Hey! I am currently a high school junior and I have begun the college search recently. Right now I have a 32 ACT, 1400 PSAT, and about a 4.23 GPA– though I plan to raise these numbers– and with this in mind I know I’m able to achieve a full ride at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a school within my state that my sister already goes to. I know this school could be a safe back up school; however, I really want to attend a college outside of my state, preferably up north if possible. Despite this, I know that if I currently have a full ride in the south and I would have to pay tuition for a college in my preferred region, I would end up going to the school in the south based of off financial needs. So, this brings me to my question: do any of y’all know of colleges up north who could potentially offer a full ride or full tuition scholarship to someone with my scores or close to it considering I am planning on raising my scores even more to meet these requirements? Thanks!
I live in the northeast. I don’t know of any college with guaranteed merit aid based on stats.
The private schools in this part of the country are pricey. Some don’t offer merit aid at all.
The public universities vary in cost to OOS students. Some offer merit aid to OOS students and some don’t.
How much can your family actually pay per year? Anything?
My family is able to pay but they would A) rather I not take out any loans and B) rather me go wherever I am getting the most money possible, as in going to a university where I am offered a full ride rather than a place where I’d still have to pay 30K a year 
Look at the SUNY schools. They have favorable OOS costs for students.
You will not get a full ride at any college in the northeast. At best you may get full tuition at a less selective college.
First …why North? Snowboarding/Skiing? Career interest?
The north is not the place to look for huge merit scholarships
Many people equate North to the Northeast. The north, for those who are geographically challenged also includes places not in the EST timezone.
There are private schools in Indiana that I know for sure give substantial merit aid. I suspect as you go from Ohio to California westward, you may find some substantial merit at some schools that are private in nature.
My oldest was offered 1/2 tuition at Taylor (we are in PA), which was about $18k/year for his GPA and SAT scores. Just one example, but the only one I know of, but if they do that, I am fairly certain others do as well.
There are some colleges in the upper plains states…North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana where you might find some decent merit aid.
Could you maybe define what you mean by “north”?
Lol…I’m not geographically challenged but just used to students from other regions wanting colleges in the northeast region.
Yes, north could mean all states in the northern region of the US
To the Student…How much will the family pay each year? What do you need the net costs to be?
If you got a free tuition scholarship who would pay for the rest? The rest would be about $15-$20,000 a year
What is the major and career goal?
Just where I want to move in the future, college would be a good trial run to see if I like it!
You would likely get in-state tuition at the smaller public Us in OH. (Akron, Toledo, Cleveland, etc)
There are some privates that may give you good merit.
If you’re male or female, look at
- Muhlenberg (a nice happy school)
- Hobart and William Smith
- Allegheny
- Earlham–a nice school with great academics, 800 acre campus, and lots of heart
- Connecticut College
- Wheaton in Massachusetts
- Drew University
- St. Olaf – excellent school with great aid
- Lewis and Clark
- Drake
- St. Lawrence in NY
- Lawrence in Wisconsin
- Beloit
- Marquette
- University of the Pacific
- Willamette
- Wagner
- Manhattanville
- Manhattan
- Pace
- Syracuse
- Bard
- Susquehanna
- Hampshire (consortium with UMass Amherst, Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke)
- Green Mountain college is offering a full scholarship – http://www.greenmtn.edu/sustainabilityscholarship/
The Webb Institute has no tuition.
The service academies have no tuition (West Point, Annapolis, Coast Guard Academy)
Cooper Union I hear is going back to its no tuition policy, but you may need to check that to be sure.
U of Maine at Orono has tuition-matching program and some nice areas of study. ABET accredited engineering with coops for example. Also an airport in Bangor/Orono region. It’s also really pretty.
If you’re female – Look at the women’s colleges that offer merit + need–
- Bryn Mawr – consortium with Haverford, Swarthmore, UPenn
- Mt. Holyoke – consortium with Smith, Hampshire, Amherst, UMass Amherst
- Smith – consortium with Mt Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst, UMass Amherst
- Mills
- Wellesley
- Simmons has really good merit and is part of a consortium in Boston
Not sure if I’m doing these replies right (I’m not too familiar with this site) but @mom2collegekids : my family is not unwilling to pay anything at all- for example, my sister has a full ride at her college but due to her sorority and other various fees they pay about $9,000 each year for her. I’m not too sure what the cutoff would be for how much they are willing to pay, but I know loans are out of the question so they would have to do it on their own. Lastly, the major would probably be biology since I would be going into med school for a future in medicine! Thanks for your help!
Union College in Schenectady has great aid, but I’m not sure how much is merit.
Let’s try again…where in the “north” would you like to be?
Boston, Burlington, Seattle, Portland…Merit aid in these places will be challenging.
Or…North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah? You might be better off looking for merit aid in these places.
.?? Can you clarify. Are you saying that your parents are willing to pay $9000 a year for your sisters sorority but they won’t pay anything for you? Please ask them.
If you want to go to med school than your best bet is to go where you’ll get the best grades for the best cost.
It looks like many of these suggestions will not work because you need more than a free tuition award.
Well I can understand that thinking, you have no idea where you would end up going to med school or where you would end up doing your residency.
Private message sent.
@thumper1 Sorry, just noticed your prior response! I’m open to a lot of places, but preferably the larger cities such as Boston or Seattle or others like you mentioned would be hard to get into… yikes. Also, I know my idea of the north is probably skewed since I live so far south in New Orleans, but I’m also really into Chicago, not sure whether that’s considered northern or midwestern or what? Basically, I have more of a soft spot for the larger cities so any place that would be around one in the north would be really interesting to me!
@mom2collegekids No they would be totally willing to help me out too, I was just using her as an example to explain that they are down to pay for her various fees (including sorority, not limited to) and that they’re not skipping out on paying anything!