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Dickinson College updates value of scholarships and more

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Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Dickinson College’s merit scholarships are designed to recognize exemplary academic performance without regard to financial need, and the Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based college recently restructured the amount each scholarship is worth. Prospective applicants should sit up and take notice!

Only the presidential scholarship requires a separate application; therefore, all Dickinson applicants are considered for the other merit awards by submitting a compelling Common Application.

  • Presidential Scholarship $35,000/year
  • Provost Scholarship $30,000/year
  • 1783 Scholarship $25,000/year
  • John Dickinson Scholarship $20,000/year
  • Benjamin Rush Scholarship $15,000/year

Those are some major awards that would lead to serious reductions in a student’s cost of attendance.

In other Dickinson College news, the college no longer offers Early Action admission. Dickinson will maintain two rounds of Early Decision (with November 15 and January 15 deadlines) and Regular Decision (a January 15 deadline).

In addition, Dickinson has partnered with MyinTuition, which is a quick college cost estimator. It’s a simple and straightforward way for families to anticipate their out-of-pocket cost and get a sense of their eligibility for need-based aid.

Finally, and in many ways most important, Dickinson’s recent development of a Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development has strengthened the college’s emphasis on student success by strategically combining Dickinson’s Career Center, Office of Academic Advising, internship/externship programming and alumni career services. The college is already seeing the fruits of this new organizational structure:

  • 98% of Dickinsonians are employed, completing an internship, attending graduate school or pursuing a fellowship one year after graduation.
  • 94% of the class of 2019 completed an internship, research, externship, service-learning or field experience course.
  • Dickinson’s acceptance rates for the class of 2019 are 94% for law school (compared to the 75% national average, according to the Law School Admissions Council) and 95% for medical school (compared to the 39% national average, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges).
  • 100% of the class of 2023 connected with faculty and Center for Advising, Internships & Lifelong Career Development advisors to select classes.

Those members of the Class of 2020 or 2021 interested in Dickinson should consider attending either Dickinson’s October 14 or November 9, 2019 Fall Open Houses, which offer an wonderful opportunity to get to know Dickinson up close.

Goldwater Foundation awards 240 scholarships to STEM undergrads

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Iowa State University was awarded the maximum of 4 Goldwater Scholarships for 2017.

The Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation recently announced the awarding of 240 scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the United States. An additional 307 nominees were named as Honorable Mentions.

These scholarships represent the “gold standard” for undergraduate achievement in fields of science, mathematics and engineering. Not only are they the source of significant bragging rights for the various institutions represented among the winners, but they are quite frequently an important stepping stone toward significant financial support for postgraduate education.  PhD programs in STEM areas and important fellowship providers such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Hertz Foundation, consider Goldwater awards among the most prestigious of national undergraduate awards for young scientists.

The one- and two-year scholarships are set up to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500.  They were originally designed to “alleviate a critical current and future shortage of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.”  In today’s terms, a more realistic statement of purpose would be to provide “a continuing source” of highly qualified individuals to those fields of study and research. While the money isn’t huge, the prestige is enormous and undergrads in STEM fields compete hard for nominations based on their research, internships, and work in relevant industries.

This year’s Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,286 students who were nominated by the institutional representatives from among 2000 colleges and universities nationwide.  Among these, 133 of the Scholars were men and 103 were women, and virtually all intend to obtain a PhD as their degree objective. Twenty-two Scholars were math majors, 153 were science and related majors, 51 were majoring in engineering and 14 were computer science majors.  And for the record, many have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering and computer disciplines.

Since its first award in 1989, the Goldwater Foundation has distributed 7,921scholarships totaling approximately 63 million dollars. And these award-winners go on to do great things. Recent Scholars have been awarded 89 Rhodes Scholarships, 127 Marshall Awards, and 145 Churchill Scholarships, 96 Hertz Fellowships, in addition to winning other distinguished national awards.

For many prospective Goldwater Scholars, the competition is most intense at the institutional level.  Colleges establish their own nomination criteria and procedures to determine the extent to which individual students have the commitment and potential to make significant contributions to their fields. Students who plan to study medicine are only eligible if they plan a research career rather than a career as a practicing physician.  Four-year institutions may nominate up to four current sophomores or juniors.

