Please: urgent reply regarding FAFSA and Questbridge

<p>I want to apply to Questbridge because my family has low-income and I will probably not attend a college I really want to go to because of high tuition. However, my mom told me my sister has not received financial aid in the past because although we have a small income, we have good assets, such as stock money. </p>

<p>If I apply to, and make it in the Questbridge, can I still get scholarships? Or, because of my family's assets, are my chances diminished significantly?</p>

<p>I really want to attend the college of my dreams, but I won't be able to without a scholarship such as this. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Also, if I am rejected by a school through Questbridge, am I barred from applying to that school as a regular applicant, with updated standardized testing scores? (I am taking a few tests after the Questbridge deadline, so I won’t be able to send those improved scores in time)</p>

<p>You need to ask your parents for a little more info.

Typical assets for a $60K income may make it tough, thought they do not use fixed cutoffs.</p>

<p>I know, for sure, that you can poop out on the Questbridge winners list and still be a very warmly welcomed regular applicant at any of the listed colleges. No worries there. </p>

<p>Right now play the field. Questbridge is a full ride. So if you were blessed with a Questbridge AND won a big dollar scholarship, you would have to check out the details with Questbridge and the other donor. Worse case: you accept the bigger of the two and return the smaller. </p>

<p>But Questbridge is a very tough competition. So it is very smart to do your best on that application AND fill out scholarship and other college apps (whew!). </p>

<p>Please take some deep breaths. You may find that the “college of your dreams” changes a lot between now and next spring. Harvard may sound fabulous – but when you a) don’t get in or b) get in with no financial aid except loans, then all of a sudden “Small Treasure College” that has offered you a wonderful package is suddenly a very appealing option. </p>

<p>Your job right now is a) get applications in on time and b) get as strong of grades and test scores as possible. The decision making can’t happen now, so don’t spend too much time agonizing. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>They will ask for asset info. If your sisters were denied aid at expensive colleges, you will not qualify. The exception may be if sisters are still in college. Call and talk to Questbridge.</p>

<p>The Questbridge site says that eligibility depends on income and typical assets but does not specify the asset level. I would say that if the assets are below $250k you may be ok. Much over that and you are probably not eligible. Most universities that promise to meet full need have similar guidelines. Columbia, for instance, considers typical assets for an income of between $60k - $100k to be around $250,000 in assets.</p>

<p>from <a href=“Frequently Asked Questions | Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing”>Frequently Asked Questions | Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing;

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<p>I would expect most of the very generous colleges to have similar guidelines.</p>

<p>Your parent’s having a million dollars eliminates your chances at any program for low income students.</p>

<p>Yes I would say that anywhere approaching a million dollars in assets would make a student ineligible for low income programs.</p>

<p>I don’t know much about Questbridge…but PLEASE I do hope that a family with close to a million dollars in assets would not be eligible for this type of scholarship. Please tell me that is true.</p>

<p>For families with an income of $100,000, we would consider typical assets to be approximately $250,000.</p>

<p>This sounds like they consider "typical assets"to be about two and a half times the family income. </p>

<p>I thought Questbridge was supposed to help low-income disadvantaged students (without big savings/assets). Am I wrong?</p>

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<p>It’s mostly to make big businesses (schools) feel good about themselves by offering the occasional olive-branch to a few hand-selected poor kids, while at the same time soaking hard-working middle class folks for all they can in order to support these entitlement giveaways. The only “disadvantaged” people are those of us who still think it’s important to save for our retirement and pay for our children’s educations instead of demanding that the government or other families kick in above and beyond their share for our benefit.</p>

<p>*to a few hand-selected poor kids, *</p>

<p>Right…</p>

<p>But someone with $250k+ assets really isn’t really “poor” are they?</p>