Does your state provide scholarships or low cost tuition for residents?

[frogger]

So where I live if you get good grades and a decent SAT or ACT score you can get a scholarship to cover tuition at our State University. 

 

If you get a 25 on your ACT and have a 3.5 or higher you will get basically one semester free for up to five years.  Resident Tuition is $4,436 for 9 credits.  It is graduated so if you have a 2.5 GPA and ACT of 21 you can still get about $2,378 per year which makes it a very affordable as far as I can tell. This doesn't include room and board which amounts to under $5000 depending on rooms and meal plans etc. Of course, there are general living expenses and books. 

 

The free college thread just made me wonder because all our states are so different. 

 

I should add I live in Alaska.

Edited February 24, 2016 by frogger

[AmandaVT]

Valedictorians get the "green and gold" scholarship - which is full tuition to University of Vermont. 

 

In state tuition is lower than out of state, but it's still a chunk. $32,000 vs. $55,000. 

 

 

[frogger]

There are scholarships that get you free tuition too but those are more limited in nature. I think you had to be in a top percentage of your class. They don't include homeschoolers in that so I know less about it. Too bad my son is the top of his class. Of course, he is the bottom of his class too but we don't need to talk about that. 

[Tsuga]

• We do have scholarships for the needy, but they are all contingent on GPA and academic progress. I think it's about 2.75 for the lowest GPA scholarship and then you have to be in STEM.
• Rather than more scholarships for the poorest--since they are covered by Pell in many cases--we actually have expanded aid for the middle class, so, for example, the WASFA can get you aid on top of federal aid if you are not eligible for the Pell grant. This is a big help for the many families who are not Pell eligible but who are in high COL areas.
• The main need for the extremely poor is often services to ensure they can continue to study, since many times they need to work and don't have the knowledge or support systems to keep on track. They take the wrong classes, they don't understand how to budget loan money, etc. So for the poor there is more of that.

Washington State also has the Husky Promise at UW, Cougar Commitment at WSU,  and the Seattle Promise at the community colleges in Seattle, and more.

 

These are privately funded. They are not from the state.

 

 

[The Girls' Mom]

TN.  There are HOPE Lottery scholarships with a minimum GPA required (2.7?).  Some of the state schools have resident scholarships for a certain GPA/ACT score.  Plus tuition is significantly lower for residents.  

Oh, and two years of CC tuition paid for high school graduates that jump through the correct hoops.  (Not difficult ones)

Edited February 24, 2016 by The Girls' Mom

[Jenny in Florida]

Yes, Florida offers the Bright Futures scholarship, which is available to students who get certain test scores and grades in high school and who document a certain number of community service hours.

 

As I understand it, when the program started, it covered most of the tuition costs at state colleges and universities, but it has not kept up with rising costs. So, now it's a nice discount, but doesn't make tuition free.

 

High schoolers may also do two years of dual enrollment at the community college for free or almost free. Homeschoolers get tuition waived, but do pay for their books. Students from public schools also have their books paid for. (I don't know how it works for private schools). I believe everyone pays basic, pretty minimal fees.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Jenny in Florida

[LucyStoner]

Well it's a mixed bag. State funding for higher education has declined and both in state and out of state tuition has skyrocketed. Literally the prices now are between 3x and 4x what they were when I started college in 1998.

 

In state tuition is quite a bit cheaper than out of state.

 

There are not state grants for academic merit but there are a several grants from the state for low income students, with low income being a fairly high amount. There are also grants for people who are deemed "placebound", meaning family, health or work obligations mean they can't move and need to go to school near their home or online.

 

Additionally, there is now a pretty exceptional grant, partially privately funded and partially state funded, where 7th and 8th grade students who qualify for free or reduced lunch can enroll in the program and will receive free in state public school tuition for 4 years plus a small annual book stipend if they commit to and meet a certain set of criteria when they graduate from high school. The criteria are that they need to graduate from high school, maintain a 2.5 GPA and not commit any crimes. Their family income can rise past the free and reduced lunch level by a fair bit before they would not be eligible at the time of college enrollment. If I recall correctly for 2016 that income cap at high school graduation is about $65k for a family of 4. The school districts are pretty aggressive about letting the families of 7th and 8th graders on free and reduced lunch know about this.

 

Additionally, both the community colleges and public universities have a fair number of scholarships available. When I was in college the first go around, I would often pick up my financial aid letter and find various scholarships from the school which had been added without me even applying for them.