This year, the University of Maryland-College Park, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Richmond were the big winners among competing colleges and universities in the Washington metropolitan area, each with three Goldwaters. Two George Mason University students were awarded scholarships, while Georgetown University, the College of William and Mary, James Madison University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, each had one Goldwater Scholar.

The only universities receiving the maximum of four Goldwater awards were the University of Alabama, Iowa State University, Princeton University and Stanford University.

From any perspective, an institution’s track record for Goldwater Scholars is a reasonable barometer by which prospective students might measure dedication to undergraduate research in STEM-related fields. For more information and complete lists of scholars going back to 2006, visit the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education website.

The Ultimate Virtual College Admissions Library – 2022 Edition

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The world of college admissions is constantly changing; therefore, it’s important to keep the best college admissions recourses close at hand if you are to navigate the admissions process with aplomb. Luckily, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. We’ve assembled a virtual library of sorts filled with the resources we highly recommend for novices and old hands alike if the goal is to aggressively approach all things undergraduate admissions during the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. Research away!

Admissions Data/Insights/Statistics 

Standardized Testing

  • ConvertYourScore.org – Our SAT-ACT conversion tool, which features important information about the SAT and ACT and the key ways in which the SAT and ACT differ, is the Internet’s most popular conversion tool and information site
  • ACTStudent.org – Sign up for the ACT, see your scores, and send your scores to colleges and universities
  • Free Practice ACT (Inclusive of Answer Sheet) – Take a timed practice test, score yourself, and learn from your mistakes
  • Best ACT Preparation Book: Real Act Prep Guide – Insider test-taking tips and strategy, five previously administered, full-length ACT tests written by the actual test maker, and insight from the makers of the ACT
  • CollegeBoard.org – Sign up for the SAT and/or SAT Subject Tests, see your scores, and send your scores to colleges and universities
  • Free Practice SAT and Answer Sheet – Take a timed practice test, score yourself, and learn from your mistakes
  • Best SAT Preparation Book: The Official SAT Study Guide (2018 Edition) – Published by the makers of the test and includes ten official SAT practice tests
  • PSAT Practice Questions
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) – a standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers wishing to enroll in U.S. universities

Short Course

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Most Popular Undergraduate Applications

Educational Consultants

Insightful College & University Review Books and Selection Guides

Fiske Guide to Colleges 2023 – Delivers an insider’s look at the academic climates and the social and extracurricular scenes at the “best and most interesting” schools in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland.

Choosing the Right College 2014-15: The Inside Scoop on Elite Schools and Outstanding Lesser-Known Institutions – Extremely in-depth, independently researched college guide that uses on-campus sources to turn up the best – and worst – aspects of nearly 150 schools (It’s a shame that they don’t make new editions of this great book!)
The Best 388 Colleges, 2023 Edition by Princeton Review – Entertaining, though superficial guide, to nearly 400 top colleges and universities
The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences, 15th Edition: 325+ Schools with Programs or Services for Students with ADHD, ASD, or Learning Differences – Advice from learning specialists on making an effective transition to college and details about services – such as tutors, note-takers, oral exams, extended test time, and more – available to learning-disabled students at each college

America’s Best Colleges for B Students: A College Guide for Students Without Straight A’s
College Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for You, 14th Edition – The leading guide for finding a good fit college
Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College 4th Edition – see review here
 
Love the Journey to College: Guidance from an Admissions Consultant and Her Daughter

University of Arizona Pushes Test Optional Goal Posts Even Further

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When high school students apply to the University of Arizona for the 2022-23 academic year, SAT and/or ACT scores will not be required for admission or merit aid consideration. In addition to university admissions, neither the ACT or SAT will be necessary for application to Arizona’s selective academic colleges, including its Honors College.

How will University of Arizona award merit scholarships? Merit scholarships for the upcoming academic year will be awarded based on students’ core, unweighted GPA (Core GPA is based on ABOR’s academic coursework competency requirements) through their 6th semester of high school.

What if students want to submit their test scores? If they like, students can still submit test scores to supplement their application for admission. These scores may help clear any application coursework deficiencies and will be used to help, not hinder, an admission decision; however, including them is entirely optional.

