<p>I know estimates are iffy, but I’d just like to have a general idea.</p>
<p>Information:
I’m a white female, my parents are married, no siblings. My Dad works, making $33,000, though up to $45,000 with overtime and my Mom is a homemaker, I don’t work as I’m afraid it will affect my grades. The savings/checking/etc. have maybe $200 in them. Market value of property is $16,000 + $4,000 for the mobile home.</p>
<p>Schools:
Rice
Trinity
Austin College
Texas A&M
University of Houston</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I believe Rice does meet full need but the others do not. SO…it’s really not possible to predict your financial aid well.</p>
<p>Your EFC will be low as you are from a low income family. If your income is $45K per year, you will likely qualify for a small amount of the Pell grant, and a stafford loan, and work study for federally funded aid. </p>
<p>A school like Rice will be more generous than the other schools on your list simply because they meet a higher %age of need and also have more money in their coffers to do so.</p>
<p>If you have the stats for Rice, you should focus on schools that meet need. At most of these schools they would expect no contribution from your family other than a contribution from your summer job, and your aid package (grants, student loan, work study) would cover everything. At the schools that don’t promise to meet need, most and all on your list except Rice, you have to apply to see what you get.</p>
<p>Most of the schools that meet need are on the coasts though there are some in the S and MW, are you willing to leave Texas?</p>
<p>Is there another Trinity? The one in Hartford CT meets full need:
“Trinity has made its own commitment to meet the full calculated need of all of our admitted candidates. T”</p>
<p>Trinity University is in TX (like the other schools).</p>
<p>On average Trinity U meets 92% of students’ need.</p>
<p>Here is a link to an online Financial Aid Calculator that should help you estimate your family EFC (Expected Family Contribution):</p>
<p>[FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator - Finaid)</p>
<p>Assume that you’ll be responsible for paying at least the EFC - the balance of the cost of attendance will be your “need.” Then go to PrincetonReview.com, look up each of your schools, and click on “Tuition & Aid” in the left-hand menu. That will bring up a page on which each school’s “Avg. % of Need Met” will be listed in a box on the right.</p>
<p>Finally, if you’re competitive for Rice, might it be worth it to apply to Harvard, Yale, and/or Princeton? With your family income, you’d get aid to cover your full cost of tuition at any of them (unless your family has unusual savings and other assets).</p>
<p>Thank-you all for the information.</p>
<p>I’d like to be close to my family, preferably in the same town, but definitely close enough to drive home to on the weekends, holidays, and over the summer.</p>
<p>I meant the Trinity in Texas.</p>
<p>I don’t know if I’m competitive for Rice, but I never even thought of going to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, the distance pretty much rules them out though.</p>
<p>Have you considered Southwestern U? If you have the stats for rice and Trinity, you might want to take a look. They have an extensive merit aid program and it is outlined on their website so you could figure out the minimum merit aid you would receive. Then there are competitive grants as well.</p>