Resources for Economically Disadvantaged/Underresourced Students

If you come from a family with limited economic means, there are opportunities to save money as you navigate the college application and enrolling process. Here are some items to consider:

Testing fee waivers

Free test preparation resources

SAT - Khan academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
SAT - test-guide.com - https://www.test-guide.com/free-sat-practice-tests.html
ACT - ACT Academy - https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/act-academy.html

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Schools with need-blind admissions that meet full need

There are over 4,000 postsecondary institutions in the U.S., but only around 100 offer need-blind admissions where students who require financial assistance are not placed at a disadvantage for admission. Only a subset of those schools that offer need-blind admissions meet full need (and some that meet full need do not have need-blind admissions). Here is an initial list of schools with need-blind admissions that meet full need, which is subject to change:

Alice Lloyd College, Pippa Passes, KY
Amherst College, Amherst, MA
Barclay College, Haviland, KS
Berea College, Berea, KY
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
Brown University, Providence, RI
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Columbia University, NY, NY
Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA
Deep Springs College, Deep Springs, CA
Davidson College, Davidson, NC
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Pomona College, Claremont, CA
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
St. Louis Christian College, Florissant, MO
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY
Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, Media, PA
Yale University, New Haven, CT

"No Loan" Colleges

Frequently need-based aid begins with student loans. Money Magazine has published an article about colleges that do not require loans as the basis for need-based financial aid. Please read the fine print as some of the colleges still expect a small contribution from the student. Here is the article: Colleges That Don't Use Student Loans in Financial Aid Offers | Money.

Highflying Students

These are resources for economically disadvantaged students with particularly strong academic backgrounds.

Questbridge - Approximately four dozen rigorous and selective colleges and universities provide full scholarships through this program. I recently worked with an applicant who received a full scholarship to Stanford University through this program. The program requires applicants to write a large number of essays during a short period of time. https://www.questbridge.org/

Matchlighters - Matchlighters Scholars Program (collegeessayguy.com)

Posse Foundation - www.Possefoundation.org

Gates Millenium Scholarships - Scholarships for minority high school seniors planning to attend college. Gates Millennium Scholarship - Access Scholarships

Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships - Our Scholarships - Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (jkcf.org)

Other resources:

Third Way: Providing Low-Income Students the Best Bang for Their Educational Buck – Third Way

Reach Higher Initiative / Better Make Room - https://www.bettermakeroom.org/our-story/

College Point - https://www.collegepoint.info/

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