How will course rigor be recognized? Arizona values the rigorous curriculum that students take to prepare for collegiate academics. Through the application process students have the opportunity to report a level of rigor for the sixteen core competencies and may also be eligible for the Dean’s Exemplary Award.

When can students begin applying for admission? University of Arizona’s application for summer/fall 2022 will open in just a matter of weeks – July to be exact. Arizona offers Rolling Admissions, which means that the sooner students apply the sooner they will receive their admissions decisions. Every year I work with students who apply to Arizona in August and get an admissions decision no later that early October, and every year some of my students are be happy to learn that all they have to do is apply to Arizona to be considered for one of its merit scholarships. No extra applications are required.

Fix Financial Aid? OK.

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Calls for improving the way students apply for financial aid have been flooding the college admissions world, thanks to two articles by college admissions writer/guru Eric Hoover.  The first article goes into painful detail of the painful process (yes, it deserves two painfuls) many students experience filling out the CSS Profile, a financial aid application many colleges require in addition to the FAFSA.  Not only does this monster weigh in at about 100 questions; students have to pay to submit it (although waivers are available).

This article was a – well, painful – reminder to everyone involved in college admissions of the awful realities of applying for financial aid – basically, the more you need the money, the harder it is for you to apply for it.  Low-income families may be familiar with getting deluged with paperwork for mortgages and credit cards, but there’s something about making families go through myriad hoops to get a college education that simply keeps people up at night.

Eric gives us a glimpse of what some colleges are doing to ease this burden in a follow-up article featuring colleges that have dropped the CSS profile and developed their own shorter form of about thirty questions.  By itself, that seems like a step in the right direction, but observers wonder if that really helps students.  If they now have to answer thirty different questions to apply for aid at each of the five colleges they want to attend, that’s 150 questions.  Does this make the CSS Profile look like a better deal?

It’s clear colleges need to make sure the aid they offer goes to those who truly need it, but if the process used to confirm eligibility is enough to keep students from applying for aid and for college in general, something’s got to give.  Congress recognized the need to simplify the FAFSA form used to qualify for federal aid, reducing the questions from 108 to thirty-six.  Is that enough of a change to have more students persist, especially when entering first-year classes are expected to decline significantly in the next few years?

If ever a situation existed that calls for major realignment, this is it – and two ideas are out there that could do exactly that.  Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment at Oregon State, took a look at some data when he was at DePaul, and he decided to examine the relationship between what a family is expected to pay for college – the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) – and the answer to just one question on the FAFSA – What is the parents’ adjusted gross income (AGI)?

The results are on Jon’s blog, and while I don’t claim to be a data person, I seem to recall something about how nice straight lines at a 45 degree angle tell you something is up between the two data points you just graphed.

To my knowledge, no one has ever done anything with this idea, but maybe it’s time they tried.  Jon writes that Congress once considered reducing FAFSA to two questions: parental AGI and number of people living in the house. Yet, something clearly got in the way of taking that road, since the new FAFSA is stuck in the mid-thirties.  Politicians hate to tempt people with programs that are too easy to apply for, so that may be at play.  But look at those lines on Jon’s blog. Doesn’t that make you wonder?

If two questions seems like too easy a fix, colleges could also consider the supermarket approach to financial aid.  More than one college admissions professional has said that college is one of the few commodities you agree to buy before you know what the price is.  Cans of tuna have the price on them; so do new shoes and college textbooks.  Once you see the price, then you pull out your wallet.  But at best, colleges send the financial aid information with your acceptance, and most send it later.

That strikes a lot of people as a very backwards approach, and it was one of the things the Net Price Calculator was supposed to fix.  But NPCs only take scholarships and grants into consideration, and many don’t include so-called “merit” scholarships.  If you want to know how much your monthly loans will cost – or even how much your loan will be – that’s going to wait at least until you’re admitted.

What if a college decides it’s a supermarket, and puts the price on the goods before they’re sold?  Reduce your in-house college financial aid form to two questions (AGI and people in the house) and use that to build a complete financial aid package within two weeks of receipt of the information – grants, loans, work study, the whole ticket.  You include all kinds of disclaimers pointing out the student hasn’t been admitted yet, but IF they are, here’s what they can expect, give or take five percent. That’s a lot of wiggle room, but it’s better than what the student gets now – and if the two questions are as accurate as they appear to be, the wiggle room likely wouldn’t be necessary.

