Transfer Student - Financial Help

Paying for College
1

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>So currently I am in my third year of University but by the end of this semester I am almost certain that I want to transfer schools. Currently I have a 4.0 after two years studying at my local State University, but I was hoping to transfer somewhere out west, preferably California. Two things make my situation unique; one, I come from a very low income household and I'm hoping that academic achievement will help greatly in whichever University I decide to transfer to, and two, I didn't exactly do great in high school (3.0 GPA), and average test scores.</p>

<p>So essentially, I'm just curious which Universities would give the best aid to a low income student, and which Universities wouldn't require high school grades or standardized test grades, but instead wholly on University grades.</p>

<p>Please help me out!
Best Regards, Sam.</p>

2

<p>No one is going to magically have a list of schools that meet all your criteria–you need to look into each college you’re interested in and do the research on transfer applications (very easy to find) and financial aid for transfers (harder). But it seems as if you’ll have 5 semesters completed at your current school–make sure that transferring is a reasonable option at this point–e.g., you may not be able to transfer all your credits to your new school, in which case you’ll be attending for extra semesters, not a great option if finances are a concern.</p>

3

<p>

Since you have the grades for at least 4 semesters after high school, most schools don’t care about your high schools grades or your test scores.</p>

4

<p>You have to do your own specific research, but looking at a few private California schools’ transfer application checklists, it appears they do require high school transcripts, and some also want test scores. How much weight is put on either of these compared to college grades is anybody’s guess, but they must have a reason for wanting them.</p>

5

<p>A couple of things:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>There is financial aid available for transfer however it tends to be limited. There may be some scholarships, some need based aid or they may just be pell grants. You do have a strong GPA so this is beneficial. A lot of schools will have pages dedicated to transfer students that will usually explain the scholarships available in more detail.</p></li>
<li><p>Do take into consideration that extra semesters may be needed. No two degrees are alike.
This could add to the cost.</p></li>
</ol>