Where can I get financial aid?

Paying for College
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<p>I live in GA. Okay, so my parents make like 200k+ and they said they have saved up enough for either:</p>

<p>4 yrs of private
4 yrs oos tuition + half of grad school
4 yrs of in-state + grad school</p>

<p>Not sure what I want to be yet, but I'm looking into lawyer, english professor, something of that nature. Given the recession I'm really unwilling to graduate swimming in debt. I know if i want to be a lawyer i should probably just stay in-state and ace the LSATs, but if i want to be some sort of professor undergrad is important right? UGA honors probably won't cut it. or GA tech (for english professor, yeahhh). Can you name some decent well endowed universities that i can get money from OR some universities with a less expensive tuition? I really don't want to pay more than 25k for tuition for undergrad. International schools are fine. My stats = i think i'm competitive for pretty much all schools except for top 15. (which are the rich schools ughhh) </p>

<p>this is my list
USC - any remote chance of getting money from here...?
NYU - idk about this one either.
yale - if i make it in i heard FA is great. but yea i'm 99% sure im not making it in
Mcgill - 13k hell yea but its freaking colddd
U of Toronto - manageable tuition but grade deflation might kill my hopes of law school
GA
GA Tech
UNC
Wake forrest - they give a lot of scholarships
duke</p>

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<p>Even if you got into Yale, a family with a $200k income, college savings and 1 kid in college is unlikely to get aid beyond loans. And that’s the best of the bunch.</p>

<p>If you go for a PhD, and can get into a credible one, it should cost you nothing. Becoming an english prof, well, good luck. Way too many candidates for the few jobs.</p>

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<p>Agree that unless there are extreme extenuating circumstances, you are highly unlikely to get need-based FA anywhere with 200k income and at least 200k in college savings plus other assets. HYPS have the most generous need based FA and even then you are at the top end. </p>

<p>To keep college costs down, you need to either go for in-state publics or institutional merit aid at colleges where you will be a top applicant. Remember, some OOS publics will cost you close to as much as a private (eg. UCs, UMichigan).</p>

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<p>ahhh i know, i know. :frowning: any suggestions for colleges with tuition less than 25k?</p>

<p>& ha thanks.</p>

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<p>Your in state publics or schools where you qualify for merit aid.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>UGA is an excellent school and if you excel there you can move on to a top law school or grad school. There’s nothing about UGA that’s going to hold you back, it’s all about what you do there. And professionally, it’s going to be your grad school that is going to be much more meaningful than your UG.</p>

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<p>thanks entomom. :slight_smile: i’m just scared… i mean my ap english teacher went to UGA, has his PHD and is spending his life giving ap students crappy essay grades. its not like i want to be a professor at harvard or anything, i just want to teach at a college/university, who cares if its community even, and read, write, & publish stuff.</p>

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<p>I think more than UGA, the reason your English teacher is teaching HS rather than college level is because as Rr said, it’s a tough field with too many applicants for the number of jobs available. </p>

<p>I’m the mom of an English major who would like to write, so I understand your situation. My kid is taking premed courses as ‘Plan B’ because she knows that the chances of making a living as a writer are minuscule, but she needs to give it a shot. Your interest in Law school is similar, so I’d give you the same advice I gave her (as I too saved enough for her UG and we qualify for FA at only a few extremely generous colleges), spend as little as possible on UG and save it for professional school where there is very little chance of getting FA or merit scholarships. </p>

<p>Be very thankful that your parents are willing and able to save for your college education (just read other threads here and see others who aren’t). Give them a hug tonight, they deserve it!</p>

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<p>*4.0 GPA UW
school hands those out like candyyy
ranking 35ish/370</p>

<p>SAT = 2080
ACT = 32</p>

<p>AP classes
psych - 5
e. science - 4
lang - 4
world history - 5
u.s. history - 5*</p>

