List of SLACs with Generous Merit Aid

[Anonymous]

Is there a good list of SLACs that are generous with merit aid?

DD is only a sophomore but we are starting to think about some visits, and as well, want to start the conversation around costs before she starts to get hopes up or heart set on a school with a price tag we're not willing to pay for. Although in theory we can afford $70K/year, we're not willing to pay this because (1) there are grandparents who will need financial supports in coming years, (2) we are not willing to go into debt ourselves, (3) we think a good (even excellent) undergrad education can be had for significantly less, and (4) we anticipate DD going to grad school and that will need to be paid for too.

Based on various threads out there, we've heard about the following SLACs providing significant merit aid (enough to bring the price tag closer to cost of attending UMD in-state):

Dickinson
Oberlin
Kenyon
Dennison
Juniata
Wooster
Union
St. Lawrence
Sewanee
Rhodes

Other schools that do seem to offer merit aid - but not clear how generous this is or how often it is granted:
Bucknell
Grinnell
Davidson
Mount Holyoke
Bryn Mawr

OK, DCUM, have at it! What are missing and what do we have wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(4) we anticipate DD going to grad school and that will need to be paid for too.

Is she thinking of a Ph.D.? Because that should be covered by fellowships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a good list of SLACs that are generous with merit aid?

DD is only a sophomore but we are starting to think about some visits, and as well, want to start the conversation around costs before she starts to get hopes up or heart set on a school with a price tag we're not willing to pay for. Although in theory we can afford $70K/year, we're not willing to pay this because (1) there are grandparents who will need financial supports in coming years, (2) we are not willing to go into debt ourselves, (3) we think a good (even excellent) undergrad education can be had for significantly less, and (4) we anticipate DD going to grad school and that will need to be paid for too.

Based on various threads out there, we've heard about the following SLACs providing significant merit aid (enough to bring the price tag closer to cost of attending UMD in-state):

Dickinson
Oberlin
Kenyon
Dennison
Juniata
Wooster
Union
St. Lawrence
Sewanee
Rhodes

Other schools that do seem to offer merit aid - but not clear how generous this is or how often it is granted:
Bucknell
Grinnell
Davidson
Mount Holyoke
Bryn Mawr

OK, DCUM, have at it! What are missing and what do we have wrong?

If you'd have to go into debt to pay full freight then you can't afford it, in "theory" or otherwise.

Grinnell still gives merit aid but it's harder to get and fewer in amount now, The school gets lots of applicants and is very hard to get into,

[Anonymous]

- Muhlenberg
- Beloit
- Allegheny
- St. Mary’s College of Maryland - (already in-state for OP but offers good merit aid for both in-state and OOS)

The list so far is a good one. I found that many of these schools give merit aid that brings the total cost of attendance down around $35K/year for good stats but won't be as low as UMD in-state. If your DC has really excellent stats, they might get more $.

[Anonymous]

I'd add Hobart to the list. My DC got a merit aid offer there and didn't get one from Dickinson.

Denison gives merit aid to something like 90% of the class (you can look it up on the CDS) because they have a big endowment.

Some of the schools you've listed are pretty competitive to get into so will require very high stats to get merit aid (Bucknell, Davidson, Grinnell, Kenyon).

[Anonymous]

Do you have any idea of your DC's stats? Some of these colleges are highly selective.

At most places, merit aid is awarded for scores/grades that are on the upper quartile or higher for accepted students.

[Anonymous]

Do you know how to find this info? Much of it is available in the Common Data Set for each school. To find it,
Google "Common Data Set [School Name]"

There is a section that outlines what percentage of students receive need-based aid and a section that outlines what percentage of students receive non-need-based aid, as well as average amounts of aid.
Also includes cost of attendance and lots of info about student body (scores, retention rates, etc)

What we did was make an initial list of schools based on location/programs/size/etc. using Big Future or another college search program. Then we checked the CDS for the top contenders to see the percentage of aid they handed out. There are some schools that give NO merit-based aid and some that give large awards but only to a small number of students. We were able to take these colleges off the table early in our child's search--she totally understood why once we explained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you know how to find this info? Much of it is available in the Common Data Set for each school. To find it,
Google "Common Data Set [School Name]"

There is a section that outlines what percentage of students receive need-based aid and a section that outlines what percentage of students receive non-need-based aid, as well as average amounts of aid.
Also includes cost of attendance and lots of info about student body (scores, retention rates, etc)

What we did was make an initial list of schools based on location/programs/size/etc. using Big Future or another college search program. Then we checked the CDS for the top contenders to see the percentage of aid they handed out. There are some schools that give NO merit-based aid and some that give large awards but only to a small number of students. We were able to take these colleges off the table early in our child's search--she totally understood why once we explained.

Thanks!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Denison gives merit aid to something like 90% of the class (you can look it up on the CDS) because they have a big endowment.

).

Does anyone have a link to Denison’s CDS? When I google it, I get a link to Denison’s Institutional Research page, but there is nothing aincan see to click on that leads to the CDS. Help??!

[Anonymous]

Ursinus. Usually if someone has Juniata on their list, they also have Ursinus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Denison gives merit aid to something like 90% of the class (you can look it up on the CDS) because they have a big endowment.

).

Does anyone have a link to Denison’s CDS? When I google it, I get a link to Denison’s Institutional Research page, but there is nothing aincan see to click on that leads to the CDS. Help??!

I’ve looked for it before and was never able to find it.

[Anonymous]

Merit aid

Knox College
Trinity Univ (San Antonio)
Bradley Univ (not a SLAC but generous merit aid)

[Anonymous]

Do the seven sisters offer merit aid?

[Anonymous]

Kalamazoo
Beloit
St. Olaf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Denison gives merit aid to something like 90% of the class (you can look it up on the CDS) because they have a big endowment.

).

Does anyone have a link to Denison’s CDS? When I google it, I get a link to Denison’s Institutional Research page, but there is nothing aincan see to click on that leads to the CDS. Help??!

https://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg03_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=349

Here's some data, presumably from the CDS.

It says that "238 (38.6%) of freshmen had no financial need and received merit aid, average amount $21,511" That's obviously outside of the kids who received need based aid, which is the majority of the rest of the students.