<p>I am a junior with a 2.9 GPA unweighted in almost all IB classes, have 650 on reading, 600 on math and 500 on writing sat scores.I have over 250 hour of community service and political activism and am a minority student .My grades were awful the first two years of high school but have been almost all A’s this year and I think the trend will happen again next year with lots of AP’s instead of IB’s.Do you think I can get aid at umass amherst, University of New Hampshire,University of Vermont ,George Washington University,George Mason University,and BU?My parents are divorced and my mom make about 60,000 a year but already has a kid in college and my father makes about 40000 a year?Any suggestion for aid?I really dont what to get into massive debt so that I can afford law school but I rather not stay instate.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>None of the above schools meets the full need of accepted students. So, the likelihood of you getting very significant aid at any of them is on the low side.</p>
<p>You will need a VERY good reason why your overall GPA is on the lower side. Schools will look at your upward trend, but the reality is that highly competitive merit aid (based on your stats) WILL consider your overall GPA. Your SAT scores are a combined 1250 for CR/Math and those scores would not be particularly competitive for merit based awards at the schools you listed with the possible exception of George Mason (if you are an instate student for VA).</p>
<p>You mention UVM, UNH, GMU, UMass…all public universities. Are you instate for ANY of those. None are particularly generous with merit or additional grants (need based) for students who are residents of other states. GWU is one of the most expensive universities in the country. </p>
<p>What IS instate for you? You say you would “rather not stay in state” but at the same time you want to save money for law school. At this point, I believe your best ane least expensive options would be the public universities in your state.</p>
<p>There are some private schools that would give you SOME merit aid but not likely the amount you need to fully fund your education.</p>
<p>Are you planning to retake the SAT or take the ACT…I would suggest you do so. And dd keep your grades as high as possible. You will need to explain why your freshman/sophomore grades pulled your GPA down…perhaps some school out there wil be willing to listen.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>Your GPA could hurt you at the schools that give the best aid.</p>
<p>Your most affordable option may be instate since you don’t want loans or debt.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to be blunt but you need to hear this. If you don’t want undergraduate debt, then your in-state public schools are going to be the best options for you. Even if you earn all A’s for this semester (and the next 2), your overall stats will still not be high enough to make you a competitive candidate for funding from those out-of-state schools (which have little, if any, money to give non-residents anyway), and as thumper pointed out, GWU is very, very expensive. So you are going to need to revise your list of target schools. You may not want to stay in-state, but with your current stats, that is probably what you are going to have to do to avoid debt.</p>
<p>Look at public schools in your state first. Then if you do manage to achieve perfect grades from now on, you could consider a few lower tier private schools that are generous with merit aid for minority students when it comes time to apply next year.</p>
<p>Most state Us do not promise to meet full need, I don’t think any promise to meet full need without loans. For FAFSA only schools your FAFSA will use the financial information of your custodial parent. If that is your Mom (and assuming she does not have assets and that she is not remarried) then while you have a sibling in college at the same time as you, you will probably have a low enough EFC to qualify for some federal grant aid - probably somewhere between $2,000 - $3,000 a year. Your sibling’s FAFSA should give you an idea of what to expect for the EFC - the EFC generated by parent income is divided equally between the number in college. If it is your Dad then your EFC will be roughly similar if you are the only one in college (and assuming he is not remarried). </p>
<p>Unless the school offers institutional need based grant money of their own (many State Us do not), the rest of your aid would probably be in the form of loans and perhaps WS (depending on the school’s policies for awarding WS). You GPA is a bit low for much in the way of merit money. </p>
