What are my chances of getting merit aid at UF?

GPA- 4.0 UW, 4.61 W
Class Rank- 2/328
SAT- 1400: 710 math, 690 reading/writing
ACT- 29: 31 math, 30 writing, 28 reading, 28 science
Actively involved in leadership in my school’s orchestra (concertmaster 3 years, grade level rep 3 years, VP 1 year, president 1 year)
Clubs: Mu Alpha Theta, National Honors Society, math team
Will most likely get an AICE Diploma with Merit
White Female
Planning on majoring in math

I’m in the summer before my senior year and I want to make sure that I’m not setting myself up for failure and/or crippling debt. My parents make too much money to get financial aid but our financial situation doesn’t allow for them to pay for my college. I qualify for FAS bright futures and we have a 2+2 plan that will cover approximately 3 years of tuition at the university level. Do I have a real chance at merit aid?

You do have a chance, but even without it you are in good shape and won’t have ‘crippling’ debt. Try for a lot of the local scholarships too. They usually aren’t much, but the COA in Florida isn’t that much so every little $500 scholarship helps. Go ask your guidance counselor if there are any you can apply to. In our area, there was on for making a public service announcement from the local bar association and the kids who won did very little work to get it (made a video that was bad, but I think they were the only ones who entered). There were art contests and essay contests, a lot of scholarships for children of military members, some from the American legion and Pepsi bottlers.

UF offers a few merit scholarships (many more need-based scholarships). I wouldn’t count on it.

On the other hand, the state is increasing FAS bright futures up to full tuition (from $3K a year to $6K+ a year) +$300 per semester for books. Your pre-paid plan would pay for most of the tuition cost. Bright futures would then pay the rest, and then what’s left over is deposited into your checking account. That $ can help pay for room and board. UF COA is fairly low, and you can take steps to lower it even more (don’t buy a meal plan, prepare most of your meals, pick one of the reasonably priced dorms, etc…). With a small loan and some help from your parents (and working a part time job over the summer), you should be able to afford it, without a large merit award.

EDIT: If the cost is still a issue, think about attending a CC for 2 years and then transfering, or even using PaCE. Staying at home for a year, taking PaCE online classes (and pocketing the Bright Future funds that you don’t have to spend) would make UF much more affordable and lower the amount you may need to take out for loans.

http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/learn/pace/

An ACT 29 or SAT 1400 is not high enough for merit from UF. I doubt you’d get any
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How much can your parents pay each year?

Between your BF and your prepaid, wouldn’t your tuition be covered?

If your parents can’t pay the rest, then why focus on UF? Why not apply to some other FL schools where your scores would get merit? Maybe UCF? USF? Any others?

my son had a 4.0 unweighted GPA and 33 ACT and was not offered any merit aid from UF

but, he was offered a 7500 per year provost scholarship from UCF

Same here RCGator. And he had friends with even higher scores that were also denied. There were students with lower stats who were given merit money though, so I guess you never know. He chose UF anyway, but the randomness of the way the merits scholarships are given was definitely a negative (and confusing). Bottom line at UF merit scholarships are not something you should count on.

I think UF considers Bright Futures to be the merit awards for their instate students. Other merit would go to very high stats students and instate NMFs (NMF awards are from state gov)