Maximizing Financial Aid from Colleges

Do any of you know which colleges tend to give the most financial aid on average? College is so expensive nowadays and it'd be great to get as much help as I can paying tuition. Please provide some specifics if you can, thanks in advance!

Certainly, I can see why maximizing financial aid is an important aspect of the college selection process for you. Many universities in the U.S. offer substantial financial aid packages that can greatly reduce the cost of attendance.

One of the key things to consider is the distinction between need-based aid and merit-based aid. Colleges which are known for generous need-based aid often meet 100% of a student's demonstrated financial need. These typically include most Ivy League schools (like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton) and a good deal of other top-tier private schools (for example, Stanford and MIT). At these schools, lower and middle-income families often pay a fraction of the sticker price.

Now, if we talk about merit-based aid, many public and private schools offer significant scholarships based on academic or extracurricular achievements. Schools like University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, and University of Missouri are known for their generous merit scholarships.

You mentioned specifics, so a good exemplar is Harvard University where families that earn less than $85,000 per year pay nothing towards the cost of attendance and families that earn between $85,000 - $150,000 per year pay between 0-10% of their annual income.

But each college's financial aid scheme is unique, and it's essential to read the details about how aid is calculated and distributed at each school you're considering. Most schools have a Net Price Calculator on their website which can give you an estimate of how much your family might be expected to contribute. Hope this information helps you in your college search!