<p>I will add that depending on how you define ‘upper middle class’, you may not qualify for much, if any, need based FA from most schools. Do sit down with your parents to fill out some of the NPCs (Net Price Calculators) that are now mandatory on all school websites. Remember, that these are just ESTIMATES, and your actual FA package could vary a little or a lot, but it’s really the best way to get a general understanding of how much you might qualify for. You will find that HYPS have FA policies that are much more generous than any other schools in the nation. But these are also the most difficult schools for admissions.</p>
<p>While many of the outside scholarship programs for Hispanics have a need factor that you likely won’t qualify for, there are many Institutional (via the college) scholarships that are based strictly on merit and do not take family income into account. For Institutional merit scholarships, you will need to target schools where you are in the top of the applicant pool. Some schools have gpa and test score cut offs and are fairly straightforward, automatic scholarships. Others have scholarships that you need to be nominated for or need to fill out a separate application by a deadline and may have other factors outside of academics that they take into consideration.</p>