Which Colleges Have Given You Disappointing Financial Aid Offers? - Page 12

thumper1 · 03-29-2008, 05:27 PM

Well....I guess some would say that all CA students should have a Cal State school on their list too. I have heard that admissions at the UCs has become very very competitive. From what you posted, that is very true.

momwith3 · 03-29-2008, 05:49 PM

muffy333 You just made my day by telling me that a lot kids love SUNY Buffalo. It's funny, because someone I work with was just saying the same thing. I also like the fact that your "wealthy neighbors" like it too. It's just so cold.... My son really wanted somewhere warmer.

ethanrt · 03-29-2008, 07:36 PM

I'm almost positive that UChicago has a process that involves a (probably painful) formula without human review.

EFC according to Swarthmore: $300.
EFC according to Claremont McKenna: $1,750.
EFC according to UChicago: $15,000.

On the plus side, I actually laughed :-p

dank08 · 03-29-2008, 07:40 PM

Clark University. They gave me about 5k in loans when the college costs about 43ish. I was shocked.

tokenadult · 03-29-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

I'm almost positive that UChicago has a process that involves a (probably painful) formula without human review.

I wonder what would happen at Chicago if you requested a human review.

RhapsodyinPink · 03-29-2008, 08:17 PM

Quote:

I thought grinnell gave rather good FA... rhapsodyinpink, perhaps you should clarify (if youre planning on going there). the ratio was 87:23 - Scholarship/Grant:loans - I think.

Well, perhaps the fact that my EFC is 34k had a lot to do with it. I got their highest merit scholarship, 15k per year renewable...and that's it. Nothing else. Still disappointing.

jerzgrlmom · 03-29-2008, 08:37 PM

RhapsodyinPink,
What more could they do for you? If your EFC is 34K and the merit award is 15K, then there is no need (so they can not award you any need based aid). Outside scholarships can help in this situation since they should be applied dollar for dollar to reduce your EFC.

m24flo@gmail.com · 03-29-2008, 08:40 PM

Cornell's was dissapointing. I really thought that I'd get a full ride =[ I received 8k out of the 50k/year I'm suppose to pay for. They used both the profile and fafsa, so then they also took my non-custodial parent into consideration, which I don't think is a very good idea. However, I haven't received an update ever since Cornell changed their finaid policy... so I really hope that I could receive at least half. =[ my custodial parent make no where near the number I'm suppose to pay for =[

Iron Maiden · 03-29-2008, 09:20 PM

Dank08:

Clark is very generous with merit aid scholarships for excellent students. Go to Clark University | Financial Aid | First-Year Students and compare your SAT and GPA scores to those listed.

bartleby · 03-29-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Treeman, that's how the system works! The schools give you aid to meet your need. If they have given you merit aid already, then you have LESS need. Except for some very few state schools that offer full-rides plus books, etc for NM scholars, schools don't give you more money than the formulas say you "need" (and many of them give you less!). Maybe now that you understand that this is how almost ALL the schools package aid, you will stop being angered and start being grateful that they are offering you any money at all!

That's silly and unfair to middle class families. It deincents working for a merit-based scholarship since a kid would get the same amount based on his need.

sybbie719 · 03-29-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

I received 8k out of the 50k/year I'm suppose to pay for. They used both the profile and fafsa, so then they also took my non-custodial parent into consideration, which I don't think is a very good idea.

And the problem with this is??? Are you saying that your non-custodial parent is suppose to have no responsibility in helping to pay for your education? if you went from what you thought would be a full ride to having a 42K EFC, your ncp has a considerable amount of $$ and assets. This is what profile schools do, they request information from custodial, non-custodial and stepparents. they don't care about divorce agreements, side deals or what the non-custodial parent refuses to pay.

This is the reason that if you ncp is going to be a problem that many parents (single and divorced) choose FAFSA only schools because the EFC is only based on the custodial parent's income.

dank08 · 03-29-2008, 10:35 PM

Iron Maiden:

I did not receive any of those scholarships. Did not have a high enough GPA. They basically admitted me but rejected me at the same time. Oh well.

Iron Maiden · 03-29-2008, 10:49 PM

dank08

OK then I don't understand why you were dumping on Clark. Your grades don't qualify you for scholarships. If you got little or no need based aid then your EFC must have been very high. I'm not sure what you expected Clark to do.

You should have known that Clark would not give a scholarship based on your research of the school.

BTW ROTC scholarship standards are higher than Clarks.

dank08 · 03-29-2008, 11:16 PM

I'm not dumping on Clark, I'm telling the truth. They gave me a disappointing financial aid offer. I got work study and grants at other private schools. Along with loans, Clark just gave me loans.

The title of this thread is "which colleges have given you disappointing Fin aid offers", and looking at the Clark forum it does not look like I am alone. I still like the school, I just can't afford it.

Iron Maiden · 03-30-2008, 07:41 AM

Sounds like an "admit / deny" situation. In that case it is an Admissions issue, not Fin Aid. Sorry