Meaning of Low-Income in College Context

I hear a lot about scholarships and aid for 'low-income' students, but I'm not exactly sure what that means. How do colleges define 'low-income' and how does it factor into admissions? Cheers, all.

"Low income" is a term often used to describe students from families with annual incomes typically at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. However, the specific income thresholds that qualify as "low-income" can vary across different programs, states, and institutions.

For many colleges and scholarship programs, financial need is determined based on information you provide in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This takes into account your family income, assets, the number of children in the family, and how many are attending college. A calculation is made to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which has been renamed the Student Aid Index (SAI) as of 2023. Based on this, a Student Aid Report (SAR) is generated outlining your eligibility for federal need-based aid.

In terms of college admissions, whether or not a student is low-income might factor into the review process differently depending on the college. For instance, some colleges, often the highly selective ones, have a need-blind admission process, where a student's financial background doesn't affect the admission decision. Other colleges might use a need-aware or need-sensitive process, in which the ability to pay can factor into admissions decisions.

One other note: being a low-income student may make you eligible for additional types of financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), and others.

On a final note, remember to look at state-specific programs as well, which may offer additional aid for low-income students. For instance, California has a Cal Grant program, while New York offers the Excelsior Scholarship.

Keep researching and ask questions – understanding how your financial status interacts with the admissions process is important, and it's good to see that you're taking the initiative to do so!