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Additional Strategies For Reducing College Cost
housing, child care, and other support services.  
Go to www.ccp.edu/catto to learn more about  
eligibility requirements and program services.
Colleges That Meet 100%  
of Demonstrated Need 
Some colleges have made a commitment to meet 
100% of the demonstrated financial need of those 
students who are admitted to that college.
Many are Ivy League universities:
Brown University • Columbia University •  
Harvard University • Princeton University •  
University of Pennsylvania • Yale University
Some are liberal arts colleges:
Amherst College • Bowdoin College • Colby College •  
College of the Ozarks • Davidson College •  
Grinnell College • Pomona College • Smith College • 
Swarthmore College • Williams College
Others are large research universities:
Emory University • Johns Hopkins University •  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) •  
Northwestern University • Rice University •  
Stanford University • University of Chicago •  
Vanderbilt University • Washington and Lee University
It is important to understand that the colleges  
who offer this level of financial assistance also  
have the most competitive admissions. They  
are extremely selective. Apply to these colleges  
only if your academic profile is a good match,  
and remember that even the most high-achieving  
students may not be admitted.
Many selective colleges have recently expanded 
their commitment to need-based aid:
•Franklin & Marshall College — Pennsylvania students 
from households earning up to $75,000 can attend 
F&M tuition-free; those earning between $75,000 and 
$150,000 will pay the same tuition as Penn State’s 
in-state rate.
•Swarthmore College — Students whose families make 
less than $200,000 attend tuition-free.
•Princeton University — Financial aid covers full cost 
of attendance for students whose families make less 
than $150,000 per year. 
Save Your Time and  
the Cost of Attendance 
One of the best ways to reduce the cost of college  
is to reduce the number of semesters for which you 
pay tuition. There are four ways to do this:
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses are college-level 
classes offered in high school. An AP exam is  
offered at the end of each AP course. A high score  
on this exam can qualify you for college credits. The 
AP program charges a fee for each AP exam. Talk with 
your school counselor about whether these fees are 
waived at your school or whether you are eligible for a 
reduced fee. Regardless, the fees for AP exams are far 
less than the cost of a college course; credits earned 
through AP exams will save you money in college.
Community College offers much less expensive 
tuition, compared to four-year colleges. A common 
cost-saving strategy is to attend a community college 
for two years and then transfer to a four-year college.
Dual Enrollment Programs allow high school  
students to take classes at local colleges to  
simultaneously earn both high school and college 
credits. Ask your high school counselor whether  
your school offers these programs.
Middle College High Schools are high schools  
that aim to help students complete high school and 
encourage them to attend college. These programs 
offer project-based learning and extensive support 
services. At present, Philadelphia’s only middle college 
high school is Parkway Center City Middle College, 
where students can earn up to 64 college credits, at 
no cost, from the Community College of Philadelphia, 
while in high school.
The Community College of Philadelphia 
The Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) is a 
good option for many students looking to reduce 
their college cost. CCP’s Octavius Catto Scholarship 
provides eligible students with free tuition, academic 
advising, career coaching, and support for books, 
transportation, and even food. The program also provides 
connection to existing resources like affordable 

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