My 10 best ideas for getting college aid
- October 29, 2009
- 4 comments
- Posted in College, Latest Posts
1. Fill in the federal FAFSA form (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid). That qualifies you for Pell Grants and government-subsidized Stafford student loans, if your family has a modest income. Higher-income families have to fill it in too, to qualify for unsubsidized Staffords and any aid that the college has to offer.
2. Apply to schools where you’re in the top 25 percent academically. They’ll want you more than schools that see you as marginal. To see where you fit, go the Web site of The CollegeBoard (www.collegeboard.com), enter the names of the schools on your list in the Search engine. When the school’s snapshot comes up, click on SAT. That will show you the range of scores on the SAT and ACT college entrance exams achieved by the students they admit. Also on the College Board site or on the school’s own website, you might find the grade point averages of their entering freshmen.
3. Apply strategically to the schools most likely to give you grants. These might include lesser-known private schools, in a distant state, interested in diversifying geographically and looking for students with superior talents or academic abilities. Or state colleges eager to upgrade their student bodies. Or state universities trying to raise their profiles nationally.
4. Go for the automatic tuition-and-fees awards offered in 14 states for students with B averages and higher. It’s a low-cost ride to a top state university, and a chance of graduating with little or no debt.
5. Check out the college’s policies on aid. Do it at the College Board’s site, where you can search for the schools on your list and click on “Cost and Financial Aid.” You’ll see how much of the aid they award comes in the form of loans rather than grants and what they list as their students’ average indebtedness at graduation. Some schools burden their students much more than others. You’ll also see what, if anything, they offer in merit (non-need) aid, and for what reason—for example, “academics, leadership, music/drama.” Then go to the school’s own site for details. The schools also disclose whether they fill their student’s full financial need or whether, on average, they fill only part of it.
6. Athletes should apply to schools whose teams are in their ability range. You don’t have to be a top athlete to get an athletic scholarship—just better than average. Write to the school’s coach and have your high school coach write too, detailing your letters, victories, and value to the team.
7. Check the school’s gender balance. Men are more apt to be admitted and get awards at private colleges where women are approaching 60 percent of the student body. Co-ed schools need to maintain some sort of gender balance to keep the guys’ parents happy (although maybe the guys are happy as is!).
8. Search the Internet for “Best Colleges in America,” the ranking published annually by U.S. News & World Report. Then scroll down to the list of schools that give the most merit aid.
9. Apply to private schools as well as state schools. The state schools charge less but also have less money for grants and merit aid. You won’t know which school will be cheaper until the aid packages arrive and you see how much more you’ll have to borrow to pay the bills.
10. Make multiple contacts with the schools on your list—visit them, call for information, ask for an interview with local alumni, email the admissions office with questions. The more interested you look, the more likely you are to be accepted and to get an award.
Tags: College, college aid
Does this apply to graduate school or just undergrad college?
I complied it for undergraduates, but much of it can be used for grad schools, too.
Where can I find a list of the schools you refer to in: 4. Go for the automatic tuition-and-fees awards offered in 14 states for students with B averages and higher. It’s a low-cost ride to a top state university, and a chance of graduating with little or no debt.
I don’t know of a website with a comprehensive list. I collected them from various sites. Use a search engine to look for scholarships in your state (these are only for residents).