Transferring from CC but IMO good candidate. What are my chances of non-need-based aid??

Transfer Students
1

I am planning on transferring from my CC to a 4 year school to complete a bio degree this Spring, before medical school. My parents income is appx $120,000 so I get no federal aid but they can’t contribute barely anything. I need a full ride or generous aid package to be able to afford anywhere. Below are my stats and schools I’ll be applying to, let me know what you think my chances of aid are.

I have 60+ credits, having taken Bio 1 and 2, Microbiology, Gen Chem 1 and 2, Anatomy and Phys 1 and 2, up through Calc 1, Phys 1 and 2, etc… I have a 3.95 GPA and have taken a lot of stem classes. (all A’s except one B my first sem, no W’s)
I am intending on entering the medical field so I have clinical employment (medical scribe) and have completed an internship at a PT clinic.

For 1 year and continuing I have been serving as Vice President of Student Government of my campus. I have volunteer experience at the YMCA and at a local foundation for mentoring inner-city youth. I have also worked on campus in the tutoring center. My resume shows a minimum of 2 jobs simultaneously for almost my entire college career. I have no problems with law enforcement or administration at my school. I think I can write a solid essay…

These are the schools I am looking at, Cornell Univ (first choice), UMass Amherst, Case Western Reserve, Arizona State Univ, UNC Greensboro, Notre Dame, Miami univ, Univ of Dayton, PSU, Ohio State Univ, Calif SU Fullerton, Univ of Colorado - Boulder, Univ of Pittsburgh, Westfield State Univ, Univ of Florida, and Univ of West Georgia.

I NEED SOME ADVICE. the advising at my CC is literally useless and no one in my family has gone this way (CC->4 year-> Med) so they aren’t helpful.

Please tell me what my chances are of a full ride or a significant amount of aid!
I need answers ASAP, as the application season closes in a little over a month for me.

Thanks,
Michael

2

Cornell only does need-based aid. I think Notre Dame might also.

3

CSU Fullerton is also need-based aid for CA residents. Are you a CA resident?

4

no, PA res here

5

As an OOS applicant, you are looking at around $40K/year to attend CSU Fullerton so I would drop that school from your list. Run the Net Price calculators for all schools of interest but be aware that NPC’s for transfers are not accurate. Transfers in general get less aid unless you target in-state schools.

6

What’s your budget? Most transfers don’t get much aid. You can take the $7500/year federal student loan and if you work summers you can probably raise another $3k. That means you need at least a full tuition award and maybe more. Do you have any in state safeties?

7

So my budget is so low that I can’t possible pay OOP for my 4 year degree. A conservative guess is that between my parents and I, maybe we could contribute a few k a semester but that’s it. My two in-states are PSU and Pittsburgh, although there aren’t exactly “safety’s” IMO.

8

You will get very little aid from CU-Boulder, and it is very expensive for OOS. You might get something from UF, and the school is cheaper to start with, but I doubt it will be full tuition in aid. OOS publics aren’t usually a source of good money for transfers.

You really need to identify a transfer scholarship at a school. Just listing a bunch of schools and hoping for a scholarship doesn’t work. What about all the other PA schools like West Chester, IUP, Shippensburg?

9

Most out-of-state public universities give little or no need-based financial aid, merit scholarships are less common for transfer students than frosh, and in-state financial aid in Pennsylvania tends to be poor.

It looks like you would qualify for a full tuition + $800 transfer scholarship at Tuskegee, but that still leaves about $11k+ per year in living expenses, plus travel to Alabama.
https://www.tuskegee.edu/programs-courses/scholarships/transfer-student-scholarships

10

Are you within commuting distance of any of the PASSHE schools (e.g., West Chester, IUP, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg)? If so, you should probably apply for admission and transfer scholarships there. You can take out a $7500 Direct Student Loan for your each of your last 2 undergraduate years. You may want to work part-time now, full-time next winter, spring and summer, save your earnings , and plan to transfer in Fall 2020. You could also investigate the possibility of merit scholarships at private colleges within commuting distance, though I doubt you will be able to do better financially than at the PASSHE schools. The only other option I can think of is finishing your bachelor’s degree online, but I’m pretty sure medical schools would prefer an in-person degree.