Edited February 24, 2016 by LucyStoner

[Amy in NH]

NH has the highest in-state tuition of any public university.  I guess all first year students are considered for merit scholarships, though, with particular cut-offs for ACT scores.  Tuition with the highest level of merit scholarship would be ~$10,000/year.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Amy in NH

[Guest]

My BIL got his Masters in Electrical Engineering from UAA without ever paying a dime of tuition. That was thanks to GPA (valedictorian) and SAT scores. He paid room and board but even that ended up fairly subsidized because he taught lower division courses as a TA by his junior year or some such craziness.

 

Hubby would have also attended in the UA system free if he had stayed in state (valedictorian), but unlike electrical the civil program is weaker and there isn't much in the way of structural or bridge design to speak of, so he went to Michigan for undergrad and grad school and paid out of state tuition for the chance at a superior education in his field

 

SIL could have also attended free here, even with lower grades, but was still in the top 25%, however she also decided Michigan was a better choice for her.

 

I attend UAA currently at normal in state tuition because I'm an adult of negligible minority cred (just a female), so I'm one of the few schmoes who pays full price :D

Edited February 24, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[GAPeachie]

Yes, Florida offers the Bright Futures scholarship, which is available to students who get certain test scores and grades in high school and who document a certain number of community service hours.

 

As I understand it, when the program started, it covered most of the tuition costs at state colleges and universities, but it has not kept up with rising costs. So, now it's a nice discount, but doesn't make tuition free.

 

High schoolers may also do two years of dual enrollment at the community college for free or almost free. Homeschoolers get tuition waived, but do pay for their books. Students from public schools also have their books paid for. (I don't know how it works for private schools). I believe everyone pays basic, pretty minimal fees.

 

I'm in Florida too.  We were excited to learn that we had these opportunities.  Whether or not my children make an effort to utilize these opportunities depends on them.  We are going to try to give our children the best chance for success, but we will see what they choose.  

 

We are looking at high school homeschooling options for our oldest.  She is always the guinea pig.  She currently is all about working with animals.  So we are looking at tailoring her choices for an associates of science in Vet technology.  

[TechWife]

I voted "other" because Texas offers waived tuition at state schools for veterans (and/or their dependents) who were Texas residents at the time of entrance to active duty, were discharged honorably, and who are still Texas residents post-military. This fits both my husband and me. It is called the Texas Hazlewood Act.

That is awesome.

, what a reward for faithful service. So, in your household, does this mean that all of you could participate?

[TechWife]

My son is attending a regional University and his tuition, room, book rentals and student health care are is $3450 per semester. Food plan is another 1015.00 for the low plan. Our state flagship has a cost of &24,898 per year, or $12,294.00 Semester.

[Tsuga]

My BIL got his Masters in Electrical Engineering from UAA without ever paying a dime of tuition. That was thanks to GPA (valedictorian) and SAT scores. He paid room and board but even that ended up fairly subsidized because he taught lower division courses as a TA by his junior year or some such craziness.

 

Hubby would have also attended in the UA system free if he had stayed in state (valedictorian), but unlike electrical the civil program is weaker and there isn't much in the way of structural or bridge design to speak of, so he went to Michigan for undergrad and grad school and paid out of state tuition for the chance at a superior education in his field

 

SIL could have also attended free here, even with lower grades, but was still in the top 25%, however she also decided Michigan was a better choice for her.

 

I attend UAA currently at normal in state tuition because I'm an adult of negligible minority cred (just a female), so I'm one of the few schmoes who pays full price :D

 

You know what? I am actually an under-represented minority and work in higher ed and I assure you, I have never received a dime for the color of my skin, nor does the federal government give scholarships on that basis, so please, keep your racist comments to yourself.

 

How incredibly, incredibly rude to imply that people who are not white get free tuition. Or even reduced. Or even money for the color of their skin, beyond the piddling little affinity scholarships available to nearly everyone, from Catholics to Norwegians to African Americans from private tiny foundations, which pay for like three books.

 

It's not true that brown people get money for state Us. Maybe Harvard, I don't know--they have a long history of discrimination, so who knows. 

 

Look, if you know of free money for black people, can you tell me about it? Because I work in higher ed and we don't have special scholarships for black kids, so I'm sure they'd love to know. Maybe we can overhaul our scholarship process.

 

THAT IS A REAL QUESTION. Tell me where that money is for brown people or take back your racist comments.

