What reasons would anyone have for needing a need-based scholarship

<p>other than just not wanting that money in loans?</p>

<p>It’s a topic for a scholarship and I cannot think of a proper response.</p>

<p>Would only a person with very very bad family credit and unable to get a loan to pay for college be able to honestly answer this question convincingly - they do really need this scholarship or then will not be able to attend?</p>

<p>Just say you can’t get help from FAFSA because you are a convict and/or you refuse to register for the selective service. Okay, maybe not, but your application will stand out!</p>

<p>Sorry, I guess I didn’t help.</p>

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<p>Credit is a combination of ability and willingness to pay. You could have great credit, but the additional loans may put you in the category of inability to pay.</p>

<p>If you come out of school with $100,000 of debt, that would be $11,000 of payments a year to repay a 7% loan over 15 years. If you earn $30,000 out of school, then:</p>

<p>5,000 for taxes (social security, federal, state)
11,000 for loans
12,000 for rent</p>

<p>That would leave $2,000 for food, clothing, etc.</p>

<p>There is a limited amount that someone can prudently borrow for school. In excess of that, a need based scholarship would be critical for the students ability to attend a more expensive school.</p>

<p>Alternatively, graduating without debt would allow a student to take a lower paying job in public service type fields, Peace Corps, etc.</p>

<p>If a college gaps the student above the amount of Stafford loans and the parents or guardians are unable to fill that gap, due to low income, high expenses, multiple kids, or whatever, then they have a need for a need-based scholarship. For example, if the COA was $40,000 and the EFC was $4,000 but the college financial aid offer was only $30,000, then there would be a $6,000 unmet need. Many families will not be able to come up with $10,000 per year for one child, regardless of their credit rating!</p>

<p>Hmmm Well my main reason for wanting scholarships is so that I can go to my dream school thats OOS Public… but I think If I said that I wanted more money to be able to go to a state that I love, instead of a just-as-good-if-not-better in-state school, it would look selfish compared to sone else who is just trying to make it to a local community college…</p>

<p>…and I guess it isss? =-/</p>

<p>The basic “reason” students need scholarships is that college is expensive. If the scholarship you are applying to is a need based scholarship, they are most likely also collecting information from you concerning your family’s income/assets and the costs of the college you would like to attend, so you don’t really need to discuss your credit rating in your short-essay response.</p>

<p>In your post above, you mention perfectly valid reasons you would need a scholarship: The school you would most like to attend costs more than your family can afford.</p>

<p>You might try wording it a bit differently, though. Don’t call it your “dream” school, discuss the unique aspects of that school’s program that drew you to apply. Discuss the opportunities you feel you will find there, especially if they are unique to that school. Focus on what the school you are interested in has to offer rather than the state where it happens to be located. Don’t even mention that you prefer not to go to your state school - you don’t want to offend any scholarship selection committee members who might have gone there! </p>

<p>Keep your options open, and if the scholarships don’t work out, community college and transfer to your “dream” school is a great option (you can get the same degree for about 1/2 the price), or that state school might actually turn out to be a great fit!</p>

<p>It isn’t selfish to dream big. Just don’t turn your dreams into debt nightmares if the scholarships/financial aid isn’t enough.</p>

<p>I agree with the alamemom. Tell them why you need/want the money. My son told his college that it was a problem for him to go to a college that was his first choice when he had another school that cost less that was a fine choice that everyone felt would do him fine. It was difficult for him to defend the cost discrepancy, and a some more money would make it a cinch for him to go there; otherwise he would really have to reconsider the whole thing.</p>

<p>DD told her school about the expenses her family had already taken for both her education and that of her brother’s. She was just honest. She said she hoped to be able to lighten the financial load for her family as they had contributed so significantly to her education already.</p>