My son is considered an independent student, as he has been on his own since he was 18 and will turn 25 in Oct. He has completed 3 semesters (but the first semester he only took 2 classes) at a Community College in California with a 4.0 GPA (does not have an Associates degree). He has never taken the SAT or ACT and had really crappy grades in high school.

He would like to transfer to a normal 4 year school (does not have to be in CA, but he'd probably like it better if it was), and is open to either a smaller college or a big university. I know some schools give very little financial aid to transfers, but he really needs to use his CC grades for any application because his HS record was terrible.

Financial aid pays for his tuition and books, but he is working full time in a restaurant to pay for rent, food, and everything else. That is really starting to wear on him and he's hoping to find a school that would give him a full ride that included room & board.

Are there schools that would give him a full ride either as a 4.0 student or because of financial need as a transfer? (some smaller schools offered me a full ride based on my SAT and little else back when I was applying to colleges)

Would it be better for him to finish his AA then attempt to transfer. even though it'll take another year and I'm not sure he could work full time and keep the 4.0?

Does he need to take the SAT even as a transfer? Is there an option to be considered a freshman as far as financial aid is concerned (because he's finished only a little over one year's schoolwork), but still have them use his CC grades for admission?

Thanks for your help.

Most colleges do not care about ACT/SAT scores or HS grades if a student has completed at least 15 hours of college credit. I'm not sure how financial aid is factored in, but most public schools are accommodating for CC transfers.

at my school they gave RA's free rooms and meal plans (~$11k value). i never heard tell of any undergrads getting any more than need-based aid for tuition only.

Don't bother getting the associate's degree. It usually requires dumbass classes like physical education, etc, that are worthless.

You need to pick a school you want to/can transfer to. Find out what credits will transfer, take those classes, and get good grades.

Exactly why I am not getting my Associate's. A complete waste of time.

What's his major? He should able to get a well paying internship that will work around his schedule once be get accepted into the university.

Call the school and search around on their websites to see if SAT matters or not. I got into grad school without a GRE score but I didn't apply to any top ranked schools.

He doesn't have a particular school picked out. We know schools treat transfers differently (some don't give ANY aid to transfers), so we're hoping to find one that'll hook him up.

Here in Wa state an AA is guaranteed admission to UW. Which is turning down many freshmen from the state in favor of out of state students(funding). So, it can help.

Many AA's do not require physical education classes. Many are just your basic 1st and 2nd year classes, plus classes for your AA target.

b

Many out of state colleges might be more willing to take him since many colleges, after getting budget axes, are trying for out of state students due to higher tuition they can charge. Some colleges forgo the extra charge.

b

That's why I said to check specific schools. In NY, getting an AA doesn't matter (at least for most SUNYs and CUNYs) - and some of the classes required for the AA wouldn't transfer and thus are a waste of time and money. My mother has been a guidance counselor for a community colleges and I have a bunch of friends who went that route so that's what I'm going off of. You need to pick specific schools (usually state schools), call them, and ask what transfers and what doesn't. You can go through the guidance office at your school or do it on your own.

Considering he wants a full ride, I strongly doubt he wants to go out of state just to pay extra money.

I got my AA in Wisconsin and there is even a "guarenteed transfer" program that I took part in. I would look for something similiar.

How it worked was at a community school while achieving my AA I had to retain a certain GPA, not skip a semester, etc(really not difficult things) in order to be guarenteed transfer to a school that I chose(obviously on a short list of schools), but it worked for me.

I don't know what options you'd have, but I would suggest staying at community college purely to save money, I would do this while trying to become a member of the honor society at the school and look for scholarships that way.
There are many scholarships given to AA graduates as they move onto there bachelors degrees. I would ask community colleges in the area for information.

Also, as mullen stated that some areas AA doesn't really do anything, if you find that's the case; suggest he takes classes that would be requirements at a larger university for his major so that he can save time in the long run(assuming the credits transfer).

Goodluck!

As I said I'm also a transfer, and though I get less aid(by percentage of needed aid) compared to the community college now at a state university, I still get financial aid grants and loans that are enough to cover everything, or very close to it.

I have to work fulltime in summers though without a doubt, and I also work during the school year but not as many hours; its do-able though.

He's going to try to see a counselor, but they're so overwhelmed that in the past he's only gotten canned answers and a quick goodbye.


Looks like his best option is to finish another year of Community College with terrific grades then transfer to a UC.

Can he play golf? If he can break 90, he can get a sex change and SHE can get a full ride somewhere

see also www.scholarshipzone.us