 

I need to know. I am so SICK of hearing white racists talk about all this money for poor brown people but then when it comes down to it, nobody can tell any minority where to find a penny unless you were raised on the reservation without electricity.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Tsuga

[Guest]

You're reading way into that. The bulk of the scholarships in this state for adults are based on native Alaskan heritage, a few for displaced homemakers. Just being a chick and not one who fits those boxes means I pay full price in state tuition. No more or less.

 

Deep breaths and stepping away from the keyboard, mmmkay? My statement had nothing to do with you being brown, but the fact is in this state if you're not in high school and not native it's very difficult to get tuition breaks, which is where I am at now.

 

When I was a young'n I did get reduced out of state tuition through WUE, so if you had kids looking for a good state school experience who lived in a more expensive area that may benefit them as well - it's comparable to what I'm paying now as an in state student with inflation in the last decade. High schoolers generally have more options for discounted education

 

ETA - here is the link for WUE

http://www.wiche.edu/wue

Edited February 24, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[chocolatechip]

We have the standard in-state tuition rate that is lower than out-of-state rates for public schools.

 

We also have the Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion, which administers the Oregon Opportunity Grant to financially needy students. It's not a ton, but it's enough to be significant and help. If you qualify based on need, you get the full grant (there's no sliding scale) which is currently $2100 a year. This is for public or private schools.

 

There's also the OSAC suite of scholarships open to Oregon residents, but they're just like standard merit/need scholarships just with a smaller pool. Also for public and private schools. 

Edited February 24, 2016 by chocolatechip

[Liz CA]

CA pays tuition at the Community College Level (fee waiver) for all legal residents of CA. Beyond community level, you need to search for scholarships or qualify via FAFSA. There may be some exceptions I don't know about but I appreciated that at least community college is tuition free - for now.

[KarenNC]

I wish. NC has two options for low income but nothing for merit. It makes me envious to see what we might have access to if we lived in a different state, since I have a very high stats kid and an estimated EFC that makes me laugh (in despair). 

 

NC Education Lottery Scholarship -- have to qualify for Pell grant or have EFC of $5000 or less http://www.cfnc.org/Gateway?command=GetBasedProgramDetail&note=no&type=7&vocType=-1&vocational=no&id=7

UNC Need Based Grant ---also based on FAFSA http://www.cfnc.org/Gateway?command=GetBasedProgramDetail&note=no&type=7&vocType=-1&vocational=no&id=7

 

In state is less than out of state. http://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/compare/tables/?state=NC There is a new proposal that would lower the tuition at some of the smaller historically black or Native American public colleges in NC to $500 for in state per year, $2500 out of state, as well as possibly change their names, in hopes of diversifying the student bodies and bringing in more students, but I have my doubts it will pass.  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article58766603.html  To give a comparison, Fayetteville State, one of the ones discussed, looks to be currently about $2,800 in state, $14,500 out of state for tuition only per year.

 

We do have a decent dual enrollment option with the community colleges for high school juniors and seniors--up to two years available, with certain academic requirements and a limited slate of classes at no tuition (pay books and fees), and articulation agreements with the public schools (and many private ones) in NC that the credits transfer as meeting gen ed requirements, not just as electives.

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by KarenNC

[LisaKinVA]

Hailing from VA -- so far, I haven't really turned up anything that is guaranteed in any way state-wide.

 

Yes, we do have in-state tuition, but costs still exceed $90-100,000 to attend VA Tech 4 years.  Even doing the Net Price Calculator, it would be $80,000 for my oldest to attend (FAFSA estimates our OOP max to be closer to $5,000/year).  Sad, but it's cheaper for us to go out of state where my kid could get some more significant Merit Aid or even need-based aid.  I don't think the majority of VA schools even participate with much for National Merit Scholars.  Each school has their own scholarship programs, so what is offered can vary wildly.

 

UVA has scholarships that will cover the full tuition and room & board (not sure how many), VA Tech wants you to apply for scholarships by school.  The largest award in the Engineering department is $7,000 (a little more than half tuition).

 

And, before anyone suggests going to our local CC for two years and then transferring, VA Tech's agreement with our local CC accepts transfers for most core classes as "general education credits" --- meaning you pay $1000 +/- for a 3 credit hour class that gets you nowhere in the engineering department. CC essentially puts you on a minimum 5-year plan. Each CC in VA has their own agreements with each college/university.

 

And this is why my oldest three will most likely not go to school in-state.

