Can I go to college even though im poor?

ucbalumnus
Mon, 20 Oct 2014 04:29:11 +0000

SAT or ACT scores? These can help you figure out if you will get big merit scholarships like the ones in some of the threads linked from http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html .

Federal aid will be just Pell grants and federal direct loans. But colleges have varying amounts of their own need-based financial aid. Use their net price calculators on their web sites to get estimates of what they may offer you.

Your state of residency is also relevant. Some states’ in-state public universities (e.g. California) have good financial aid for in-state students from low income families. But other states’ in-state public universities (e.g. Pennsylvania) are much worse in this respect. Use the net price calculators on their web sites. Generally, out-of-state public universities will not give good financial aid (though some may offer large merit scholarships as noted above).

The private schools with the best financial aid tend to be the most selective ones. But check the net price calculators on their web sites.

In some cases, starting at a low cost community college and then transferring to a state university can be a good option.