Anyone know if LACs that offers generous merit in the northeast?
We would need you to share your overall budget. It doesn’t help for people to recommend LACs in the northeast that give $25-30k/yr to strong students (COA after merit still $50-60k) if your budget is $25k/yr all together.
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Trying to be as close to $35k including housing and food which would be what in state is.
Do you know you will not qualify for any need aid?
What are the student’s stats?
SUNY Geneseo would meet your budget without needing any merit.
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1480 but don’t know if we will submit, 4.0 unweighted, 4.44 weighted, will have 9 completed dual enrollment courses before early action and should have 15 by graduation - so far all As at both community colleges and dual enrollment. She’s homeschooled. She has good ECs but nothing crazy like national competitions.
Likely won’t get a lot of merit if any, maybe some from the meet 100% needs schools but still seems like those would be in the $50-60k range.
Are you talking about financial need based aid here? Just want to make sure I am understanding.
Are you also including possible mandatory health insurance in that $35k number? Many schools do require their health insurance to be purchased unless you can get a waiver (easiest if you are in-state already).
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If there is a possibility of qualifying for some need-aid, it is worth running the NPC at one of the 100% meets need schools. Of course, many of them don’t offer merit, but it will give you some idea of if you may get some need aid. People are sometimes surprised at how generous these schools can be. Try Bowdoin or Williams and see how that looks.
If you do not qualify for any need aid, getting to that budget with only merit will be difficult and may require some compromises, such as looking outside the Northeast. With your D’s stats, she would have a reasonable shot at some competitive named scholarships… still a reach, but worth a shot if she is willing to do the extra essays. For highest “tuition discounts”, look for schools where your daughter’s stats are in the top 25% so they will offer more merit to entice her to attend.
- The PA LACs are known for good merit… Dickinson, Bucknell, Gettysburg, Franklin & Marshall (just started offering merit in 2023), Susquehanna, Ursinus
- Trinity
- Conn College
Check out the Colleges the Change Lives for other ideas.
Lastly, I found this thread from a few years ago. It may be worth a read for more ideas.
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Off the top of my head, I’m not sure there are all that many northeast LACs that will come to $35k all-in with just a merit award.
Wheaton College (MA) has a top award of $45k per year. It is one of the most generous I am aware of. Cost Of Attendance for 24-25 is $79,940. If your child was awarded their top merit award, that would take the COA to $34,940.
That doesn’t include transportation costs, books, personal expenses (Wheaton suggests ~$2k for those) or the mandatory health insurance ($4k/yr unless you are approved for a waiver).
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Technically midatlantic, but Washington College in Maryland gives great merit and may come close to your number.
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Try Drew. It is a strong, small liberal arts college that gives merit in NJ.
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You might try Hobart, St. Lawrence, Allegheny, and Kalamazoo (a bit more midwest). SUNY Geneseo as mentioned. Perhaps you can look at schools like Juniata, Ursinsus, and Susquehana. St. Mary’s of Maryland - has scholarships but I’m not sure how aggressive - it’s a public.
You say NE to NJ so I have them outside of NJ but in the NE.
$35K might be tough.
Not the NE but both Ogelthorpe (in Atlanta) and Hendrix (in Arkansas) have a Flagship 50 type where you might pay your in state school’s tuition - so another way to keep cost down (but out of your zone).
Can’t say those I mentioned would get you as low as $35K - but those two would - just the wrong location.
Good luck.
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I second Drew. Adding SUNY Purchase and Hampshire.
Maybe St. Lawrence…but my guess is that would be closer to $45K COA best case.
Any chance of considering schools outside the NE?
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SUNY New Paltz is also one to check out. A little bigger than most LACs but somewhat similar vibe.
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Clark gives merit, up to a max of $30k with their Traina scholarship. Brings total COA down to about $40k. Your stats may be competitive enough to get it…
Also Alfred U in upstate NY (not to be confused with SUNY Alfred across the street) gives merit aid, and being a not very competitive school, your stats would definitely qualify for a large merit package (my daughter got $28k merit offer, bringing COA down to about $28k).
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Looking at several of the northeast private schools listed in this thread (great suggestions from all!) - I think best case scenario for many of them is coming in around $40k with max merit money only (with books, expenses, transportation and health insurance added into COA).
I know that’s a bit above your price range, a question to ask is if there is wiggle room in your budget? Or wiggle room in your location, as I agree that looking beyond the northeast opens up a lot of great LACs that could easily come in under your budget.
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I’ve never heard of a college requiring health insurance if you have health insurance but I’m assuming that’s not an insane extra amount.
I am talking about merit alone.
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Some smaller schools in the northeast that might be able to hit your price point via merit aid (or regular sticker price) include:
- Allegheny (PA )
- Arcadia (PA )
- Assumption (MA)
- Drew (NJ)
- East Stroudsburg (PA ): A bit bigger than most LACs with about 4400 undergrads, but sticker is under budget
- Emmanuel (MA)
- Goucher (MD)
- Juniata (PA )
- Keene State (NH)
- Lycoming (PA )
- McDaniel (MD)
- Moravian (PA )
- Muhlenberg (PA )…maybe
- Nazareth (NY)
- Saint Anselm (NH)…maybe
- Shippensburg (PA )…closer to mid-size with about 4400 undergrads, but sticker is within budget
- Siena (NY)
- Stonehill (MA)
- SUNY Geneseo-again, closer to mid-size, but less than 5k
- SUNY Potsdam
- SUNY Oneonta - again, closer to mid-size
- Susquehanna (PA )
- Ursinus (PA )
- Washington (MD)
- Washington & Jefferson (PA )
- Wheaton (MA)
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Depending on the school, the health insurance charge can range from $2-4k per year. One of our kids currently in college was granted a waiver, the other one wasn’t. We will find out this summer if #3 gets a waiver or not.
We have excellent health insurance.
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