There may be a million reasons why this might not work, but hundreds of colleges just flipped their required SAT policies on their heads because reality said they had to – and test scores were considered untouchable by most of these places just twelve months ago.  Higher education has a reputation for focusing on the solution and not the problem.  The times we’re in give us a chance to break that mold and open up the gates of learning to thousands of students who are currently stuck on the outside looking in.

Can I Work While Studying in Germany?

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Germany is one of the most attractive countries in Europe from both educational and professional perspectives. Germany is known for innovative employment opportunities in automation and engineering fields. In addition to this, Germany has one of the lowest unemployment rates across Europe. Often, students desire to work part-time jobs for generating secondary income while they study in Germany; however, they need to realize that there are different conditions for different students who desire to work in Germany while completing their studies.

If you are a student from the European Union, European Economic Area, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, or Norway,  you are treated as a German student; thus, you will have free access to Germany’s job market. Students from these areas can work up to twenty hours a week while studying. Yet, if students exceeds said hours, they would need to pay into the German social security system and encounter a negative impact on their studies.

If you are not from any of the areas mentioned above, then also you can work in Germany alongside studying. You can either work for 120 full days or 240 half days per year. However, if you work as a student assistant or research assistant in your own university, this limit is not applicable to you. You need to notify the Alien Registration Office if you take any sort of job along with study.

It is to be noted that non-students can not work in self-employed or freelancing jobs.

Students have the opportunity to earn up to €450 per month tax-free while studying in Germany. However, if you make more than the stated amount, you will be subjected to income tax practices and automatic tax deductions. Employers can withhold income tax despite paying a lower salary; yet, they can reclaim the deducted amount after submitting the income tax statement.

To find work in Germany, it is recommended that you have proficiency in the German language or have completed an internship during your studies. Additionally, if you study any other language or opt for other preparatory courses, the eligibility criteria for getting jobs may be stricter. International students studying in Germany can work in their lecture-free periods only by getting document consent from the Federal Employment Agency and concerned foreign authority.

Compliance with the Federal Law is essential for international students while working and studying simultaneously in Germany. The core reason for the same is that non-compliance can lead to being expelled from the country. Thus, it is highly recommended that international students explore the regulations applied to their part-time working, conform to the rules, and acquire the permit to work from concerning bodies. It is also to be noted that working within the university has different working hours and wages, as individuals work for longer hours with higher pay. However, getting a part-time job in German universities is not very easy as the quality standards in universities are very high. Outside universities, students can work as support staff and waiters at cafes, English tutors, and production assistants for the number of hours stated above.  

There are ample provisions of free education in Germany as Germans, Europeans, and citizens of any other country can study in Germany without paying the tuition fees. These provisions apply to almost all the study programs functioning in public universities. There is only one condition for international students: they need to get a residential permit before arriving in Germany and finish their course in Germany itself. The core reason for which students from any country can get free education in Germany is that German culture works on the belief that education should not be treated as a commercial product, rather it should be delivered as a noble service; which is only possible by providing free access to higher education to the students. In addition to this, free education in Germany also supports its economic growth and welfare. International students desiring to opt for free education in Germany can contact KCR Consultants to learn more.

In recent years, dedicated legislation was passed that allowed public universities to charge a nominal tuition fee of 1,000 euros annually. However, only a few exceptional public universities can charge this tuition fee. Additionally, Germany’s governmental bodies have also understood the social and economic benefits pertaining to immigration and international students. Concerning this context, Germany has developed an ideal environment for studying, working and staying in the country for international students. Due to this reason, no general tuition fee is charged to foreigners.

You might think that as universities do not charge tuition fees, they might not be very good or lack resources to deliver qualitative education. However, it is far from the truth, as German universities are considered to be among the world’s best educational institutions. Thus, as an international student, you can expect to gain world-class educational facilities and high-quality teaching. Additionally, Germany has strict standards for educational providers, due to which teachers are highly accredited and knowledgeable. A degree from a renowned German university is respected around the world; thus, it attracts varied career choices and professional opportunities for all sort of students.

