When lOoking for colleges to apply to how much should I look at cost?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am comfortable paying around 15-18k a year. However I know I will probably get scholarship and merit money. I do not qualify for financial aid or need based aid so I will be taking out loans. My stats are</p>

<p>4.0 GPA (97 average)
16-19 SAT (based on PSAT)
I'm Hispanic </p>

<p>Idk what other stat would help me to get scholarships???? But basically my question is, based on my stats (plus anything else you need) can you guess how much scholarship money I'll get? And how much I should be able to rAise the tuition amount I'm willing to pay??</p>

2

<p>You need to talk with your parents about how much they can pay. Is that 15-18k what they can chip in, or does that include Stafford Loans and money you make with a part-time job? Have you run any of the financial aid calculators (there are good ones at [EFC</a> Calculator: How Much Money for College Will You Be Expected to Contribute?](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) )? Do you know what your FAFSA EFC will be like?</p>

<p>If your parents can pay 15k, and you borrow the maximum Stafford Loan ($5,500 freshman, $6,500 sophomore, $7,500 junior, $7,500 senior) each year, and you make another 2k to 4k each year with summer jobs and school year jobs, you may have the costs of your home-state public U covered. </p>

<p>Most colleges and universities will not meet your need as defined by the FAFSA. You will be expected to pay a lot more than that. If you need serious money, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum, and read through the threads there on guaranteed merit-based aid. Your GPA is good, but your ACT/SAT exam scores may need to go up in order to qualify for those scholarships.</p>

3

<p>Realize that many colleges, esp the ones generally ranked in the top 25, do not offer any “scholarship and merit money”. They offer grants based on financial need only. There is a huge list of schools which do offer “scholarship and merit money” though. This thread is a good starting point:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid-59.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid-59.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Merit awards vary greatly by school and they change at a given school from year to year.</p>

4

<p>you really need to spend some time reading thru the info on sites like [Project</a> on Student Debt](<a href=“http://projectonstudentdebt.org/]Project”>http://projectonstudentdebt.org/) to understand how debt, such as the approx. $80K you are talking about, will affect your future.</p>

5

<p>Everyone, I don’t plan on going to an IVY I’m looking mostly at SUNY schools, but I would like to look at other schools too you know? I was just curious so that i know how realistic other schools could be. I want to be a teacher, not a doctor which is why i’m not looking at any Ivies</p>

6

<p>Is your plan to teach within New York State? If so, stick with one of the SUNY’s or CUNY’s to keep your tuition costs in line. It is your best bet. Good luck</p>

7

<p>yeah it is, i am def looking to the SUNY’s i was just curious in case something happens that wouldnt allow for it to work out.</p>