and loans. It was stressful and my grades were not the best because I had to support myself, but that was the only way. It all worked out and I now have a Ph.D. Hopefully your parents will see how hard you are working and be more reasonable. If you and your sister could go to the same school then it would be a lot easier, you could share rides and expenses. Just a thought. What is it your parents expect you to do without a college education? Because of my struggles, I’ve been more determined that my children will never have to go through this. Whatever you do, please get good grades and choose an employable major. MSU offers some degrees that are instantly employable.I don’t know much about the other schools. </p>
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If you and your sister could go to the same school then it would be a lot easier, you could share rides and expenses. </p>
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<p>I completely agree. There could be saved expenses by going to the same school. </p>
<p>I don’t advise that these kids scrape by and go to their first choices for their first year of college…and then have to leave. They will lose out on merit opportunities later. </p>
<p>Northern could fit both you and your sister. They used to be one of the least expensive colleges and has become more popular lately (probably because of the cost). They have pretty extensive scholarship information on the website. Which could potentially bring the price close to your range if your parents were willing to bring you to the UP and fetch you during breaks. I would also seriously consider ANY of the universities where you could commute. Often kids that commute have enough friends on campus that they can crash over when there are evening activities that the commuters want to attend. </p>
<p>Another option is 2 years at Northwestern + plus working in Traverse City then transferring depending on where you live. In TC, you and your sister could probably find pretty cheap rent and take Bay Area Transportation so you wouldn’t need a car. Michigan State also runs some programs in Traverse City, the only one I’ve researched recently is for vintners. </p>
<p>Lastly, I’ve known several kids that couldn’t afford all 4 years at MSU - $27,000 is nothing to sneeze at for some parents - these kids found cheap apartments, attended Lansing CC and then moved over to MSU for the last two years…It’s also not unusual MSU sophomores to pick up classes at lansing CC that they either couldn’t fit into their schedule at MSU or needed to take at one time or another. </p>
<p>Don’t discount the Alma’s, Albion’s Adrians’s etc. of the state, especially if you and/or your sister play competitive sports. Division 3 sports don’t grant scholarships, but if you can add to the campus culture by swimming for them or some other sport those college can put together mighty attractive packages . Hope College really, really helped a friend of one of my sons who was jammed financially about college - but was desired for his sport. </p>
<p>If you’ve only taken the state ACT, I highly suggest you both take it a second time. Most kids can raise their scores a point or two and that can also propel you into slightly more merit money at some unis (like northern ) where a 27 would be a desirable student. </p>
<p>MSU does have a good J-school, but I’ve known many people who end up doing the same things as the J-students with an English and/or Business degree.</p>
<p>Tell your mom and pop that if they make you go to the State U, you will put them in the State home. Seriously, do not take loans unless you are going to Harvard. And if you get into Harvard and your parents won’t pay Harvard has the money to give you plenty of aid. So work, hustle, go to school, work, etc. Do not take loans. I am a college financing professional.</p>
<p>If you truly are a college financing professional, then I doubt you’d really give the above advice.</p>
<p>First of all, the parents aren’t making the twins go to any particular school. In fact, it appears that they don’t care if the twins go to college at all.</p>
<p>Secondly, if the parents did make them go to a state univ (by providing funding), then that would not suggest that there should be some kind of cruel tit-for-tat slap of putting the elderly parents into a state institution later.</p>
<p>Thirdly, the student mentioned that her parents are upper-middle class. Harvard doesn’t provide all funding for students who are upper-middle class. Harvard still expects the family to pay. Only the low and modest income students go to H for free. </p>
<p>Fourthly, while no one is suggesting that the students take large loans (they can’t, anyway), it is silly to suggest that they should only borrow to go to Harvard. If these students need to take out Federal Direct Loans to make things work, they should.</p>
<p>And lastly, the student has mentioned her stats. They aren’t anywhere close to being high enough for Harvard. So, to even write, “if you get into Harvard,” sounds really out there. </p>
<p>One more thing to consider. If you are interested in a career in journalism, you will have to work on the college newspaper. Pick a school that has a strong newspaper and don’t forget to budget some time each week (if not each day) for writing for the paper.</p>
<p>An online comparison of costs at MI universities surprised everyone with UMich not being the most expensive in the state. Western actually costs more than UMich because they nickel and dime students with fees for everything. Central and Ferris out of the schools you named are probably the least expensive options. Not knowing where you live, I would think your best option is to live at home and attend community college if there is one close by. That would take care of your first 2 years and you could work during the year/summer to cover tuition and spending money. Maybe your parents would then cover the last 2 years or you could look at other options. Michigan State’s tuition goes up when you reach Junior status so it would probably price you out of going there and rentals are not inexpensive. Not sure if all the universities in Michigan do this so might be something you want to check out.</p>
<p>Unless the student is wrong, she says that her parents are upper-middle-class and will pay nothing. If that is true, then her EFC is rather irrelevant. </p>
<p>Typically, someone whose parents are upper-middle class will have an EFC of $25k-50k per year. With twins, that would cut in half. Either way, the parents aren’t paying anything and it doesn’t sound like they have the stats for full need schools anyway. An individual EFC of $13k - 25k+ is rather meaningless for the schools that they can consider. Loans can’t be used to cover the EFC because they’ll already be in the FA pkg.</p>
<p>What we do need to know is will the parents submit FAFSA so the students can take out a $5500 direct loan. Their much older siblings may not have needed the parents to do that in the 90s, and who knows if the parents will do that now. </p>
<p>The parents’ reaction (anger) to any mention of college and related costs can mean a few things…maybe they’re uncomfortable with the topic because they know they can’t afford to pay…either because of bills, unfunded retirement, or what-have-you. The parents are nearing retirement (and likely are retirement age if they have kids who went to college in the 90s!, and the prospect of even paying out $10k per year per twin is likely too much if they aren’t prepared for retirement.</p>
<p>the 'upper-middle-class" twins are likely living in a comfortable neighborhood and attending a good school where their classmates are making plans to attend UM, MSU or other good schools with the help of parents…which is likely why they have their hearts set on certain Michigan schools…likely where their friends are going. The parents have essentially shut those options down for them.</p>
<p>Here’s a link for low cost schools…they need to go thru them and see which ones will give them substantial merit to further bring down the costs. </p>
<p>I know that the UMaine Fort Kent school mentioned upthread is a little out of the box, but if both twins get the assured merit (and maybe they’d get some other merit stacked on top), that school could work out for them.</p>
<p>The school has a lot of students from elsewhere so it’s not like some low cost schools where many are commuters. The school is actively seeking OOS students. </p>
<p>I think their school lists should include:</p>
<p>UMaine Fort Kent
U South Dakota
South Dakota State
Michigan state schools that give merit and have lowish upper quartiles. @kelsmom Do you know of any?</p>
<p>I’m guessing that the parents aren’t paying for applications and sending scores, so these kids need to be careful that they’re not wasting their precious dollars on false hopes. I can see them sending in apps for MSU and others hoping for some miracle…and then not having the money to send in apps to schools that might work.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids gives the best advice on this website, Seriously.</p>
<p>Too bad your parents didn’t make this clear to you years ago so that you could have worked and saved or studied hard for scholarships throughout your high school years. Sadly, this happens more than you think. Don’t let it make you bitter, just apply to the above suggested schools and see what the opportunities are.</p>
<p>I still think EFC may be relevant here. We Michiganders sometimes have a more realistic view of middle class income than those in other areas of the country. It is possible that the OP’s EFC - split between two in college - may allow for a need based grant at some state schools.</p>