When I started researching colleges, I fell in love with the University of Alabama. But at the same time, it almost feels likea ripoff going there because I know I could gain the same experience from a college with lower tuition costs. I hear of many people attending colleges as opposed to universities, but am not sure where to even start looking for those! I am a little bit above average in school. I am in the top 10% of my class, I have a 29 on the ACT, and my GPA is a 4.32. I am leaning towards schools with good computer science and business programs, but all the ones I come across seem too much money for my families’ financial situation. My parents’ total income is around $75,000, but due to having two children to raise, they can not contribute much at all. I am still very excited for college, but am feeling a little burnt out from either finding universities with too high a price tag or too high requirements. Any suggestions?
[QUOTE=""]
because I know I could gain the same experience from a college with lower tuition costs. <<<<
[/QUOTE]
Do you mean by applying to schools that “meet need”? You might try some test optional schools as well.
So, you want a school like Alabama, but one that will be less expensive. Troy University has CS and business and may give you a larger merit scholarship.
Are you retesting? An ACT 29 is good, but a higher score will give you more options. If you raise it one point, you’d get free tuition at Alabama. ALSO…take the SAT!! Right now, your 29 gives you $5100 per year (half tuition…since you’re instate).
You might look at DePauw. It’s known for very good aid. Also…Loyola Maryland. Wake Forest as test optional.
There are other schools, but I don’t know if the net cost would be less since many don’t meet need. The problem may be that you’ll be gapped and/or your parents can’t pay much.
I’m not sure where you can find a school like Alabama, with your stats, where the cost would be less than UA.
Is there an AL univ that you can commute to? Do you live near UAH, UAB, Auburn, USA, UA, Troy, etc?
If you do Computer Science, then Alabama might work out if you did a co-op to help pay for college, but I’m concerned that you won’t have enough funding for the first year.
You may want to look at http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ for schools that may give you full tuition to full ride for your current stats (but verify on the school web sites, since some may change their scholarships).
Raising the ACT score by a point or three, or getting an equivalently higher SAT score, may open up more scholarships.
Retake the ACT and try to reach a score that gives you full tuition at UA or UAH.
Look into 100% meet-need schools.
http://www.thecollegesolution.com/schools-that-meet-100-of-financial-need-2/
At top schools, you’d get a full ride (75K and 2 kids) and sometimes even zero loans (at Davidson for instance).
Note: At top schools, you’d more likely get full-tuition and part of other billed costs, rather than a full ride. I come from a family that makes $72k with three kids (in an expensive state) and there’s still a several-thousand dollar difference between billable costs and the university scholarship I received (at a top school that meets full need).