Where can I get significant merit aid?

tk21769
Fri, 19 Apr 2019 11:28:45 +0000

Thanks! I have looked at UMD but I really don’t want a school that big. I would prefer a school no bigger than 25,000 (I’m also not much of a partyer and I know UMD is somewhat of a party school).

A school where you’re likely to get “big merit” automatically (like Alabama) won’t necessarily be smaller than UMCP. It might be just as much (or more) of a “party school”.

Richmond is a good suggestion, but if I’m not mistaken, their merit grants are competitive (not automatic for qualifying stats). At private schools like that, the average award might be in the $15K - $$25K range. That would be coming off sticker prices of $50K - $70K per year. Could your family afford the net price? At those schools, would your qualifications be above average among students competing for merit awards?

https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-private-colleges/index.php?table=lib_arts&state_code=ALL&id=none&sortby=ug_ft_nn_noneed_d&sortorder=DESC

In addition to UMBC, you might want to consider St. Mary’s College of Maryland, if you want a smaller school at in-state public prices.