I know that the Ivies and other high-end schools offer a lot of need-based aid for low-income students who can get admitted. But what about students with more modest grades whose families have almost no money? I’m trying to help a neighbor who fits that description.
Are there any colleges out there, perhaps in need of boosting their URM enrollments, that will offer a need-based full-ride or near full-ride to an academically decent but not high-flying student?
Yes many of the Catholic schools like St. Bonaventure, Siena, Scranton, St. Mike’s and smaller schools like Susquehanna have pretty good need based aid. I know the average cost of attendance at St. Bonaventure was about $18k last year. Not sure how that will work for you.
Your state schools in all likelihood will be best, though.
What kind of grades and test scores?
I don’t know about test scores. I’m not sure she has taken them, but I’m guessing they will be commensurate with her grades. Her grades are basically B or B+.
She will get no support from her family. Her parents are very low income and know nothing about getting into or succeeding at college. I think part of her ability to succeed will be based on being able to get away from her chaotic home environment, which is shy I’m looking for a full-ride (i.e. room and board) rather than just tuition aid. Unless you area recruited athlete, California state school finaid usually does not extend beyond tuition and fees.
If she is a California resident, she will likely find that the CSUs offer her the most affordable financial aid packages. Is she currently a junior?
She should run the net price calculators on UCs and CSUs. For students from the very lowest income families (assuming custodial parent cooperates with FAFSA), the net prices commonly come out to:
$4,000-6,000 for CSU as a commuter living with parents (including costs at home and transportation, although some parents will continue to subsidize these costs as if the student were still in high school; direct loan or work earnings can cover this)
$8,000-$11,000 for UC (direct loan and work earnings can cover this)
$11,000-$13,000 for CSU living on campus or on one’s own (would be a stretch with direct loan and work earnings)
Starting at a CC (about $3,000 for in-state tuition and books, plus whatever living and transportation costs) and then transferring to a UC or CSU as a junior can also be an option.
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ lists some potential large scholarships if she gets high enough test scores.
Berea College. She’d be required to work, but she’d graduate with no debt.
I second Berea College.
Also, do not discount UC’s, which will be cheaper for a student needing to live on campus. She may not be competitive for UCLA but she should definitely apply there since they have special funds earmarked for lower income/first gen students. Add UC Merced, which is not that hard to get into, and UC RIverside has a guaranteed admission program if you meet certain criteria and you apply early summer (check for dates).
Make sure she knows about fee waivers both for the SA/ACT (she should take one of each after preparing
Then, look into women’s colleges, Mount Holyoke, perhaps also Agnes Scott.
Then, look into 100% need colleges. In particular, St Olaf and Gettysburg are amenable to B+ students and want to attract more URM students, are generous for EFC0 students they admit (of course, not as much as “superaid” colleges such as HYP but those aren’t in range.) Both colleges are very different - St Olaf is hard-working, “Minnesota nice”, officially dry (officiously ‘damp’), politically moderate, has no fraternities/sororities, very strong in music, math, science, international study, good career center, located in a nice small town about 45mn south of Minneapolis-St Paul. Gettysburg is in a hamlet near the famous battlefields, with history and English as strong points, about 1h to Baltimore and 2h to Philadelphia, pretty conservative, strong Greek culture.
Then, look into scholarships based on a variety of factors, such as Clark’s LEEP or Hiram’s many scholarhip programs.