<p>Hi well I'm 16 and heading into my Junior year of high school and I'm was thinking about my college future. My GPA is currently a 3.60 (weighted) and in my Freshmen year I had a 3.33 and 3.4 but in my Sophomore I had a 3.9 and 3.8 so I made good progress. I am taking five or so AP Classes in my Junior year and I'll be taking some my Senior year as well so I will get my GPA higher.</p>
<p>I have kind of narrowed down to U of M, MSU, Wayne State, Oakland as my choices for colleges. Problem is, I'm not sure if I'm good enough to get a full ride to any of them and I'm very strapped right now so for me or my parents to pay is out of the question without a major loan.</p>
<p>So my father makes $30,000 annually and my mother is unemployed at the moment so I was wondering what are my options for a need-based scholarship? I'm not sure what to look for or what a need-based scholarship is called (Pell Grant? FAFSA?). Will they pay for room and board? Will they pay tuition for all four years and what school would they be likely to pay for my entire tuition?</p>
<p>Sorry about the long read and thanks for all the help.</p>
<p>You need to apply for need based financial aid throught FAFSA
<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/[/url]”>www.fafsa.ed.gov/</a>
Through that, the school in which you attend will give you Pell Grants, Michigan Grants, Federal Education Opportunity Grants, etc.
Michigan does not count freshman year when calculating GPA so its definitely probable that you’ll get into michigan. GJ on improvement. Considering your circumstances, you will probably have an EFC of 0 just for reference.</p>
<p>From my own experience [EFC of 0], Michigan will probably pay all of your tuition but not your room and board. This will cost ~5-6k depending on your room. You can pay this with Subsidized loans [which don’t gain interest until you graduate]. You will also have work-study, probably 2500 to earn money during the year.
MSU has a great program called the Spartan Advantage Program. This will pay for your room and board, tuition, and will give you work-study.
[Spartan</a> Advantage Program | Office of Financial Aid | Michigan State University](<a href=“http://finaid.msu.edu/spad.asp]Spartan”>Spartan Advantage | Michigan State University)
Im not too sure about Wayne State and Oakland but they should be similar to UM and MSU if not better.</p>
<p>check it out.looks like you could get 2,000 a year just from their merit program if you maintain a high gpa and good act, then there are many other need based scholarships. My buddies sister goes there for free. His family makes more than yours so it is definitely a good option.One of the better in state schools with merit and need based aid in my opinion.</p>
<p>If you EFC is 0 then that means that your financial aid package can cover up the entire cost (keyword: can). This may or may not include 100% grants. Though UM financial aid is great. I think your tuition pretty much should be cover (with grants), as for room and board, it may or may not.</p>
<p>Yes. You will need to reapply for Financial aid every year. Always make sure you make the deadline or it’ll be difficult getting aid no matter where you go.</p>
<p>Which do you guys recommend? I can get to Oakland or WSU by car pretty easily and I’m sure FAFSA will cover them both.</p>
<p>Getting to MSU by car is out of the question so I’ll need a dorm. Getting to UM by car is 40 miles so it’s possible but I’ll probably need a dorm as well. Problem is, I’m not sure if I would have to pay out of my pocket for the dorm or any part of my tuition.</p>
<p>use the Fafsa and look for third party scholarships - that’s what i did and i covered my entire tuition since frosh year w/o my parents paying a cent. And my opinion, if you don’t live on campus your frosh year you miss out on a big chunk of the college experience - a chunk you may regret missing down the road. but that’s just my opinion. </p>
<p>FOr those 3-rd party scholarships… get hunting now. you may have to be applying to hundreds if not thousands but there is over 9 billion in schoolarships each year and i heard that nearly 40% goes unclaimed or was never applied for. So talk to your counselor at your HS and they may be able to tell ou some more about it, that’s their job.</p>
<p>Oh wow, I didn’t know that at Michigan as a in-state need base financial aid student your likely to get stuck paying 5-7k room and board, this myself alerts my attention even more to schools like Wake Forest University etc… where even as a out of state student your likely to get only stuck with 4k or less. OP I’m informed with MSU spartan advantage program, and usually your max of loans is probably 2500 a year. I also would suggest for you to look at UM-Twin Cities, Bowdoin and Wake Forest University ( also could suggest other universities but not sure what your looking to study). If your really trying to stay within Michigan Grand Valley State University seems to offer a lot of merit scholarships, so if your grades are high you may have a good chance of a full ride.</p>
<p>So then since they take into account what college I’m going to, what if I get my estimated aid offer and it’s not enough to pay for what I need to go to UM, do I tell them I’d rather go to Oakland and then they revise it or what?</p>
<p>^
I really thought University of Michigan was great with in-state need base financial aid, though now I’ve found out they may be exactly the opposite. I would suggest for you to at least apply ( if you like those schools) UVA and UNC ( I’m really looking into these universities more). I guess now considering at UM you may have to pay for room and board, it doesn’t hurt to look out of state.
Also if you get offered large loans ( ones you don’t want to take) I would advise you to wait and compare it to other schools. Though do be cautious, just because ( as I’am alarming myself) UM offers you great financial aid freshmen year ( since they do not have a program funded for in-state need base) does not mean you will get the same funds for your next years, loans could gradually/drastically increase for you over a period ( as I’am alarming myself the same thing), so be careful when comparing FA packages anywhere.</p>
<p>But… Since they take into account what college I’m going to, what if I get my estimated aid offer and it’s not enough to pay for what I need to go to UM, do I tell them I’d rather go to Oakland and then they revise it or what?</p>
<p>in ur position it wuld be a good idea to apply to some private schools. They might actually be cheaper. I think only applying to publics culd be dangerous, if u expecting a lot of aid.</p>
<p>Well I want to know much aid I will get before I make a decision but my question is if I write on my FAFSA that I am interested in UM but when I get my benefit amount, it’s not satisfactory to me, what do I tell them? I want to use that money to Oakland?</p>
I also would suggest for you to not only apply to other public universities, but also private universities. Speaking of how much aid University of Michigan will give you if accepted, that can not be determine since there is no program like Michigan State University. Meaning you can really recieve anything one year great, and the next horrible. If University of Michigan offered you FA that was not affordable for you, you can not use that money for Oakland since this FA is coming exclusively from the school aid itself, offering it to you as a potential student. To determine FA for Oakland you will have to apply to that university and see what will be offered. Oakland University could likely even give worst financial aid due to lower funds, though also for academics they may likely give more. It all really varies.</p>