<p>Centre is selective but I would not say “very selective” - it’s all relative though. </p>
<p>1) 79k this year because he was unemployed since a few months back but apparently severance packages count as income so yea 
2) male
3) I’m trying to avoid loans
4) I don’t know </p>
<p>Thanks - that helps
Male will likely help at LACs in terms of both admissions and $$$ to attract a strong candidate. People were wanting to suggest some women’s colleges that meet need if you were female. I’ll give it some more thought . . .</p>
<p>“So many schools, very decent stats, and nobody is encouraging going the straight need-based financial aid route. Why is the merit route warranted here. The parent is unemployed.”
-There is always a hope that parent will not stay un-employed. Merit award is for 4 years as long as student maintains the min. required GPA. Why such a top kid would not pursue the Merit awards just to feel that it is really earned? Need based - I truly hope that the family will NOT qualify SOON. I really wish employment is in a very near future.<br>
Yes, avoiding loans is a very good idea and more so if Med. School is in a plan.</p>
<p>It appears you live near the Miami area. If so, definitely add Eckerd and Rollins to your list. i’ve known 2 kids who went to Rollins because they followed the money. These 2 schools you could visit, as well as UcF. Your 1400 will get you merit money at U Miami (FL), so check that out too. That would be a reach.</p>
<p>I know of quite a few students who’ve received some serious merit aid from Midwestern colleges. There’s a lot of hidden money there. :-)</p>
<p>I saw Bonner scholarships mentioned in this thread. Be aware that for the Bonner Scholars program at Rhodes College, their financial requirement is: “student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE of $7,500 or less”</p>
<p>Also know that there are two different Bonner scholarship programs. The Bonner Scholars program is only available at 24 colleges (many are small LACs) and is funded by the Bonner Foundation. The Bonner Leaders program is available at 60+ colleges and is funded by a mix of grants and other FA programs. (including AmeriCorps and federal work-study) Some colleges offer both programs. </p>
<p>The programs are similar but the Bonner Scholars program “supports individuals who otherwise could not afford to attend college because of financial need.” There might be a little more leeway in selection for the Bonner Leaders program but many of the college web sites I’ve looked at for that one seem to be a little fuzzier about any possible income requirements. I recommend contacting those FA offices for more details if you’re interested in any of those Bonner Leaders programs. </p>
<p>Both Bonner scholarship programs require you to apply separately for the program, most by mid-February. I think Centre College is one that may not have an application process for the Bonner Scholars program because they just select incoming students for it??? Centre also offer a Bonner Leaders program on their campus. </p>
<p>I’ve seen a range of maximum EFC levels for selection in different colleges’ Bonner Scholars programs, anywhere from 7500 EFC to something like 12K EFC or possibly a little bit higher. </p>
<p>At my kid’s school, the college pays for the family’s entire EFC after all other scholarships, grants, merit aid, federal loans, etc have been accounted for.</p>
<p>There’s a service requirement that the student works 10 hours a week for a non-profit of their choice and also does two paid 7-week summer internships at non-profit organizations of their choice. Students are paid for this required work time, of course. This is basically equivalent to the federal work-study program although at my kid’s college, time spent at any required Bonner meetings also counts as part of that 10-hour-per-week requirement. The service requirement allows the student a little more leeway in choosing a non-profit work location related to their interests.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bonner.org”>http://www.bonner.org</a> </p>
<p>Where are the Bonner programs?
