@ucbalumnus - are you sure on the Kalamazoo one? I couldn’t get it down to 18.9K unless it was a 4.0 GPA with 8 AP classes. At 3.8 GPA it increased to 25K Net Price. Not that it matters. Both are over what she could come up with on her own.
Yes, $18.9k is with 4.0 GPA with 8 AP courses (indicating that FA there is partially merit based). Of course, still too expensive even in the best case.
Op needs to focus on meet need schools. However due to her scores these won’t likely be the need-blind/meet need ones.
@gmarie1112
You need to work on the sat, perhaps try the ACT, preparing specifically for the test. Check out the Test forum on this website. Borrow prep books from the library, especially the English specific books like Erica Meltzer’s or PWN the SAT math.
Questbridge is worth looking into, as is Posse.
Definitely apply to GVSU, WMU, etc, and apply to the Honors college. Michigan State is a match but the honors college (which would meet need) is a reach as is UMichigan but DO TRY because you have a shot. UMichigan will cover full tuition for EFC zero students and if you turn in financial forms on time they’ll cover room&board.
Run the NPC and only select universities where the result is 10k or below. Do so for Beloit, Lawrence, St Olaf, Denison, Dickinson, St Lawrence, Grinnell, Macalester, and if you are a girl Mount Holyoke.
(*= High reach)
Then, try with Earlham, Luther, Muhlenberg, Albion, Alma.
You’ll need toczdt z wide net.
Being EFC 0 you should have two free act, two free SAT, and two sessions of SAT subjects. Use them. Some people do better on one form of tests than the others.
I haven’t seen an NPC that lets you put in both (divorced) parents’ info except possibly Princeton’s. Love to see more of those, if they exist.
The NPCs based on the College Board template asks for the parents’ marital status and ask for parents’ combined financials, so someone using them for a divorced parent situation needs to find the financial information for both and add them together.
Of course, given how many divorced parents hide their financials from each other, getting accurate financial information to put into the NPC can be a difficult task for whoever is using the NPC in this case.
https://finaid.umich.edu/new-undergraduates/ indicates that Michigan requires the CSS Noncustodial Profile.
That’s not the same thing. CP and NCP income and assets are treated differently, combining them doesn’t deliver the same net price as a wealthier CP/poorer NCP or the reverse. It matters which parent has which resources.
Hence my request for colleges that ask for each parent’s info explicitly.
I am not interested in liberal arts colleges in rural areas. My parents were never married so I don’t think both parents have to report their finances.
I’d check to see if that is accurate.
For schools that use Profile, unless they don’t require NCP information, this is not true. The fact that your biological parents were bever married does not absolve one or the other from the responsibility of helping to pay for your college education, in the eyes of the schools.
At least run the NPC for colleges not in rural areas (St Olaf, Muhlenberg…)
As per belknap’s post #51, here is a list of schools that use CSS Profile and/or IDOC…there is also a column that denotes if NCP info is required. https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx
As always, verify this information at each school’s website or by communicating directly with a finaid representative.
^NEVER assume. Each college calculates differently. You will need to run the NPC on each college.
Married or not, you still have that other parent and certain colleges - mainly those in the list above - will want to hear from him/her and if not, why. (Have no idea where s/he is, abusive, other situations vary by school).
gmarie1112:
OHMomof2:
It sounds like OP’s dad is willing and able to contribute something.
Indeed. So his info will be required by some schools.
I totally agree!
I will not be commuting to college. Absolute not happening. I’m assuming by budget you guys are eliminating potential student debt which is nice but almost unavoidable. The schools on my list ( I removed Butler and Marquette) that I have created offer good enough aid that I will not be in too much debt. I want to apply to USciences. They have lowered their tuition to $25,000 so I will see how much the NPC comes to when they update it.
Fine…here is your debt limit.
Freshman- $5500
Sophomore- $6500
Junior- $7500
Senior- $7500
Those are the amounts you can take without a co-signer. If you need more than that amount in each of those years, will your parents be able to be qualified co-signers for all four years? OR will your parents take out college loans in their name for you? If not, you can’t get additional college loans.
Concerning Usciences lowering their tuition to 25k, you still have room and board and books to pay, for a total in the 40k range. Also, it seems when schools “reset” or lower their tuition, it does not necessarily mean a reduction in the net price, unless you are full pay with no merit.