Suggestions for a friend

Parents Forum
61

<p>Hiram College in Northeast Ohio has the following merit awards:</p>

<p>$16,000…Dean’s Scholarship…3.6 GPA or 26 ACT or 1200 SAT</p>

<p>$12,000…Heritage Scholarship…3.4 GPA or 22 ACT or 1000 SAT</p>

<p>$10,000…Hiram Scholarship…3.0 GPA or 20 ACT or 900 SAT</p>

<p>Plus…</p>

<p>Up to $5,000…Alumni Grant…Children/Grandchildren of Alumni</p>

<p>Up to $3,000…Disciples of Christ Grant…Disciples of Christ Church Member </p>

<p>Up to $3,000…Out of State Grant…Enrolled student from out of state</p>

<p>Hiram is a small college in a rural setting with <1400 students<br>
There is a nursing program and an education major
The Hiram Tuition Guarantee locks in the tuition rate for 4 years</p>

<p>I agree that if this student is looking to continue playing softball, this can make a difference, particularly with smaller Division 3 schools</p>

62

<p>The problem with a lot of the scholarships from private schools that look so good, is that the bottom line cost is often still so high. I know a family whose son got a $30K award from Seton Hall. I understand that they are generous with awards, by the way. It would be great, but what’s still left to pay is a lot. If a family truly can pay little or nothing, a local state school or community college is the way to go. Sometimes a local private college with a nice award is doable too if the student commutes. My son got a very nice scholarship that would have covered most all of the tuition to a local Catholic school with a good business program. Not a bad deal at all.</p>

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<p>College Navigator: [College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/)</p>

<p>Begin with a specific geographic region, using the Map function (New England, Mideast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Plains, etc.).</p>

<p>From there, start to refine the search by 4-year, not-for profit colleges, public and private, with registered nursing and/or elementary/secondary education as a program of study.</p>

<p>Enter Maximum 75th pecentile SAT scores of 560?, for both CR and Math to place her near the top 10% of all applicants. </p>

<p>You will come up with an array of matches. From that list, click on a specific school’s hyperlink for more detail.</p>

<p>Go to the school’s ‘Admission’ tab to confirm her stats are well within the range for admitted students.</p>

<p>From there, go to the ‘Financial Aid’ tab to determine what the average awards have been - focus on schools where average grant amounts EXCEED average loan amounts.</p>

<p>Then go to the ‘Net Price’ tab to see what the average net price for full time, admitted undergrad freshmen has been, by their family income level.</p>

<p>If you find a school that looks like a good match… go to that school’s Admissions page, then to Tuition & Financial Aid, and then to Merit Scholarships - to confirm criteria for specific awards. </p>

<p>Once you have exhausted schools in a particular geographic region… either refine the search further by other criteria…maximum tuition, religious affiliation, etc… or move onto another region to conduct the same high level search.</p>

<p>She should be able to build a pretty good list using this method…and can decide whether she wishes to contact the softball coaches on a case-by-case basis.</p>

64

<p>I agree with Kleibo and Cobrat. NJSTARs at a New Jersey community college with good academic performance, followed by transfer to Rutgers New Brunswick. No doors would be closed to her, and it would be affordable.</p>

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<p>Thank you all so much for the wise and generous advice. I’ve been compiling a list for the mom. I know she will be grateful.</p>

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<p>I agree with NJ Sue. I work in educational sales and have always been impressed with the NJ community colleges. She could also look at some of the women’s colleges and Catholic colleges in the tri-state area. I agree she should take the ACT. Her softball coach might be helpful and they would be plugged into knowing the NJ schools. Many of the schools suggested here would be super-reaches.</p>

67

<p>St. John Fisher in Rochester, NY offers a first generation scholarship for up to half of tuition, room & board…depending on financial need. They also offer a $2,500 grant for all admitted out of state students. There are other grants this young woman may also qualify for…including a $3,000/yr $12,000/4 years Honors program scholarship (you can combine them with other awards!). SJF offers both nursing and education majors. They are a medium sized Catholic school… which may lend a sympathetic ear to her achievements in light of her personal challenges…athletically, they are part of the Empire Eight conference in DIII.</p>

<p>[College</a> Navigator - Saint John Fisher College](<a href=“College Navigator - No Search Results”>College Navigator - St. John Fisher University)</p>

<p>[Scholarships</a> - St. John Fisher College](<a href=“http://www.sjfc.edu/admissions/freshman/scholarships/index.dot]Scholarships”>http://www.sjfc.edu/admissions/freshman/scholarships/index.dot)</p>

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<p>I’m not really seeing Sweet Briar. My niece is there. She’s a nice kid, horse mad, smart, but not at all interested in academics. The college is in the middle of nowhere. (Well it’s in the middle of horse country in Virginia more accurately.) :)</p>

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<p>cptofthehouse–2 examples–private school A that D is looking at, COA this year was $43,000, state school B , COA this year $22,000. Top merit award at A is $23,000 along with another merit award she would receive for another $12,000, so for her that school, assuming no other aid, is now $9000. State school, top merit award $6000, given only to 5 students, so, if she happens to be one of the lucky 5, COA $16K. The private school the awards are automatic for GPA/ACT. You can’t automatically say that a state school is less. Sometimes that might be the case but most often, at least around here, for students with a 3.5 or better and 28+ ACT scores, they are almost always more expensive.</p>

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<p>How about a Canadian college or university… somewhere in Ottawa, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia - or whatever province is closest to NJ? </p>

<p>Costs are a fraction of what US schools charge - and it may offer this young woman the chance to get away for college, rather than commute from home. </p>

<p>[Canadian</a> Colleges, Community Colleges, & Universities by Province (or) Territory](<a href=“http://www.univsource.com/canadaregion.htm]Canadian”>http://www.univsource.com/canadaregion.htm)</p>