MASA offers $1000 to ALL applicants, and a maximum to US residents of $4000 if you’re income is less than $22,500 per person in the household (including boys learning in yeshiva). Some of the more right-wing seminaries are a little leary of (being known that they) take MASA, so they go thru “Peninat Yisrael” a clearing company that arranges and coordinates the MASA program for them. Peninat takes $600 administrative fee, so the girl only gets $3400.
Pell (also known as “FAFSA) is a federal grant offered to those enrolled in a US college. Like the Tour Israel option mentioned above, HTC in Skokie, IL, and MJI in Detroit both offer opportunities to enroll and learn abroad. HTC like Touro requires (decent) SAT scores, MJI doesn’t. HOWEVER, MJI costs considerably more to register. (HTC also charges registration up front, MJI, I THINK, doesn’t require $$ up front, but take a bigger piece of the $$$ before forwarding to the seminary.)
TAP is a NYS grant similar to FAFSA, and that would be the only reason to pick Touro over one of the others.
Most seminaries due to the current economy, will offer a small discount, if requested.
TTI (Raizel Reit) is working on an ISRAEL option. Don’t know if it will be ready in time for this coming September, though.
If you live in NY and got over an 1875 on your SAT, then you MIGHT be eligible for the Byrd scholarship (1500 @ year for 4 years!)
General note: Seminaries ARE a for-profit business. Don’t like it? jealous? get over it! or start you’re own if it’s so easy. I don’t own one, but I know a few of the owners, and yes, they are making money, big deal, they are entitled to charge what they want. BUT, none, of them, I REPEAT, none of them are making TONS of money. They are comfortable. and why shouldn’t they be?