[creekland]

PA has 14 true state colleges with fairly reasonable in state tuition:

 

http://www.passhe.edu/Pages/default.aspx

 

I do not believe they offer guaranteed merit aid and they are known to be fairly stingy with merit aid overall, but there is some available.  They offer some need based aid, but don't meet need for most.  Some offer athletic scholarships.  Our state provides a grant (to any PA school) for in state students whose parents make certain incomes.

 

The cost breakdown I just saw said the average PA student living on campus pays $19,800 for the year (not semester).  Tuition and mandatory fees are around 10K.

 

However, if one wants to be an Engineering major, our true state schools don't offer it.  At that point one has to look at our state related schools (Penn St, Pitt, Temple) and those are quite a bit more expensive (COA at Penn St is listed at 35K for in state students, tuition and fees alone are $17,500).  Temple and Pitt give some decent merit aid awards, but I don't believe any is guaranteed.  Penn St is known to be stingy with just minor awards.  Need based aid and the state grant is similar to the true state schools.

 

My two higher stat kids got better awards from private schools, though Pitt came within $1000 for my tippy top stat kid.  My closer to average (still high, but not 30+ ACT high) kid got a better offer at the private school he's attending now.  It's common for PA kids to get equal or better offers from private schools IF they shop carefully.  Many kids from the high school where I work end up at our true state schools.

[Cinder]

I'm in GA where we have the HOPE Scholarship. There are many scholarships/grants under the program, the most well-known being the actual HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship. HOPE pays about 80% tuition--this varies year-to-year--and ZM covers full tuition at state public universities. (There are a number of lesser-known grants that covers all/some tuition for associate's degrees or certification programs.) HOPE is based on academics in high school; a certain GPA must be maintained during college to keep HOPE. The program also pays a small amount for tuition at private colleges in GA. It doesn't cover any fees, books, room/board.

[Luckymama]

Just in-state tuition here, no guaranteed merit for grades/scores.

 

(DE)

[creekland]

You know what? I am actually an under-represented minority and work in higher ed and I assure you, I have never received a dime for the color of my skin, nor does the federal government give scholarships on that basis, so please, keep your racist comments to yourself.

 

 ...

 

I need to know. I am so SICK of hearing white racists talk about all this money for poor brown people but then when it comes down to it, nobody can tell any minority where to find a penny unless you were raised on the reservation without electricity.

 

Tsuga, I'm not at all racist, though you can choose to disagree if you want to.  However, there ARE opportunities for URM (under represented minorities) that can help students in their quest for college.  Sometimes their URM status is based upon color and sometimes (depending upon the college) it can be based upon geographic location, gender, or other factors a college is looking for.

 

I always encourage a student to use whatever hook they happen to have.  There is no shame in it at all!  The Fed gov't doesn't give $$ for those things, but colleges sure can - and it helps many, many people.

 

Statistically (the last time I saw statistics) the worst category to be in for admission & aid was Asian female followed by Asian male.  Colleges want diversity and unfortunately, those categories are over represented at many schools.

 

My own boys had hooks that helped them financially.  Homeschooling was a hook, geography itself and our specific rural location was a hook.  No apologies here, but those from city locations who went to good public high schools common to the colleges my boys chose did not get as attractive packages as my guys did.

 

It really is worth it to shop around for colleges to see what's financially best for any given student.  A young lady wanting to go to a male dominated school has a hook.  Young males wanting some LACs - esp farther from their home - have a hook (youngest fit this).  Color can be beneficial.  Ethnicity can be too.  It all depends upon the school.

 

At middle son's Top 30 school, states like Montana and ND are underrepresented.  I can almost guarantee a qualified student from those states will get a nice package - probably not free - but nice.  They admit they want students from every state and those are difficult for them to get.  A similar student from NY will not likely fare as well - esp not with the same stats.

 

State schools rarely offer money for those outside their state due to state taxes funding the school, but private schools can do what they want.

[JFSinIL]

In addition to Federal Pell grants, Illinois has the MAP grant...or did, as our stupid state government has not approved a budget for the better part of a year now, and looks like MAPs won't be funded AGAIN.  Some of our state universities are laying off folks to try and stay open. In today's newspaper is a story on how one state u. here has cancelled spring break in an attempt to get students done with classes before the school runs out of money and has to shut down!!!!!!!!

