Hooks and aid- how does it work?

[Anonymous]

I’m pretty sure my kid with a weighted gpa of 3.9 could get into a reasonable school but what determines merit aid? I’m seeing most colleges will cost $30-$60k but there’s no way I can pay that. I’ve done the net cost calculator cut it seems there is additional merit aid that could come. How do I know or have a reasonable guess of how much merit aid?

Also, would starting a competing program for our town be a compelling enough hook to get into a SLAC?

[Anonymous]

Make no sense. Merit aid and need aid from NPC are different things.

And many top SLACs don’t give merit based aid.

Not trying to be snark but read some about merit vs need based aid, research whether the colleges your kid wants have merit based and post a more coherent question.

[Anonymous]

State schools and loans.

[Anonymous]

I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m pretty sure my kid with a weighted gpa of 3.9 could get into a reasonable school but what determines merit aid? I’m seeing most colleges will cost $30-$60k but there’s no way I can pay that. I’ve done the net cost calculator cut it seems there is additional merit aid that could come. How do I know or have a reasonable guess of how much merit aid?

Also, would starting a competing program for our town be a compelling enough hook to get into a SLAC?

A hook is athletic recruitment, underrepresented minority, legacy, or big donor. Starting some sort of program may be an interesting activity, but not a "hook" per se.

[Anonymous]

OP, does the kid have test scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, does the kid have test scores?

Schools are test optional, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

1. Which schools have automatic aid?
2. Other than automatic aid if there’s no wat to know how much aid is coming it would be possible for kid to not be able to pay for any school they got into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

1. Which schools have automatic aid?
2. Other than automatic aid if there’s no wat to know how much aid is coming it would be possible for kid to not be able to pay for any school they got into.

Two schools I know of with charts for auto merit are University of Arizona and WVU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, does the kid have test scores?

Schools are test optional, no?

They are, though high scores might be helpful for schools that offer competitive merit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

1. Which schools have automatic aid?
2. Other than automatic aid if there’s no wat to know how much aid is coming it would be possible for kid to not be able to pay for any school they got into.

Also ASU, Ole Miss, Alabama Huntsville, Colorado State Fort Collins. There might be lists of automatic scholarships to be found via google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You don't unless they have it on their website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

1. Which schools have automatic aid?
2. Other than automatic aid if there’s no wat to know how much aid is coming it would be possible for kid to not be able to pay for any school they got into.

If you can't afford the net price offered at schools that give need-based aid, then you need to rely on merit. Automatic merit is a sure thing and some of these auto merit schools should be on the list as financial safeties, assuming you find the remaining price after scholarship to be affordable. Look at your in-state options as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read everything there is to read about merit aid. I’ve looked at the common data set foe 100 schools. I’m not dumb but I can’t figure it out. How do I know where my kid will get merit aid?

You can't know for sure at schools where the merit scholarships are competitive. See what the website says about merit scholarships. Best to have high stats, at the 75th percentile for the school.

You can be reasonably certain at schools that offer automatic merit because their scholarship website tells you. University of Alabama is one example, though there are many others.

1. Which schools have automatic aid?
2. Other than automatic aid if there’s no wat to know how much aid is coming it would be possible for kid to not be able to pay for any school they got into.

If you can't afford the net price offered at schools that give need-based aid, then you need to rely on merit. Automatic merit is a sure thing and some of these auto merit schools should be on the list as financial safeties, assuming you find the remaining price after scholarship to be affordable. Look at your in-state options as well.

I literally can’t afford net price at any school. Any school.