<a href=“The Bonner Network Wiki / Bonner Program - Participating Campuses”>The Bonner Network Wiki / Home; </p>
<p>Differences between the two Bonner programs (mostly the funding sources)
<a href=“The Bonner Network Wiki / Difference between Bonner Scholar and Bonner Leader Programs”>The Bonner Network Wiki / Home; </p>
<p>Did you look at University of Richmond? What about Emory and Henry? Very small, but also a Bonner Scholar school. Very pretty campus. You may qualify for quite a bit of aid. Run the NPC.</p>
<p>^ Very helpful post. Perhaps you should start a thread on Bonner programs for easy future reference.</p>
<p>Bonner is a great option for mid- to low-income students. The ones my D applied to – Rhodes and Berry – were both Bonner Scholar programs. They are selective and the amount of aid varies but for kids who are wired for community service and need scholarships, it’s a great program. </p>
<p>The summer programs can feed into a thesis or research as well as provide hands-on leadership opportunities outside of their college region. What I understood was that the colleges with Bonner Scholar programs make an extra effort to cut the EFC down to the bone so the Bonner Scholar can focus on their studies and their service. </p>
<p>I took your advice and decided to talk to my dad about the current financial situation and the expected yearly income for this year would be 59,000 with an adjusted gross income of 25,000. Does that open any doors for colleges with good financial aid?</p>
<p>Yes, just based on income you should get a very good package from a full needs school. Obviously, there are other factors like assets so make sure you are covering all your bases.</p>
<p>You should still be looking at commuter school and community college options. Apply to a few of the 100 percent need schools as they are generally pretty tough to get into. I still think you ought to put Richmond on that list. I know you want to talk to them first but run their NPC… it’s pretty accurate and they don’t get quite as many applicants as some of the others on your list.</p>
<p>I added Richmond to the list 
still looking at other LACs for match schools and reach schools but have added a few CCs for safety and still have Louisiana tech as a full ride safety</p>
<p>Great start! Now try running a couple net price calculators including family size, possible siblings and ages, age of oldest parent matters, sometimes value of home, etc. just to get an idea. It still wont’ be entirely accurate but use the same info on each one and you may see different numbers. </p>
<p>I’m wondering if there is a mock EFC calculator out there somewhere. Does anyone know? I guess the google will tell us.</p>
<p>Good going, Shockwave! Talking to your dad is a major step in getting the facts and data needed for your search strategy. Wishing you the best! Keep us posted on your search/acceptances/awards. And keep asking questions. </p>
<p>Keep in mind FAFSA EFC is just the number for Federal aid. Many schools use CSS Profile and/or their own form to calculate need as they see it. However, FAFSA EFC will be a good starting point and will let you be able to see if you might qualify for Bonner programs. Also, remember that many schools will expect you to come up with more than your calculated EFC or will “meet” your need with Parent PLUS loans.</p>
<p>I think I mentioned this earlier. What about Vassar? They are looking to increase their male population, I believe. It’s a great school.</p>
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<p>Miami- after all these years, isn’t it time to stop bragging about your daughter? Was meeting the lower levels of life folks in the music school and the sorority the equivalent of working at a soup kitchen? Shockingly, there are very bright students the AREN’T high school valedictorians! You seem to put WAY too much currency in being a Val. You have been on here for years insisting that there is really only one way to skin a cat, and it, astoundingly, is the way your family chose to go. </p>
<p>OP, I see you’re focusing on merit aid and outside scholarships, which is very sensible since you can predict what you’re going to get and make plans well in advance. I don’t want to suggest that you alter your approach, but I think you should give some serious thought to adding one or two full-need reaches to your list, on top of everything else. I’m talking about private colleges that may not award merit aid, but have robust need-based aid for all who qualify. The Vassar suggestion above is a good one; Amherst is another LAC I would recommend, since they’re known for caring about socioeconomic diversity. Your statistical profile wouldn’t exactly stand out in the applicant pools of those schools, especially Amherst, but it <em>is</em> competitive, particularly given your financial hardship.* If you can bump your SAT score up to 2200, you’ll be in an even stronger position. Moreover, you can get waivers for the application fees.</p>
<p>*Which you need to shamelessly milk in your application if you’re going for private schools with holistic admissions. I’m not saying lie or embellish or give the adcoms a sob story about having to walk barefoot to school; I’m saying don’t be ashamed to bring up the fact you’re not rich and have beaten the odds to get where you are. Some low-income students buy into the fallacies of anti-AA ‘meritocracy’ rhetoric and feel embarrassed by their families’ hardships, especially by the thought that they may have an easier time getting into college because they’re poor, but it is absolutely true that grades and test scores like yours are more impressive when they’re achieved without the financial resources and safety net available to the upper classes. Adcoms know this. Just make sure to keep it at the forefront of their minds, in addition to showcasing your interests and personality.</p>
<p>For top private elites, let your GC note what you overcame. Sure, you can refer to it, but in your app, you should be showing how you are a match and have the record and attributes that would allow you to thrive over the four years there. Show, not tell. You want them excited about you and your potential.</p>