Edited February 24, 2016 by JFSinIL

[Kim in Appalachia]

TN now has something called TN Promise, which allows any student to attend a 2 year college (think community college, here they are called State college) for free.  

 

It also gives a $4,000 scholarship to anyone with an ACT score of 21 or over for a 4 year school (any 4 year school in TN).  Actually, now it's $3500 the first 2 years then $4500 the last two.  

[teachermom2834]

TN.  There are HOPE Lottery scholarships with a minimum GPA required (2.7?).  Some of the state schools have resident scholarships for a certain GPA/ACT score.  Plus tuition is significantly lower for residents.  

 

Oh, and two years of CC tuition paid for high school graduates that jump through the correct hoops.  (Not difficult ones)

 

The HOPE is just a small piece compared to price of tuition.  Don't get me wrong- it helps but it is not enough for even half tuition.  My ds got a $6000 merit scholarship to UTK and combined with HOPE it will just about cover tuition (but of course not room and board, etc).  Seemed like it would be the same at other state schools which were less expensive but offered lower merit award. 

 

So, it does help but it is one piece of the puzzle.  Most kids would have to combine the HOPE with merit award or pell grant or something to really make a big impact on cost of tuition IMO. But, when you are piecing together that tuition money it does help. DS is looking at some private schools but still looks like UTK will be cheapest (though not free because we are not close enough to commute).

 

I wasn't paying attention back when HOPE was implemented but I have heard that the schools just about raised their tuition by the amount of the HOPE scholarship so it doesn't really end up helping students in the long run.  Not sure that is true but I totally believe it and surely when HOPE was implemented the amount of the scholarship was a bigger percentage of tuition.

 

But still, in-state tuition + merit+ HOPE makes it much more affordable.  

[TravelingChris]

OUr state doesn't have any state wide program.  Our flagship school offers full tuition scholarships for a 30 ACT score instate and 32 out of state. THat is funded privately.  My local university also has a very good automatic scholarship program for high scoring students. BOth programs give lesser tuition breaks for lower ACT scores or lower GPA.  I don't remember the GPA requirement of the scholarships.

[Laura Corin]

University education fees are free for all Scottish residents who go to Scottish universities. If your household income is up to £17,000, about USD 26,000, then you will also get a free £1,900 / USD 2,700 bursary to supplement your interest-free loan for living expenses.

[The Girls' Mom]

The HOPE is just a small piece compared to price of tuition.  Don't get me wrong- it helps but it is not enough for even half tuition.  My ds got a $6000 merit scholarship to UTK and combined with HOPE it will just about cover tuition (but of course not room and board, etc).  Seemed like it would be the same at other state schools which were less expensive but offered lower merit award. 

 

So, it does help but it is one piece of the puzzle.  Most kids would have to combine the HOPE with merit award or pell grant or something to really make a big impact on cost of tuition IMO. But, when you are piecing together that tuition money it does help. DS is looking at some private schools but still looks like UTK will be cheapest (though not free because we are not close enough to commute).

 

I wasn't paying attention back when HOPE was implemented but I have heard that the schools just about raised their tuition by the amount of the HOPE scholarship so it doesn't really end up helping students in the long run.  Not sure that is true but I totally believe it and surely when HOPE was implemented the amount of the scholarship was a bigger percentage of tuition.

 

But still, in-state tuition + merit+ HOPE makes it much more affordable.  

Yes, I forgot to clarify that it wasn't full tuition.  There isn't much for full tuition unless you score VERY well on the ACT, and/or you are very low income.  

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by The Girls' Mom

[Suzanne in ABQ]

NM has a state scholarship, paid for with monies from a lottery, that covers 94% of tuition costs at any of the state institutions.  Students must have a minimum high school gpa (2.5, I believe), and they must start college the first fall after they graduate (which I think is stupid, but they didn't ask me).  The lottery scholarship doesn't kick in until their second semester, and only if they prove themselves by earning a 2.5 gpa their first semester.  There is a "bridge" scholarship available for the first semester granted to those with a slightly higher gpa (2.7, I think) and at least a 23 on the ACT.  It covers about 50% of tuition for that first semester.  The student must maintain their college gpa in order to keep their scholarship.

 

We also have lower in-state tuition than out of state, but I'm not familiar with the actual numbers.  

[sassenach]

California has 2 university systems- Cal States and UC (University of California). The Cal States have excellent tuition rates for residents, IMO. About 6k a year. 

