<p>Hey everybody, I have been looking at some expensive colleges lately and my parents truly dont want to spend $40,000 on an undergraduate degree. I live in New York in an Upper-Middle Class community and was wondering if big schools will give a large amount of financial aid for me as my family may make more than the average US family. Also would schools give me any money for my grades, I have a 3.5 GPA with some AP Classes.</p>
<p>I've been looking at Penn State, Saint Johns, James Madison, Temple, Rutgers and Saint Josephs..... Any of them give alot of money?</p>
<p>Penn State, Rutgers, Temple and James Madison are all state (or state-related) universities, which generally offer very little financial aid to out-of-state students.</p>
<p>If your income is well above average and you want financial aid, you need to look at schools which are known for offering significant merit aid to students in your stats range (GPA/test scores).</p>
<p>What’s your family’s ballpark income and how much are they willing to contribute? That’s going to be your baseline budget.</p>
<p>I live in New York in an Upper-Middle Class community and was wondering if big schools will give a large amount of financial aid for me as my family may make more than the average US family. Also would schools give me any money for my grades, I have a 3.5 GPA with some AP Classes.</p>
<p>Polar is right…OOS publics don’t usually give FA to OOS students…and PSU doesn’t give aid to OOS students. I don’t think Rutgers or those other OOS publics do either.</p>
<p>That said, your parents’ income may be too high for much/any FA at many/most/all schools. FA is “need based” …and it sounds like you don’t have need.</p>
<p>To get FA you have to provide financial info about your family…income, savings, investments, etc. </p>
<p>Also would schools give me any money for my grades, I have a 3.5 GPA with some AP Classes.</p>
<p>Merit scholarships are a different matter. While grades are important, your SAT or ACT scores will make the most difference for merit scholarships. What are they?</p>
<p>For merit…</p>
<p>There is a large pool of students with high GPAs.</p>
<p>There is a small pool of students with very high ACT/SAT scores.</p>
<p>There is an even smaller pool of students who have both high GPAs and high test scores. The students with both have the best chances of getting great merit scholarships from the schools that give them.</p>
<p>PSU only gives merit (about $5k per year) to its Shreyers honors students. </p>
<p>If you want merit scholarships apply to the schools that give them.</p>
<p>And, also find out how much your parents will spend.</p>
<p>The largest merit scholarship that JMU offers to OOS students (as well as IS students) is the Dingledine [The</a> Bluestone Scholarship Program at James Madison University](<a href=“Freshman Scholarships & Financial Aid - JMU”>Freshman Scholarships & Financial Aid - JMU) it is a competitive scholarship… only six are given each year. Prospective students must apply to both the university and for the scholarship by November 1. JMU also offers Madison Achievement Scholarships [The</a> Bluestone Scholarship Program at James Madison University](<a href=“Freshman Scholarships & Financial Aid - JMU”>Freshman Scholarships & Financial Aid - JMU). These may be offered by specific academic programs to incoming students, or by the university. </p>