I’m a Junior, and The Guidance Counselor at my school isn’t very helpful. I was wondering how state funding for college goes. Can I only get it for certain schools? Doesn’t my family situation matter?
I was adopted when I was young, then my adoptive father died, so I live with my mother, and two younger brothers, and our income is in the bottom quarter of the population.
Does that sound like I’d get 100% assistance, depending on what I make on the ACT?
I live In East Tennessee
State financial aid varies from state to state, so it will be difficult to give you a specific answer without knowing what state you live in. Usually state aid programs can be used at any public college or university in that state. (I don’t know of any that allow you to use the money at an out-of-state school, and there are probably only a few at most that will pay for private school even in-state.)
Coming from a single-parent family with relatively low income, you will probably qualify for the maximum from your state’s program; you will also have a very low EFC (expected family contribution) result when you complete a FAFSA form for Federal aid. What you will actually receive (and how that support is divided between grants and loans) will vary among schools, depending on their resources and your HS resume. Remember also that colleges blend the available government money with their own scholarship resources, so the financial aid offers you receive from each school you’re admitted to may differ significantly.