 

The UC schools are more prestigious, harder to get into, and more expensive, but compared to other states, I still think they're well priced. I think they're around 13k a year.

 

I think OOS tuition is much higher, but I don't remember how much. Scholarships are pretty rare in either system. 

 

What Ca doesn't have is any program that is linked to high school achievement. 

[DawnM]

Not in NC, but I think the state schools are very reasonably priced.  Our local 4 year state school is decent, and is $4K in tuition.  There are about $2,000 in fees and such on top of that, which is odd, but I think even with books, you could go for $7K per year.

Edited February 24, 2016 by DawnM

[Matryoshka]

I thought every state had lower costs at public college/university for in-state students?

 

As for any additional benefits here...

 

We have free "tuition" if you score high enough on the state test and you're not at a school with overall high performers - they cap the number eligible per school (otherwise something like 90+% of the kids at our local high school would get the free tuition).  There is a second chance, though, if you also (not instead) then take a certain number of AP or SAT2 tests and score high enough, or do some kind of big service project.  Dd got free "tuition" based on the second option - even with a 3.9+ GPA (and a 34 ACT, but that's not factored in) she was not highly enough ranked at her school to make the cut-off for the first option.  Yeah, it's a cut-throat school.

 

BUT BUT BUT... "tuition" in our state is really a fee for not doing well on the state test, as far as I can tell.  I'm not sure what it's supposed to be paying for.  It's maybe $1K at most schools.  The fees (the real tuition) are about $10-$13K a year.  The tuition-type fees, that does not include room and board; that doubles the price tag.

 

So, full cost including room and board at a state school is about $22K - $27K, and free "tuition" gets you about a $1K discount.  Whoopee.

 

I've noticed the online college comparison tools just list 'tuition' for our state schools as our "tution + fee" amount.  They aren't fooling anybody.

 

Oh, and all of these options are tied to the state public-school test and you have to graduate from ps, so private-schoolers and homeschoolers are not eligible, even my dd who attended ps for 9th/10th and took the state tests (which are administered in 10th) and scored proficient in all areas (the supposed criterion) - she'd be ranked #1 in our homeschool (as the only student in her class ;) ), and she also took enough APs to qualify under the second option, but since she didn't graduate from the ps, still doesn't count.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Matryoshka

[Tsuga]

Tsuga, I'm not at all racist, though you can choose to disagree if you want to.  However, there ARE opportunities for URM (under represented minorities) that can help students in their quest for college.  Sometimes their URM status is based upon color and sometimes (depending upon the college) it can be based upon geographic location, gender, or other factors a college is looking for.

 

Statistically (the last time I saw statistics) the worst category to be in for admission & aid was Asian female followed by Asian male.  Colleges want diversity and unfortunately, those categories are over represented at many schools.

 

 

 

I do agree that the worst is to be Asian, which is too bad because even in Seattle we see evidence of overt discrimination against even native-born Asians. They get both types of discrimination. But I will say that at least where I am, there are not racial quotas.

 

And while there ARE opportunities for URMs, the vast majority are programs of mentorship and wrap-around services and at least federally, those are targeted not by skin color, but by first-generation status and poverty level.

 

Where I am we are struggling to find programs that are not going to be immediately filled by the "less hard to serve" because we cannot use federal dollars to give free money for brown people (not that we would--we sincerely seek to help the most needy regardless of the color of their skin, we just know there are patterns in need).

 

As a woman of color I am sick of people thinking that I did not work for what I got, that I got federal money, that I got grants. No grants were available for me based on the color of my skin. The only grant I was able to get was based on merit. And yet the Catholic kids got grants, the Irish kids got grants, the Jewish kids got grants, anyone whose community had MONEY got grants. I did make an allowance for those tiny scholarships--$1,000, $500, whatever, that many people get as a result of affinity group. That is just nothing compared to what people get for merit or low-income status.

 

This pervasive myth that black people in college are there because they got let in without qualifications has got to end. It is a racist myth and it's not true, at least not in WA or CA, and in OR, most don't consider race, which is why Hispanic and Latinos are more represented than Asians:

 

https://ballotpedia.org/Affirmative_action_in_Oregon#University_admissions

 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/04/22/supreme-court-says-states-can-ban-affirmative-action-8-already-have/

 

Maybe I am just in the wrong state. Maybe I need to go where I can get all my brown person money and easy living...