<p>There are schools that would give you merit scholarships, but not NYU or USC…and maybe not much Wake Forest either. </p>

<p>Your ACT 32 puts you at the 25 percent mark at Wake - that’s not usually high enough for much (if any) merit scholarships from Wake…certainly not enough to leave much for grad/law school. </p>

<p>any suggestions for colleges with tuition less than 25k?</p>

<p>Do you mean total cost under $25k?</p>

<p>Yes…with your ACT 32 and 4.0, there are some schools that will give you free tuition, so your remaining costs would be about $12k-15k per year…but they would be schools that are similar to UGa. So, unless you’re itching to get out of Georgia, your cheapest option may be UGa.</p>

<p>What do you want from a school?</p>

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<p>haha i will entomom. :)</p>

<p>Yeah I’m definitely not expecting merit scholarships (or financial aid either… dammit) from anywhere I’m applying, except for HOPE (pays for tuition) from GA and GA tech. Hoping to get a 33 on the ACT when i take it again in October. Wake is a superrr slim chance but many students at my school have gotten scholarships from there, and they are trying to increase diversity and their reputation. I visited there and its nottt very impressive at all. Small campus full of white, christians. I think thats why they give lots of scholarships; to entice people to attend.</p>

<p>I just mean tuition under 25k. </p>

<p>And yes I’m itching to get out of GA haha. But that probably won’t happen…</p>

<p>what do i want?

  1. classes easy enough so that i can double major/get a 3.8 gpa (need that GPA if i decide to go to law school)
  2. diversity
  3. a school with a better reputation than UGA
  4. of course urban campuses are nice like u of toronto… but duke is also beautiful… a pretty campus is always a plus but not a requirement obviously haha
  5. inexpensive tuition!!</p>

<p>UGA definitely won’t be the end of the world though if i end up there… i’ll have enough money for studying abroad and can probably get a 4.0 there. honestly the only things i don’t like is the partying, huuuuge ugly campus, lack of diversity & the fact that its in ga. & the fact that i’ll pretty much see my entire school there. i want to get out of the south :confused: but yea i wont be super bummed if i end up going there or anything.</p>

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<p>Are you a URM?</p>

<p>Are you a NMSF? What did you get on your PSAT?</p>

<p>With your ACT 32, you will have some choices and have some merit options.</p>

<p>However…if you’re asking about tuition under $25k, then you’d have to add about $15k for room, board, books, etc…so you won’t be saving that much for law/grad school. </p>

<p>If you want some significant savings for law/grad school, you should look for situations where you’d be paying less than $20k total. That would leave $120k for law/grad school.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Add room/board to that and you have $35K per year or so…</p>

<p>Apply to University of South Carolina. The OOS rate for tuition/room/board is less than $35K. Your stats might put you in line for one of the instate scholarships…the Cooper or the McKissick. They are $4000 and $2000 respectively BUT they also offer a reduction to instate rates. These are based on your application to the school. The McNair Scholarship is a full ride and involves completing the honors college/scholarship application. It has an early deadline for both that application AND your application to the university. BUT if you are selected as a finalist, you are invited to an interview weekend funded by the school. This scholarship is well worth trying for.</p>

<p>With a family income of $200K and college savings…you will not get need based aid ANYWHERE…not even Yale or Stanford which have very generous need based aid. Your family income is too high and so are your college savings assets.</p>

<p>If you want to reduce your college costs, you need to look for merit aid awards…based on your academic stats. The schools on your list are iffy for you in that regard. BUT there are tons of colleges out there that would love a student with your stats…and might give you merit aid to add to your $35K that your family can contribute. </p>

<p>Have you thought about Vanderbilt?</p>

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<p>Georgia participates in the Academic Common Market. If you choose your major field carefully, you may be able to attend a participating university for in-state price. This would get you out of state, but keep your costs down. [Southern</a> Regional Education Board](<a href=“http://home.sreb.org/acm/states.aspx]Southern”>Southern Regional Education Board)</p>

