Low-Income StudentAnswered
Hey! I’m Will and I am part of a low income family. I have no clue how I am going to pay for college, especially for my dream college Columbia when I get in. What are some programs, scholarships and aids I can use to leave college debt free? Thanks a lot!!
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4 answers
Hi @Willimiah !!
Excellent question! Yes, despite your income, any college is definitely an option when considering plans for higher education.
Firstly, almost all Ivies have a billion $ “endowment” that renders their financial-aid contributions to your costs really significant—in fact I think they can cover almost everything to a comfortable degree for you and your family:
“But if your family makes under $60,000 a year, Columbia will cover the total cost of your tuition, room, board and fees. Families with incomes between $60,000 and $100,000 may also contribute a reduced amount toward their child's education.” - https://studentloanhero.com/featured/free-college-tuition-prestigious-schools/
Hence, Ivy admissions is certainly an option financially-speaking. However, the only thing that stands in your way at this point is getting accepted. That will and should be your largest concern—especially after the previous admissions cycle.
Furthermore, for other schools that can’t offer such a grant for low-income, I strongly suggest searching for scholarship programs. And, there are some really large ones out there, so it would be in your best interest to apply for many of them. I strongly encourage you to view the scholarship sites I mentioned in a previous discussion here: https://www.collegevine.com/c/paying-for-college/14355/let-s-support-each-other-on-our-scholarship-journey
In essence, yes, you can graduate debt-free! Hope this offers helpful insight!
Best,
O.F.
There are need based scholarships for almost every school and you can apply for FAFSA
If your family makes less than 60,000 you should not be as worried about paying because of lots of financial aid. Apply for work study before going to college. Also get college credit in high school so you will not have to pay as much for credits in college. You could also do online school which is a cheaper option.
Hello Will! Some scholarships I would suggest you look into is the QuestBridge National college Match, the Pell Grant, and the Posse foundation. There are many scholarship websites that offer many scholarship opportunities to help you cover your estimated family contribution for college!
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I'm also a low-income family I looking for scholarships offered in my state, my work, and also used the net-price calculator to estimate how much it will cost me and whether the school offers a 100% demonstrated needs.