I would apply to any schools you like that offer merit aid, like Duke, Trinity College, etc. You have very competitive stats, you should be able to get a full ride (or full tuition) some where even if they may not be your first choices.
When you said your parents have cut you off, does it mean they are not willing to provide financial information? If they are willing, you should still be able to get some FA with 150K income at some top tier schools.
Re #39
A 3+2 program is likely unsuitable for the OP because getting the needed merit scholarship at the “2” school cannot be assured when deciding on a college as a high school senior.
OP, why wouldn’t your parents be proud of you and paying for your college education?
I agree with earlier posters about applying to UAH. Earlier this fall they were offering free applications. UAH has opportunity for internships and co ops. They are right on the middle of a research park and NASA. It all depends on how far away from north Alabama the OP lives, how much the transportation costs will be.
UAH seems very eager to work with students and to give out scholarships to all who qualify.
Thanks to all of you for your replies. I’ve been creating a spreadsheet with all the options suggested and I’ve been working on apps, so sorry that I haven’t answered for a bit.
As a general note, I talked to my parents and they agreed to fill FAFSA. The deal, for full disclosure, is that they want me to pay for college (and all necessities but insurance while I’m there) on my own, because I’ll learn something about money management from that. They both had to pay for their colleges (and all other necessities) on their own in their home countries, so it’s something they want me to do to learn from the experiences.
To answer questions:
@citymama9 - In addition to the general info above, they will pay for travel and I’m covered under their insurance.
@suzyQ7 Yes – I did. They’ve both written them and they are loaded into the CA.
@ClarinetDad16 GA was for privacy, see an earlier comment. I have money for application fees that I earned over the summer while working. As stated, they are unwilling to pay for anything related to college unless it’s insurance or getting me there.
@powercropper Thanks, I’ll take a look at that.
@TimeUpJunior See general note.
@MYOS1634 It’s on my To-Do list, probably for a long time lol
@faren1930 --wow. I will admit to feeling that way a year or so ago before we really sat down to see how much things have changed. That was back in the day where tuition, room and board, meal plan, football tickets and parking pass for a full semester at our state flagship was less than $2,000!!
Do they not understand how much things have changed?
If unwillingness to pay mattered and granted students more aid, there would be a surge of parents unwilling to pay just to game the system and get their children more free $.
“They both had to pay for their colleges (and all other necessities) on their own in their home countries, so it’s something they want me to do to learn from the experiences.”
Did it cost them as much as a NEW MERCEDES BENZ-EACH YEAR- to go to college?? THATS what it costs these days.
Your parents need to get their idealistic heads out of the clouds and realize that it now costs US students10 TIMES as much to to go college as it did 25 years ago, and that was FAR more than THEY had to pay in their own countries.
Thee ONLY lesson they are teaching you is they are ignorant, despite their college educations.
I feel for you, OP. I have so much anger reading this thread, but I will bite my tongue. Many immigrants slave in factories and hot kitchens to help their children better their lives. With their income they can help more than they are. There are many ways to learn financial management. Good luck!
My parents have the same mindset. Another piece of advice would be to look into being an RA in college - the position is competitive but compensation is usually free room and meal plan.
Would they cosign for loans?
That way you could find an instate option or full tuition offer and borrow / work summers for rest.
As a student at smu I know they offer roughly 30 full rides to students with your demonstrated academic success
@faren1930 - when you say “Parents have cut me off at 18 in all but housing/food. Not willing to help”, have they forced you to ‘emancipate’ so that you can be eligible for aid on your own?
This may be the first time I am seeing Asian parents unwilling to help. I am an Asian parent too - and take that responsibility fairly seriously - providing a guarantee that if all attempts to secure Merit/Aid from out of state colleges fail, I will pick up the cost of an in-state education.
I don’t know if the OP ever said he/she was Asian.
in post #1
@mathewjn, If the parents are paying for OP’s housing and food he doesn’t meet the criteria for becoming emancipated. He’s going to need to include their financial information.
@austinmshauri - I think the reference to housing/food may have been in reference to staying at home during senior year. Even so, cutting your own kid off/denying any form of assistance (esp when there are assets are available), is harsh to say the least.
“Parents have cut me off at 18 in all but housing/food. Not willing to help. Parents have lots in assets, just unwilling is all.”
Just like @citymama9 said, I feel for the OP - and have so much anger directed to the parents of the OP. After all, all of us as parents, aspire that our kids do better than we do. That’s the only way the younger generation can get ahead. Unless this is some perverted attempt at ‘tough love’ I’m still struggling to understand these circumstances.
A generation ago, in those countries, how much did attending a university cost the student?
Sometimes, we see stories on these forums of parents who worked their way through college (in the US) and expect their kids to do the same (without financial aid, since the parents have too much income and assets for the kids to get enough college financial aid). But, a generation ago in the US, it was more possible to support oneself living on one’s own (i.e. not needing to depend on living in the parents’ house) with a high school graduate job, while having some left over to pay for the then-small in-state public tuition and books costs of a public university. Now, it is much more difficult due to weaker high school graduate job prospects and much higher college costs, so students in this situation need to find full ride or almost full ride merit scholarships to do that.
Sorry for the late response, guys. I’ve been filling out lots of applications as of late. I’m not really trying to justify my parents’ actions, as they are resolute and I am just trying to cope by all means.
Thanks to all of you. You’ve been an awesome help.