Additionally, charges that international students might need to bear while studying in Germany are also comparatively very low. The general overview of the cost of living that international students need to bear in Germany is presented in the following table:

Particulars Average Cost per Month
Rent and Utilities 300 to 500 euros
Food and Drink 200 to 250 euros
Health Insurance 100 euros
Phone and Internet 30 euros
Leisure and Hobbies 50 to 100 euros

International students can also opt for scholarships in Germany with the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD). The German Academic Exchange Services serves as an official scholarship database that allows international students to search for suitable scholarships options that they can opt for concerning their desired services and personal traits. 

University of Exeter makes international student scholarship and admissions news

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University of Exeter, a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive UK universities, has shared some exciting news for prospective international students: a new scholarship opportunity.

The UK university, which has four campuses – Streatham and St Luke’s (both of which are in Exeter) and Truro and Penryn (both of which are in Cornwall), is offering a range of full, £10,000 and £5,000 tuition fee scholarships for international fee-paying students starting in September 2021. These undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarships are on offer across a number of academic programs. In particular, Global Excellence Scholarships recognize high academic achievement and assist students in accessing Exeter’s dynamic teaching and learning community. For more information click here.

Yet, news of Exeter’s international student scholarships isn’t all there is to report from the southwest of England. Exeter is also currently running a number of online live chats for a number of undergraduate programs. These live chats are a chance to talk to a current student and, where available, a member from an academic department from the subject a student is interested in studying. Students can ask any questions about course content, teaching, assessment, applying and student life at Exeter. To find dates and sign up for such a chat click here.

Meanwhile, if a chat isn’t enough for you, but you can’t make it to Exeter’s campus in person, the university’s new virtual tours are the next best thing. These 360 Virtual Campus Tours of Exeter’s impressive campuses in Devon and Cornwall allow students to take a look around the university’s accommodations, sports centre, library, seminar rooms, and lecture theaters. To learn and experience more of Exeter and its campuses, we recommend perusing the university’s YouTube channel.

With so much valuable information at your fingertips online, there’s not better time to seriously consider studying at Exeter.

University of Rochester Application Deadlines Extended

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University of Rochester Library.

The University of Rochester has announced a major shift it its Regular Decision and Early Decision II application deadlines for the current admissions cycle.

Dr. Robert J. Alexander, Rochester’s Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Management, informed high school counselors on December 4, 2020 that applications for both admission plans, which are typically due in the first days of January are now due January 20 – a full two weeks later than normal.

“In recognition of these turbulent and unprecedented times, the University of Rochester is offering an extension to both our Regular Decision and Early Decision II application deadlines.” wrote Alexander. Students applying by the new deadlines will still be considered for both admission and merit scholarships. He added, “We hope this extension allows students, families, and counselors more time to navigate the challenges associated with COVID-19 and virtual interactions, and to take care of themselves and their families.”

While those are lovely sentiments, as we mentioned previously when discussing Tuft’s decision to move its Early Decision deadline into late November, such dramatic shifts are not taken out of altruism alone. While we don’t have access to internal data from Rochester, what’s becoming clearer is the decision to go test-optional this admissions cycle by many selective and hyper-selective colleges has boomeranged back particularly hard on many typically selective colleges like Rochester that don’t have the name recognition of the Dukes, Penns, or Browns of the world. This is because many students who would have never considered hyper-selective colleges are applying to them instead of colleges that are typically slightly less selective; even the Ivies are test-optional this cycle.

For instance, let’s say you are an average straight A student in the high school Class of 2021 with a 1030 on the SAT; in a typical year you would never apply to anything other than your state university and a few others with relatively low test score averages. This year, you say to yourself, “I might as well put in an app or two to Duke, Harvard, and Vanderbilt since they won’t look at my scores.” And he or she has heard of them in pop culture.

