<p>I just realized that a majority of any college funds for me are nonexistent. I live in Florida and I guess it was pretty much decided at my birth that I would attend a Florida college/university, but even then, I'll still be paying for the funds that Bright Futures doesn't cover due to the recent cut-backs. Are there any possibilities of a full-ride to colleges, both in and out of state?</p>
<p>What are you looking for exactly? While there are a few all-expenses-paid super-wow full-ride scholarships out there, most run of the mill “GOOD” college financial aid packages are a wild combination of Federal Stafford/Perkin Loans, state-level grants, school merit awards, student Work-Study awards, a parent cash contribution or ParentPlus loan, and summer earnings from the student.</p>
<p>So - what are you looking for exactly? If I take you literally, it sounds like you want to go to college without taking on any loans or chipping in via student work and student summer work. Or maybe you are just saying that the gap left after Bright Futures and Student Loans etc is still too huge to take on. I can’t tell. It would be helpful if you gave us more details.</p>
<p>We need your detailed stats to help steer you to places that may offer you a very comprehensive FA package with (hopefully) lots of merit aid.</p>
<p>But in the end, if you want a super-wow full-ride you will need amazing stats, because it will be competitive. The “good” financial aid packages are out there as well, but will also require good stats. So let’s start there with your stats.</p>
<p>What are your stats? Full ride scholarships often require strong stats.</p>
<p>Univ of Miami gives great scholarship merit money if you have the stats. Then you can apply your Bright Futures $ and any other scholarships you get. Worth looking into. My DS loves it there! Class sizes are amazing and the school treats the kids beautifully.
Best of luck.</p>
<p>I’m an IB candidate at the top 10% of my class with a 3.7 GPA. I’ve yet to take the SAT (December) and I’m praying (but now it’s a little out of my league) for a National Merit Scholar title. I’ve taken two AP tests and have done horribly (3 on Human Geo, 2 on World History - mostly due to horrible teachers) and plan to take the SAT II’s in Bio and Spanish because I’m taking those courses at in IB. I’m active in two clubs while participating in two others.</p>
<p>^ I was defiantly looking into UM and that seems very appealing. Thank you. </p>
<p>^^ I’ve been looking for huge scholarships but I won’t turn down a job in a college’s work-study program or a part-time job off campus. Full rides are the ultimate dream, but I feel that the economy won’t come close to sufficing such for students.</p>
<p>I’ve yet to take the SAT (December) and I’m praying (but now it’s a little out of my league) for a National Merit Scholar title. I</p>
<p>What? What was your PSAT?</p>
<p>Why are you waiting til Dec to take the SAT? You should take the Oct test and if you don’t do well, then test again. If you wait until Dec, your scores may be tooooo late for some schools’ scholarship consideration. </p>
<p>Also, sign up for the Sept or Oct ACT.</p>
<p>Since you need merit scholarships, you need a better strategy than the one you have.</p>
<p>Are you a Junior?</p>
<p>Here is the deal. In Florida, if you want a full ride, think private college in a tier lower that you though you would be interested in. If you are top 10% with a GPA 3.7 unweighted with all honors and some AP/IB, you could get a free ride to Florida Southern College based on merit, and if you are eligible, financial aid to cover room and board. Same with University of Tampa. You could get lots of merit money to Stetson and if you do great on the SAT lots of merit money to Rollins. You still get Bright Futures and there is an instate grant for money if you go private because it costs the state less to educate you. I think it is the Florida Resident Access Grant. Between BF and FRAG you could pay for dorm and all you have left is food. (GOOGLE FRAG for more info).</p>
<p>Do you think you will be eligible for financial aid? </p>
<p>Florida is a great state to go to community/state college. Bright futures pays 100% tuition at a CC/SC. And you get good grades you not only get into the state U of your choice, there is A LOT of money. CC/SC Foundations at the bigger community/state colleges have transfer scholarships, and every year, they often have only a few applicants because students don’t bother to apply. My D just graduated high school with her AA, it cost us nothing for the two years of tuition for free for the AA under dual enrollment, and she won a merit tuition scholarship from the CC/SC for her last two years at state U. We do not qualify for financial aid. But with the transfer scholarship and Bright Futures (and FL Prepaid) she will bank. And she almost did not apply for the scholarships because we do not have “need.”</p>
<p>There are good options out there. And UCF and FSU give out decent merit money for instate with great grades and great scores. That helps cover what BF does not.</p>
<p>PSAT includes 56CR, 57M, and 53W. I was sick that day, but it improved from when I took the test my freshmen score (150) and, because I have been studying for the SAT this summer, I hope this will aid my PSAT. </p>
<p>I figured I would test my ACT in either Sept or Oct and my SAT in December to give more time to study, but I’ll take your advice and take them at the suggested dates. </p>
<p>Yes, I am a rising junior. Coming from a single parent household where only that one parent attended college and being a combination of two minority groups, I hope to use these hooks in gaining financial aid. However, I read that BF cut back on its financial aid and would leave me 100$ short for each class, coming to a total of 500$ each semester. I am taking several classes now, so hopefully those combined with the IB scores I receive, I will have enough credits to earn my AA from my community college the summer before entering a state college.</p>
<p>Study as hard as you can for the PSAT. I think sunnyfl gave you good advice.</p>
<p>Hooks do NOT get you financial aid. Financial aid (if available) is given by determined “need” - ethnicity has nothing to do with it.</p>
<p>you mention that your custodial parent is a college grad. Does he/she make a good income? Your aid will be based on income and assets, and whether the school have funds to give (most schools don’t have much money to give).</p>
<p>You seem to misunderstand how aid is given and that most schools don’t have much money to give.</p>
<p>I read that BF cut back on its financial aid and would leave me 100$ short for each class, coming to a total of 500$ each semester.</p>
<p>[Florida</a> Student Scholarship and Grant Programs](<a href=“Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs”>Home - Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs)</p>
<p>If your stats get you the highest BF award, then you’d get $125 per semester hour. </p>
<p>So, if you take 30 credits in one year, you’ll get $3750 per year. That’s not enough for tuition and certainly won’t pay for room, board, and books.</p>
<p>Where do you want to go to college? Can you commute to that school to save money?</p>
<p>Since you are a Junior, you can skip the ACT and SAT this fall. Concentrate your effort on reviewing for the PSAT instead. If your PSAT exam is high enough for NMF (and NAS, or NHS if you are the right ethnic group) classification, prep for the SAT and take it. You also should take a couple of practice ACT and SAT exams at home to see if one is much easier for you, so you can concentrate your prep on the exam you are strongest before taking it sometime in the spring. Take the SAT II exams in subjects that you are strong in as soon as you finish the course.</p>
<p>Sit down with your custodial parent and run the FAFSA calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) Once the two of you know what your EFC is likely to be, you will be able to come up with a plan for your education. As others have suggested, the CC/SC route might be the best if there really is no money available.</p>
<p>Your IB advisor should also be able to help you with some of this process. He/she should know which colleges/universities are more generous with IB credits and which like IB candidates well enough to offer scholarship money for them.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>