<p>For out of state public schools it is very unlikely you will get enough aid to anywhere near meet your financial need. Your best bet will be your instate Us. If you don’t want too much debt you may want to consider a cheaper 2 year college to get your basics before moving on to a 4 year school. Federal aid will come closer to covering the cost of an instate 2 year school than it will a 4 year. Also check and see if your state has any need based grant programs. Those usually are for students that stay instate.</p>
<p>I am instate in NC my first choice is UVM and as long as I am at or a little above the Average indebtedness at graduation, $27,680 I think I will be fine.I hear they give good aid to minority students (there 92% white) any one else hear that?</p>
<p>Since you have a GPA that’s going to limit your options and good-but-not-top M+CR SAT score, you’re going to need a strategy so that you’ll have affordable school choices.</p>
<p>1) Ask your parents how much they’ll each contribute towards your colleges costs.</p>
<p>2) For FAFSA, only your mom’s income will be used, and since there will be two in school, you’ll probably qualify for Pell at least while 2 are in school/</p>
<p>3) You’ll have to prepare for the fact that your Pell grant will get reduced **or go away completely **once your sibling graduates (when will that be???)</p>
<p>4) You need to get the BEST grades you can from now on to boost your GPA to at least a 3.0 - preferably higher.</p>
<p>5) You need to retake the SAT and also take the ACT. Study for BOTH. </p>
<p>What state are you in and what will your major be?</p>
<p>Poli sci,history,or buss. ad. ,NC and 2014</p>
<p>Average figures are somewhat meaningless unless a school caps the debt a student will incur. Average indebtedness does not mean that will be your indebtedness. There will be students with much lower debt and students with much higher debt. For instance - student A has a high EFC his parents can meet and merit money that covers the rest so takes no student loans - his debt will be $0. Student B has no merit money, a little in need based grants and takes out $54000 in loans to meet the rest. The average debt for the 2 of them is $27,000. But student B still has $54k.</p>
<p>You might not have to take out too much in loans. But make sure you include some financial safeties in your applications - that is schools that you can afford without huge debt.</p>
<p>Crankdat…you are OOS for UVM. They do not meet full need. They are one of the MOST expensive schools in the country for out of state students. How do you plan to pay to go there?</p>
<p>I would boldly suggest that you add one of the terrific public universities in NC to your list. </p>
<p>UVM, like any other school, gives its best aid to students with very good academic stats regardless of their URM status. Your stats, simply put, are not going to be in the top of their applicant pool. Your grades are not all that terrific. Your SAT scores are not tippy top.</p>
<p>I’m sorry if I’m sounding very rough, but you need to be realistic about your ability to get accepted and PAY FOR these expensive out of state universities.</p>
<p>I would recommend busting your but to get your gpa to at least a 3.0 then you would be eligible for a full tuition and fees scholly at Howard.</p>
<p>[Grants</a>, Scholarships & Fellowships - Howard University](<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman]Grants”>http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman)</p>
<p>Just do the math. UVM currently costs $45,000 PER YEAR for out-of-state students. Assuming even modest increases each year, the total cost for 4 years will be a minimum of $200,000, so let’s say roughly $50,000 per year. If you want to keep your UG loans at $28,000 or less, you can borrow no more than $7,000 each year. How are you going to pay the remaining $43,000 a year?</p>
<p>If you received UVM’s very top merit award for out-of-state students (the Presidential Scholarship @ up to $7,500 per year) AND the Henderson Scholarship for adding cultural/ethic/geographic diversity ($2,000 a year) AND scored high enough on your PSAT this year to become a semifinalist for National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic Scholarships, which could get you a Green Mountain Scholarship (up to $10,000 a year), you would still be short over $23,000 per year. And as many have noted, your stats just aren’t stellar enough now to get you the top awards, much less all three. </p>
<p>And with a family income of $60,000 a year, you won’t qualify for more than a few thousand of need-based grants; any additional need-based aid will be in the form of LOANS. So unless your mom is willing, and able, to assume lots of debt for your education – in addition to the loans you yourself will be taking out – then UVM is just not going to be affordable and you need to look for more realistic alternatives.</p>
<p>NC has some of the best public universities in the country, and they would be excellent choices for you to consider. You would get a quality education there at an affordable cost.</p>