Meanwhile, the typical Rochester applicant, one with, let’s say, a 1350 on the SAT, is now also looking to trade up the rankings lists to Carnegie Mellon, Wash U., or even Yale this year. Rochester likely finds itself in what we’ve call previously a doughnut hole of a situation; Rochester is getting overlooked by both its typical applicants and those academically weaker than its typical applicants all because both groups of applicants are applying to higher ranked schools OR opting for options with retail prices lower than private Rochester (in-state universities, community colleges, etc.) considering the economic disaster brought on by governors and mayors shutting down so much commerce. What a shame for a great school like Rochester! Yet, what a great year for a strong student looking for a great college and a scholarship to consider Rochester. And now such a student has even more time to apply (though we always say, “the early bird gets the worm”). Stay strategic.

 

 

Avoid Tuition Anxiety: Put Strong Merit Aid Colleges on Your List

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Already mostly unaffordable for middle-class families, college costs have gone up by about twenty-five percent in just the last ten years. For the past two decades, sticker prices for public and private colleges have increased more than the rate of inflation almost every year. The average cost of attending a public four-year college is $22,000/per year and $50,000/per year for a private four-year college. Yet, there are ways for families that aren’t loaded to afford college in the United States.

Stay away from the ‘student loan trap’

Student loan debt is the second-highest household debt category ($1.6 trillion with 45 million borrowers!); only mortgage debt exceeds student loan debt.

Still, college graduates annually make about $32,000 more than high school graduates on average, and on average over $1 million more in a lifetime. There can be a huge payoff for going to college, but how can students avoid taking out outsized student loans for their education? The key to avoiding the student loan trap is to make your “out-of-pocket” expenses as low as possible and take out as small of a loan as possible (ideally one with a very low and subsidized interest rate as well). This is particularly important if you don’t qualify for some, any, or enough need-based financial aid, yet can’t afford to comfortably pay the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of the college you want to attend.

Assess your financial situation

For many colleges, the Federal government methodology determines if you qualify for need-based aid and how much. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculations are based on information parents/guardians are asked to disclose regarding their financial history on the FAFSA form for financial aid. A family earning $130K per year would generally be considered ‘rich’ enough to pay 20% of their annual salary toward college costs.

Find scholarship money at the source

There’s a better strategy to help you reduce your out-of-pocket college expenses and that’s by finding and comparing merit aid offers. The largest pool of non-loan money is available directly from colleges in the form of merit aid scholarships. Understanding how colleges award these scholarships requires a thoughtful strategy. Having one can help you reduce tuition costs by thousands, and even tens of thousand of dollars. Colleges award over $8 to $10 billion dollars in merit scholarships annually, which is the largest pool of money available to families who don’t qualify for need-based grants.

What is merit aid and how does it work?

While mostly awarded to students who show academic excellence, merit aid is also awarded for other talents in music, art, or athletics. Merit Aid scholarships are used by colleges to attract students who can boost the applicant stats of a school. They’re usually offered to students in the top 25% of a college’s most recently admitted first-year class.

Because many colleges offer merit scholarships, you don’t need to have straight A’s or a 1600 SAT score to be awarded merit aid. Each school has its own top quartile stats.

Merit aid grants, unlike loans, don’t need to be repaid. In most cases, there’s no separate application process and colleges share award amounts in their acceptance letters. Most are renewable and you’re eligible to receive them for four years, but it’s important to check requirements and renewability. Often, you must maintain a certain GPA in order to continue to be eligible each year for the award.

How do you find merit aid?

Make a list of all the colleges you are interested in and find their common data set. Once found, you can apply top quartile data for your standardized test scores, but not for your GPA. You can go to the website of each college to find common data information or you can use the Common Data Set Initiative to find the information. A search engine called MeritMore allows you to search across schools to find and compare merit aid offers using your standardized tests scores and GPA.

What can you do with merit aid information?

First, check to see if your top schools may offer you merit aid. Second, compare aid offers from your top schools against each other. Third, explore other financial-fit schools that match your criteria, but may not have been on your radar. Finally, use merit aid comparison data to make informed decisions about colleges you can afford, the true cost of attending each college, and the total loan you may need to borrow.

Accepted to a top college but short on money? What now?

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The average annual tuition at America’s most selective colleges and universities is over $50,000, and some schools cost $75,000/year or higher when you’ve factored in the cost of living. While attending a top college can open doors, introduce you to the right people, and help start your career on the right foot, it can also have serious long-term consequences for your finances.