[SKL]

I might be out of the loop, but I don't think we have any free goodies that apply to everyone who lives here or has a good academic record.  We do have reasonably affordable tuition options though IMO.  And there are ways to get a free ride if you are exceptional.  My nephew has a free ride for his entire Bachelor's degree at a state university, because he has an exceptional record in the field he's studying.  But that is not an opportunity available to just anyone who tries hard.

[frogger]

It would be so extremely frustrating to do all that work and be told your given something Tsuga, extremely. Though it won't be much consolation, I'm really sorry.

[LisaKinVA]

California has 2 university systems- Cal States and UC (University of California). The Cal States have excellent tuition rates for residents, IMO. About 6k a year.

 

The UC schools are more prestigious, harder to get into, and more expensive, but compared to other states, I still think they're well priced. I think they're around 13k a year.

 

I think OOS tuition is much higher, but I don't remember how much. Scholarships are pretty rare in either system.

 

What Ca doesn't have is any program that is linked to high school achievement.

Did CA eliminate their CA Scholars program? That's how my dad went to Stanford in the 60's

[sassenach]

Did CA eliminate their CA Scholars program? That's how my dad went to Stanford in the 60's

I've never heard of it, so maybe yes? 

 

I forgot to mention that CA does have Cal grants for those with financial need, but no non-competitive merit aide that I'm aware of.

[Liz CA]

Did CA eliminate their CA Scholars program? That's how my dad went to Stanford in the 60's

 

Have not heard of a Scholar's program unless it was specific to Stanford.

[Guest]

I actually did not know there was such a thing as free for residents with a good GPA.

 

In Maryland, we have a range of in-state publics and yes, that is much more affordable than OOS publics, or any sticker price Private. The cheapest ones are really quite affordable, but are not generally hailed as fine academies of learning. DD is getting resident rate at her public, but it is the most expensive in-state public, but also has a much better profile than the cheap IS publics.

[Guest2]

I don't think Texas gives any $ for automatic merit. If it does, could someone please tell me where to look,( 3 more kids going to college within 8 years). We pay full freight...no offers from either flagship school based on merit with pretty good test scores( commended , missed NMSF by a few points). Couldn't find anything automatic for top two schools. On the bright side, a CC in the area is now offering free dual credit. Some of the smaller state schools that are less selective do give some $ .

Edited February 25, 2016 by Silver Brook

[Night Elf]

I'm in GA where we have the HOPE Scholarship. There are many scholarships/grants under the program, the most well-known being the actual HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship. HOPE pays about 80% tuition--this varies year-to-year--and ZM covers full tuition at state public universities. (There are a number of lesser-known grants that covers all/some tuition for associate's degrees or certification programs.) HOPE is based on academics in high school; a certain GPA must be maintained during college to keep HOPE. The program also pays a small amount for tuition at private colleges in GA. It doesn't cover any fees, books, room/board.

 

Yes, it pays tuition but not mandatory fees. I still have to pay something for my son in college but I don't know what I'm really paying for because I their breakdown is so confusing. But it's not a lot and I'm grateful for that. I'll have two in state colleges next year.

[Cinder]

Yes, it pays tuition but not mandatory fees. I still have to pay something for my son in college but I don't know what I'm really paying for because I their breakdown is so confusing. But it's not a lot and I'm grateful for that. I'll have two in state colleges next year.

 

Ugh--the fees! When ds1's school was combined with another, larger school the fees went way up *and* they were required to purchase a meal plan--even if they commuted. Fortunately there was an exception clause for students who'd already completed 2 years at the smaller school and ds1 met those requirements, so he didn't have to purchase a meal plan. But ds2, who will start there next year, will have to get a meal plan.

 

I'm sure fees will go up each year but not having to pay the majority of tuition really helps!

 

[creekland]

As a woman of color I am sick of people thinking that I did not work for what I got, 

 

...

 

This pervasive myth that black people in college are there because they got let in without qualifications has got to end. 

 

Even if we disagree on some other points (not disagreeing about any of the factual ones for your area), I 100% agree with the above.  We have all types of students at our school from varying backgrounds.  Not once has color or gender made a difference in their ability.  I'll tell students to use any hook they can to try to get better aid and/or acceptance.  Why not?  And if one doesn't need hooks because they're well connected, tippy top academically smart, and super wealthy - more power to them!

 

It really bothers me when anyone implies that one can not be as good of a teacher/pilot/doctor/engineer/whatever because of their color, nationality, or gender - or even their legal status of residency.  Anyone implying that has very little real experience in the world IME.