<p>Just an idea.</p>

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<p>^^^
True…but the student wants to be a lawyer, so unlikely going to major in anything unusual enough that a Georgia public doesn’t offer on one of its campuses. Majors like Mining Engineering, Forest Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Music Industry, Equine Studies, Arabic Studies, Interior Architecture are in the ACM for Georgia students, but I don’t think the OP can consider majors like that. </p>

<p>That’s the problem with ACM…unless you major is something rarely offered, or you’re from a state without a top university, it’s hard to find a major or ACM-participating college that isn’t lowly ranked that will work. </p>

<p>The OP has the stats to get good merit money at some schools outside of Georgia. I can understand some reluctance to go to UGa…we weren’t impressed when we visited and didn’t care for the campus layout at all. </p>

<p>*Apply to University of South Carolina. The OOS rate for tuition/room/board is less than $35K. Your stats might put you in line for one of the instate scholarships…the Cooper or the McKissick. They are $4000 and $2000 respectively BUT they also offer a reduction to instate rates. These are based on your application to the school. The McNair Scholarship is a full ride and involves completing the honors college/scholarship application. It has an early deadline for both that application AND your application to the university. BUT if you are selected as a finalist, you are invited to an interview weekend funded by the school. This scholarship is well worth trying for.</p>

<p>With a family income of $200K and college savings…you will not get need based aid ANYWHERE…not even Yale or Stanford which have very generous need based aid. Your family income is too high and so are your college savings assets…*</p>

<p>Suggestions like South Carolina or Alabama could work because of merit scholarships. Don’t know if any of South Carolina’s scholarships are assured, but Bama’s full tuition scholarship for your stats would be. </p>

<p>At a minimum…these schools could be financial safety schools. </p>

<p>*Have you thought about Vanderbilt? *</p>

<p>Stats aren’t high enough for merit from Vandy, so the student would be full-pay. Vandy’s COA is approaching $60k per year (nephew goes there). Nephew has an ACT 33 and 4.7 GPA and got nothing from Vandy. </p>

<p>The mid 50 range at Vandy is…ACT 30 - 34…so to be a merit candidate, ACT would probably need to be 35+.</p>

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<p>I’m SE Asian but I think they lump asians together. i’m buddhist too.</p>

<p>national merit commended, 205</p>

<p>Thanks for info on USC and UAB. It’s looking like merit is only option. Anyone know any other schools that I could get merit aid from then? Obviously not from NYU and the places on my list but any other schools? I really would like to get out of the south…</p>

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<p>i sure wish i could put down native hawaiin/pacific islander… i mean come on thailand is a peninsula, thats pretty much an island…</p>

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<p>*Thanks for info on USC and UAB. It’s looking like merit is only option. Anyone know any other schools that I could get merit aid from then? Obviously not from NYU and the places on my list but any other schools? I really would like to get out of the south… *</p>

<p>Actually the info that I gave you wasn’t for UAB…it was for Bama (UA)…the flagship in Tuscaloosa. UAB is a different school.</p>

<p>any other schools that I could get merit aid from then? Obviously not from NYU and the places on my list but any other schools? I really would like to get out of the south…</p>

<p>Hmmm…your goal is to have a reduced family contribution because of large merit…</p>

<p>I’m sure that you could get a $10-15k merit scholarship from some privates, but that would only bring your own contribution down to about $40k per year. </p>

<p>A lot of the bigger merit scholarships seem to be coming from the south and some midwest LACs.</p>

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<p>Full Tuition Scholarships(or close) for
National Merit Scholarship Finalist</p>

<p>[National</a> Merit](<a href=“http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html]National”>http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html)</p>

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<p>^^^^</p>

<p>Why did you add that? The OP is not a NMSF, so not going to be a NMF.</p>

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<p>^^^ Argg, too many tabs open :/</p>