What You Need To Know Before You Start

In order to maximize your time in one of the most sought-after colleges or universities in the country, you’ll want to make sure your finances don’t slow you down. Here are some pointers:

1. Narrow Down Your School List Early

Preparation is the best ways to ensure your success during the college admissions process, in college, and beyond. Knowing which schools you want to apply to allows you to prepare your course load and project your finances during your your undergraduate career and afterward.

If you’re still in high school, at minimum, make sure you talk to your school’s guidance counselors early and often. If you are returning to school as a mature student, seek out the opinions and perspectives of co-workers or friends. No matter your age, it’s also wise to consult with an expert to help chart your own unique course. You would be surprised how many connections you already have to help you navigate the admissions process, secure interviews, and get the right references.

2. Think Seriously About Where You Want To Live

Campus living is among the most expensive parts of college life. As handy as being on campus is for socializing, special events and networking opportunities, it can burn a hole in your pocket. The biggest perk is that living off-campus with a roommate can save you money.

3. Talk To The College About Your Financial Situation

Many top colleges and universities offer need-based and merit-based financial aid and are specifically looking for a more diverse student body. If you are in a low-income situation, a mature student, or belong to certain minority groups, you may be eligible for some of these scholarships, bursaries, or other financial aid.

Many students can wind up paying tuition at a steeply discounted price. In fact, the average tuition fee a student actually pays is around 49% of the advertised tuition price.

If you plan to apply to a very selective college or university, contact it immediately to see what is available before you apply.

4. Fill Out Scholarship Applications – All of Them

Conservative estimates put the dollar amount of unclaimed scholarship somewhere in the hundreds of thousands. Aside from contacting the school for their aid and scholarship requirements, check out online spaces and admissions services and scholarship search engines to help you find other scholarships.

5. Talk To Your Financial Institution

Student finances go beyond student loans and scholarships. Talk to your bank about a student bank account and student lines of credit. A student bank account can provide a better rate for your banking services, and may be able to provide cashback for your day-to-day spending.

A student line of credit can also help you start out with healthier credit before you pay back your student loans. It can also help ease the strain of your budget, by providing you with extra cash where and when you need it.

How To Earn Money While At School

Having a solid financial plan when you apply is a good start but how do you ensure you stay in the black when you’re finally at the school of your dreams? Thanks to the internet, there are a surprising number of ways to earn while studying. These are just a few.

1. Part-Time Jobs and Paid Internships

This is the first, and most obvious. Plenty of jobs and opportunities are available on- or off-campus. If your grades are good enough, you may even get the opportunity to shadow or assist a professor, which is not only good for your bank account but looks great on your resume.

2. Tutoring

Check with your school’s tutoring policies. If you can keep your grades up to scholarship level, you may be able to qualify as a tutor. Also, your placement at a highly selective college or university alone may make you a sought after tutor for high school students in the community or online.

3. Content Creation

We’re living in an era where content is king. If you’re a decent writer, and you have some downtime, you can position yourself as a freelance content creator. All that’s really needed is basic proficiency in writing, and some basic research and communication skills. Knowing a few basic concepts in marketing would also help but is not required.

You can earn a decent weekly pay from freelance sites and article writing services, and if you have the time and dedication, you can even start your own blog. A successful blog monetized with ads and affiliate sites can earn you passive income.

4. Freelance Artist

If you have talent in the arts, freelance sites have more to offer than simple content creation. You can find jobs from digital design, photography, video editing, and even voice acting work. Freelancing means you can set your own hours, and indulge your creative side between classes.

5. Remote Call Centre

Remote call-center work is another great option for students. It’s easy to set up at home, with just a private line and a hands-free microphone headset. Jobs are available online directly through the companies or third-party job board sites.

Like content creation, these usually don’t require a rigorous screening. Most companies will provide any training you need, and you will be able to set your own hours. It’s important to note that you are expected to match their tech requirements. You will also be required to work a certain number of hours each week. However, remote call centers and data entry jobs do pay better than freelance in most cases.

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A selective education doesn’t come cheap. With the right preparation, a good support system, and a lot of hard work, you’ll be able to get the full experience and still take care of your bills.