Full Ride at U of M?

JBStillFlying
Mon, 24 Jul 2017 20:45:04 +0000

OK this sounds good. FYI you might have to fill out your own tax forms anyway, even if you are a dependent, if you have any earned income or unearned over a certain amount. Completing a tax return is also prudent if you want any need-based aid because the FA offices usually depend on tax return information from both student and parents (as applicable). If you don’t have your own 1040 for 2016, you will likely be asked by the FA office to provide a verification that you didn’t need to file taxes that year. (not an issue if you DID file). That can be a bit of a hassle so look into that if you need to (best to get the verification now rather than when there is a FA deadline looming).

Your stats and coursework sound excellent and you might even have a shot at the honors program. Here is the website info. for that - it’s not updated yet for the incoming class: https://admissions.tc.umn.edu/honors/review.html

If you are selected for honors, it’s quite possible that you will also be given university-wide merit aid. Here is the information on that:

https://admissions.tc.umn.edu/costsaid/schol_campus.html

Preference is given to MN residents and NM finalists for the Maroon and Gold and Gold Awards, respectively, but you might snag a presidential scholarship or something else. My kid was accepted last fall and invited to honors at Carlson and was also given enough stacked merit aid to cover her in-state tuition but she was also NMSF so automatically eligible for the Gold.

Also, CBS will have its own college-specific awards so check out the information about that and be sure to apply when they open up:

https://admissions.tc.umn.edu/costsaid/schol_college.html

Merit awards of these types tend to be granted for all 4 years. There may be additional merit opportunities once you matriculate and you can always apply for those or apply for outside funding.

There is also need-based which I really don’t know much about - others hopefully will be able to opine on your probability of getting anything. Need-based is determined every year (i.e. you re-apply every year) so even if you don’t get much this year there is always the future (when you are independent and perhaps in greater demonstrated need). There are need-based scholarships and grants that are university wide and that info. is on the same page as the merit information. Your best foot forward is to compute your FAFSA once it opens up on Oct. first. There should be an option for your parents not providing information if relevant this year. Once you know your EFC, talk to the FA office to see what you might be eligible for. FA awards are not doled out till spring 2018 for the following fall. However, Merit awards have tended to go out in batches beginning as early as November (depending on when you were accepted) - if that’s the same timeline this year, you may have some idea as early as autumn.

Realistically, you can expect some merit aid and perhaps some need-based grants but no way are you going to get a full ride without some exceptional attribute. You should look into how much you can realistically afford. Student loans can be a fine idea (despite what many on this forum say) as long as you don’t go over a few thou. per year and have a plan to replay them upon graduation. If you go to grad school, you will be able to defer the repayment. The interest rate tends to be very low, even for the unsubsidized loans. It can be a good investment in yourself, as long as you remain prudent in your borrowing.

Good luck to you!