jvtDad

Look at Berea college in KY.

2collegewego

Ahmed, those NMF scholarships are not available to students for having any other credential or score. They are not given out for good grades. They are strictly given to NM kids, not kids who earned almost a perfect score on ACT or anything else. If you did not take the PSAT in junior year and score NMF, you are not eligible.

You may want to look at online regs for getting instate residency, particularly where you have family. Check the ccs and 4 year state colleges. You could come to the US, work and, after a year or so, pay for and attend a cc and then plan to transfer to a 4yr. It may be harder to get instate residency at the 4yr, though, so be prepared for that.

happymomof1

If there is a high school in Bangladesh that is attended by US embassy children, the PSAT is probably administered there. By carefully looking at the PSAT/NMSQT website you should find the details. However, you also need to know that the minimum score fir NMF status varies by state if you live here, and the international-residence students are a separate group. Each year that group has one of the highest minimum scores (if not the highest) to qualify.

In some states if you move there, get a job, and support yoursel, you will qualify for in-state status. Read the policies for each of the colleges and universities that you are interested in, and find out if this is possible or not.

lookingforward

The time you are supposed to live in a state, in addition to the other steps, to declcare residency: being in that state for college usually does not count.

BobWallace

Ignore that list - it is useless to you if you are not NMSF or NMF.

Here's the list you want:
Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships

Those are scholarships based on some combination of grades/ACT/SAT/rank. You will have to read the qualifications carefully - some require that you graduate from an accredited US high school.

Automatic merit awards like this are nice because you know your eligibility up front, but usually if you can qualify for one of these you will also have a good chance at competitive merit awards at comparable schools.

You may also qualify for need-based aid, depending on family income.

Ahmed315

@ jvtDad

Yeah, I know a Bangladeshi (non-U.S. citizen) girl who's been accepted at Berea College in KY and she's getting a full ride. Her SAT score was around 1700.

I think I'll add that school to my list after all.

Thanks

momofthreeboys

2collegewego, yes, a friends son managed to fail out of a highly selective college and left to move to another state. He had to pay his own costs as his parents said no to any more college tuition. He worked for a year or maybe two at which time the college granted him in-state tuition (he was, at the time 21) but he was not able to get additional financial help until he was 24. He kept a 4.0 scholarship and received a significant department grant as well as being able to file for his senior year as independent. Residency and financial aid independence are different hurdles.

BobWallace

Let's talk terminology for a sec: Full Ride means tuition, room, and board are paid for. Full tuition means just tuition is paid for. Merit aid or non-need-based aid is money based on academic achievement (grades, test scores, etc.) or other skills and capabilities desired by the school; need-based aid is money based on your family income and assets (or lack thereof).

So when you say your schoolmate got a full ride at Berea, understand that this award is need-based. Students with moderate or higher family income/assets can't go to Berea. So Berea only makes sense for you if your family's income and assets are low.

If you have low family income/assets, then you have many financial aid possibilities beyond schools like Berea. You started out the thread asking about Full Ride scholarships that are merit-based - these are usually sought by students with higher income since they don't have access to the need-based aid.

Ahmed315

@ 2collegewego

Nope, I didn't take anything because they don't HAVE them in Bangladesh. So, no, I'm not eligible.

I really don't want to be a burden to anyone. I appreciate your suggestion and it only makes sense. But I want to be on my own - TOTALLY.

Ahmed315

@happymomof1

The only two schools like that here are the American International School Dhaka and the International School Dhaka. They don't let any outside students (doesn't matter even if you're an American citizen) take any tests or anything. They're quite stingy, have this...attitude.

Ahmed315

@BobWallace

That's the very first list I looked up when I was looking for full ride schools. It has Coppin State University, which is on the other list too, if I'm not mistaken. I also marked Florida A & M University and Louisiana Tech University. Oh and Alabama University too.

So, you're 100% sure that the schools on the list you shared which say that guarantee a full ride, they actually do guarantee it?

Of course I'll check each school individually, but I want to make sure I'm on the right track this time.

Thanks

Ahmed315

@ BobWallace

I'm qualified for any need-based aid out there. I even qualify for the SAT and college application fee waivers. My family can't invest for my education in the United States.

That's why me and a great friend of mine started looking up the need-blind admissions on Wikipedia. Due to the need-blind schools nature, they're all very selective.

The only less competitive schools I found so far are Knox College, Denison University, Lawrence University and Beloit College.

But 4 schools isn't just enough. I'm adding Berea College.

I know I'm sounding really stupid due to not knowing these things and not having a clear concept of how things are happening in the United States. I mean, I haven't been in the USA for about 10 years. This is the result.

Anyway, now you know that I'm qualified for any need-based aid.

Thanks

lookingforward

I don't see those 4 colleges on the usual list of "meet full need." Didn't see it in their web sites-?

Try to run the NPC/Net Price Calculator for schools you are interested in. You also want to see if they include loans in meeting need. Because nearly all schools leave you with some cost and you may need to finance that. If they already "gifted" you with a loan, then it's not available for your own final costs.

Also, about working- the schools will likely give you "work study," an on campus job, maybe 10 hour/week, flexible scheduling to accommodate your class times- usually $1700-2200 worth. That can cover your misc personal monthly. Whether or not you can work off-campus will depend on where that school is located, what the local economy is like- and how far you have to go to get to that job.

What is your gpa, have you taken the rigorous track of classes at your school? If I'm understanding, you don't have a SAT score yet?

ps. I hate to think you're looking this up on wiki- can you get a Princeton Review or Fiske Guide?

Remember, "need based aid" means the school calculates your need, not you. Even "meets 100% of need" is based on what they think you need. Go look at finaid.org, which will help you learn.

mom2collegekids

Does Berea give "free rides"??? I could be wrong, but I thought that they only gave free tuition. If so, then you'd still have to pay for room, board, books, personal expenses, transportation, AND int'l transportation. That could easily be $15k or more per year. You may get a $5500 student loan, a $5550 Pell grant, but how would you cover the rest?

BobWallace

Full tuition is the minimum at Berea - they do give additional financial aid, including guaranteed full ride when they admit international students.