Most people do not know the unknown colleges that offer full ride scholarships because they are unknown. It takes a lot of tedious and grueling work to sift through all of them and then call the Admissions and FA office to confirm that they still are. In this case, the additional issues of possibly being classified as an international student and having DACA Status also have to be addressed.
I haven’t been dealing with college Admissions for about 4 years now, and even longer since Ive looked for schools that also offer merit money that includes room and board. I’ve seen already that a lot of these options have disappeared. There has been a reduction in the college aged population and more students in that demographic are applying to the schools with name recognition. Many of the most selective colleges are becoming even more selective whereas the less known schools, particularly private ones are hurting from fewer students applying. So the full ride discounts are disappearing. I think there is a squeeze on international students that need aid because they cannot bring the federal PELL and loans, and in most cases, state money to the schools. Full need international students are expensive.
NY, my state, just passed a still controversial bill allowing anyone who graduated from a NY highschool access to in state college tuition and to TAP and other state awards.
So what did non citizens here do before this bill? They went to local colleges, maybe community colleges, or the local SUNY part time, worked full time and painstakingly, slowly got their degrees that way. Some went to local private schools that might give scholarships for full tuition. One of my kids’ least expensive option was to commute to a nearby Catholic college that I’ve never seen mentioned on these boards. Closer to our house than than the CC or SUNY, so the commuting cost would have been less.
Unless someone lives in an academic desert( and I worked in such a place this year), there are usually some choices in both private and public schools that are not selective and give out some merit to local kids. High stats enhances such bonuses. Being in or near a big city generally usually means a number of such schools.
One theme I’m seeing often is a litany of highly selective schools rejecting a qualified candidate. It hurts, yes, and I am surprised at the calibre of kids being denied admissions. So that someone who is not citizen or Permanent resident, who needs money to attend, is no surprise.
I suggest that anyone in this position, including anyone hoping to have a Green Card next time around in applying, have less selective schools on their list. Schools that may give tuition awards and are local, full awards if not. The search for these schools is sadly not as rewarding to most people and looking at those names that don’t have the luster of Emory or Swarthmore or UChicago or State Flagship just doesn’t evoke the excitement. But getting into even those schools as an International, DACA, needing a full ride or full tuition hurts.
If a gap year is happening, research in this area should be one of the activities, as well as working as many hours as possible to make money that should be paid to Dad for safekeeping to be used to defray costs of college next year because the student has no asset protection allowance. If there is no acceptance from anywhere other than the CC and local state school, IMO, part time school is the way to go and, yes, there is forfeiture of first year benefits that extend for years. But then if Green Card Status is obtained, PELL and Direct Loan funds become available. That’s all kids in a lot of states have in terms of financial aid, and many do not have ready transportation to their schools.