Choosing a Free College
How to choose a College that will not Bankrupt me
At this time of the year, seniors and even graduate admissions candidates are thinking about their college and graduate school options. Being that the economy has hit many of us hard this year, the choices might not seem as abundant as when our family income is higher. So how do we evaluate the best college and grad school options for a tight budget? Here are some things you can do to enhance your chances of choosing programs that will allow you an outstanding education, while not making you go bankrupt in the process:
1- Research schools that meet 100% need. Find which programs they offer and figure out what chances you have to gain admission to one of these schools. What does it mean that they meet need 100%? It means that when you fill out your Financial Aid Application – FAFSA, if you are admitted to one of these schools, they will be able to support your need 100%. Your tuition will be whatever FAFSA says you can afford to pay, not more than that. The rest of the tuition would be covered by the institution you enroll in. Not all schools are able to sponsor 100% of your need. Make sure to research which ones do. At the end of this article is a list of some of the schools that currently meet 100% need.
2- Consider Tuition-Free Colleges. Did you know some institutions offer free tuition for their students? They are few, but offer the option of a debt-free education. These schools are funded through their endowment and large donations, and might ask you to work in exchange for a free education. For most, if not all, you will need to prove financial need.
3- Apply Early Action, but NOT Early Decision. Early Decision students might not be considered for as much financial aid, as they are committing to a school early on in the process. Early Decision could commit you to accept the school if they accept you, although there is a grey area which allows you to get out of the commitment if financial aid does not meet your need. However, it is a risky move to apply early decision, for this reason, and one you might want to pass on. However, early action does not commit students to accept admission, and financial aid funds might be more available. So a smart thing to do is find out which schools in your preliminary list of college choices offer early action, and send applications to those. In that way, you will quickly learn if you have been admitted, what your financial aid package is, and you will have time to negotiate it to meet your expectations and need, if possible.
4- Familiarize yourself with the history of the school regarding financial aid administration, college scholarships available, and how they usually handle student financial aid support. Speak with the financial aid office to understand what opportunities they have available for you, how you can best take advantage of them.
5- Start all processes early on. Leaving your research and learning process for the last minute might mean that you could miss out on opportunities. Money is more available in January than in May. Study the FAFSA to ensure that information is accurate once you complete the form. If it is not, you could be risking an auditing or a request for additional information, which will delay the process and also your funding opportunities. It literally pays off to be the early bird in the college admissions / financial aid process.
In conclusion, if we are smart about researching options, going to college does not have to be a back-breaking process. We can secure an education that will support us in achieving our career goals, while living to tell the story of our success. Securing funding for college and grad school is feasible in the U.S., and certainly, an important part of the process; one which can determine how effective we were as candidates, but in essence, the first test of our process management skills professionalism.
Schools that meet 100% need, as reported by U.S. News
College Name State
Adrian College (MI)
Amherst College (MA)
Barnard College (NY)
Bates College (ME)
Beloit College (WI)
Boston College
Bowdoin College (ME)
Brown University (RI)
Bryn Mawr College (PA)
California Institute of Technology
Carleton College (MN)
Carroll College (WI)
Chapman University (CA)
Claremont McKenna College (CA)
Colby College (ME)
Colgate University (NY)
College of the Holy Cross (MA)
Columbia University (NY)
Connecticut College
Cornell University (NY)
Dartmouth College (NH)
Davidson College (NC)
Duke University (NC)
Emory University (GA)
Franklin & Marshall
Georgetown University (DC)
Gettysburg College (PA)
Grinnell College (IA)
Hamilton College (NY)
Harvard University (MA)
Harvey Mudd College (CA)
Haverford College (PA)
Lafayette College (PA)
Macalester College (MN)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College (VT)
Mount Holyoke College (MA)
Northwestern University (IL)
Oberlin College (OH)
Occidental College (CA)
Pitzer College (CA)
Pomona College (CA)
Princeton University (NJ)
Reed College (OR)
Rice University (TX)
Salem College (NC)
Scripps College (CA)
Smith College (MA)
St. Olaf College (MN)
Stanford University (CA)
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Swarthmore College (PA)
Tufts University (MA)
University of Chicago
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond (VA)
University of Virginia
Vassar College (NY)
Wellesley College (MA)
Wesleyan University (CT)
Williams College (MA)
Yale University (CT)
Tuition Free Schools, as reported by the WSJ and BusinessWeek:
Berea College
Bereau College has a mandatory work-study program
Cooper Union Architecture
College of the Ozarks
Alice Lloyd College
City University of New York’s Teacher Academy
Curtis Institute of Music
Deep Springs College
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
UC Irvine School of Law
Webb Institute is a Naval engineering college
Military Academies: U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy offer free tuition for students going into military careers.