<p>At admission time in 2 yrs, I will be 63, income about $30000, all assets in retirement fund. Assuming a school that doesnt count home equity, any ideas for best schools for receiving aid, non loans, for top 10% student in northeast or south ?</p>
<p>Usually, schools that give the best aid use CSS Profile…so those schools often consider home equity.</p>
<p>Does your child have a non-custodial parent whose income/assets would also be considered by some CSS Profile schools?</p>
<p>If you choose FAFSA only schools, then typically that means less aid.</p>
<p>however, if your child has strong stats, that can mean really good merit aid.</p>
<p>What is your home state?</p>
<p>Very, very few schools are “no loan”…those are the most competitive and do use CSS Profile…so equity would likely get considered.</p>
<p>What are your child’s stats? GPA and test scores. Test scores play a very heavy role for admission to top schools. Test scores also heavily matter for merit scholarships at the schools that give them.</p>
<p>Is your child a junior? has your child taken the PSAT? How did he do?</p>
<p>she is actually in 10th gr/ no noncustodial parent inc or assets/ we are in RI, all advanced placement courses, gpa well over4, class vp, tennis team, plenty of volunteer activities/ I believe psat were 160.5 critical reading, 54 math, 56 writing, thanks</p>
<p>Start prepping for SAT / PSAT. High test scores and high GPA will get her the most merit aid. Northeastern gives full tuition for National Merit.</p>
<p>My daughter started studying for PSAT in summer after 10th grade. We are also a low income high need family. Her PSAT score leading to National Merit, guarantees that there will be a school that we can afford. </p>
<p>There is a wealth of info in the SAT prep section of CC. Have her use it. You, too, should learn as much as you can in order to help her. Once you have test scores it will be easier to search out merit opportunities.</p>
<p>Sign up your d for a spring sat for practice for psat.</p>
<p>Buy “Paying for College without Going Broke” Kalman Chany Princeton Review. </p>
<p>Get both the 2010 Edition and the 2011 Edition. </p>
<p>The 2011 Edition does not include the worksheeets for calculating your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) under the IM (Institutional Methodology). IM is the formula these CSS PROFILE schools will use. </p>
<p>The 2010 Edition you can probably locate on Amazon or another site. You will need this edition to calculate your EFC for the IM. </p>
<p>Buy the book every year and keep up with the changes in financial aid!
Book even has a website you can go to if they make any changes after publication. </p>
<p>Take your tax returns & do the worksheets in the back of the book.
You will be glad you did! Be an educated consumer! Best of luck to your daughter!</p>