MomOf3Stars

Thumper, the scholarship my D received was an endowed Music Scholarship (according to the school website) but the letter she received stated it was a music and academic award. We were thrilled and flattered that she would even receive a music award as she does not exactly have an impressive resume and this particular school still has 3 more audition dates to go. So it is not that we are ungrateful just that we are wondering how much of the $38K plus bill we are going to have to cover. There are 2 other scholarships she is up for (leadership and talent). The talent I assume will not be selected until auditions are over for everyone. It is more substantial but I am sure is quite competitive to get.

My cousin did graduate from this same school about 7 years ago and my aunt advised me to negotiate as well. She said that every year her D was able to get more money and in her senior year they actually ended up paying very little out of pocket. I would say they are in the upper middle class income range. My aunt told me that one thing she has learned from putting 3 children through college is that everything is negotiable. I may have to have her call for me,IDK if I have the nerve!!

I thought the app process was nerve wracking but waiting for the Financials to come is driving ME insane!!!!

Just as an FYI D has also applied for a zillion other outside scholarships so we are not resting on our laurels at all.

Violadad, thanks for the advice. I could not even tell you if she was at the top of her admission pool at this school (I know for a reason I cannot shout out here that she was at another school though).
The letter we got about the music scholarship was confusing though, it stated the scholarship was an academic/music scholarship but later on stated that this could be combined with any merit aid received.

I know what you mean about Hartt though. Eastman will not accept my D's University of Rochester Susan B Anthony Humanities award nor would they accept the fee waiver U of R sent her for the application fee (due to her winning the SBA). It is very funny that they do it that way.

euphgal

Mom of Three: I would wait until you get the aid package from Ithaca, they are known for offering a lot of grants. That school will also sometimes come back in mid-April with more money if they are really deperate for a student. There is also some sort of leadersip scholarship on their website that you can apply for, and that is the other merit aid they are referring to. I think last year it was for $7000.

JPSandiego

I was accepted at Chapman which was my dream school. They offered nothing so I asked if they could reconsider as U. of Redlands (comparable) offered 8K/merit plus $1080/grant. I got no response at all from Chapman. My Mom did some research on this and found that if you are not in the top 10-20% of applicants you probably won't get any gift aid.

GilBrenviolin

I really resent this process

I am getting nothing from the place I really want to go, and didn't even have a snowball's chance in the first place because my parents make too much money. I'm stuck between a rock and a hardplace, and apparently banks will only loan 50,000 for my major. According to the Northwestern estimate, it will cost about 59k for one year.

I think I might just have to give up on northwestern and go somewhere cheaper.

violadad

Gil, I mentioned in another post that grad funding is a different ball game than undergrad. Additionally, there are different rules for internationals. Institutions MAY have different parameters for Canadian citizens as opposed to US or other internationals.

Someone else might be more familiar.

For US citizens, most institutions (other than for med/law) do not consider parental income in determining aid. If you hold an undergrad degree, you are on your own. For a US grad student, the parental info is not required on the FAFSA.

The Northwestern grad financial link is here
Financial Aid, Graduate, Admission, School of Music, Northwestern University

Perhaps there's something you missed, or a required submission missing?

Appeal info is there as well.

Good luck.

thumper1

Gil...I'm confused. You are a GRAD student. You already have your bachelors degree. Does NU require parent information for grad finaid? I don't believe they do.

GilBrenviolin

If you accept offer of admission, to get a visa, (and this has to be done next month), you have to give proof of being able to pay, which makes getting a scholarship very difficult. Also, I know a lot of international kids who cannot get a scholarship because they cannot demonstrate need. It kind of makes no sense to me because in essence I have almost no savings or assests, but I have to prove that I can pay by April 15th.

If I recall, household income is definitely on the form. Maybe I'm missing something but I know a lot of Canadian kids who cannot get scholarships at good schools because their parents just make a little too much (and this is for grad school).

I am seeing what I can do to make this a bit easier. Apparently the $60,000 estimate sent by Northwestern is quite high, and may not cost nearly that much.

binx

Gil is correct - in most countries (not just the US), in order to get a Visa you have to prove that you will not become a drain upon society. That is, you have to show that you have enough money to take care of yourself, insurance, etc.

Since he is a foreigner, he is not eligible for US aid. Federal aid is paid for by taxpayers and is therefore logically only available to citizens. It's not "mean" - rather, you can look at it as a "benefit" of citizenship.

The cost quoted by colleges often is much higher than actual tuition, room, and board. It includes books, travel, etc. It is meant to help folks get a realistic idea of how much money you'll be putting out over the year.

Schools have International departments who are much more used to dealing with the problems and issues, and would be the best place to start, when discussing options. They may not have scholarships and grants available, but might have other ideas.

thumper1

I'm sorry Gil..I keep forgetting you are considered an international student...

I'm with Shennie....call the studio teachers. They may be able to advocate for you. I DO know students who have gotten increased music merit awards from NU with teachers advocating on their behalf. It's well worth a try.

GilBrenviolin

Is it normal to borrow like $80,000 for grad education?

binx

No, I don't think it is. I think most grad students look for fellowships, teaching assistantships, etc. Especially for music majors, who will probably not be graduating directly into high incomes, I would be very nervous about taking on much debt. Some schools have work studies available, as well, that will allow students to earn at least something. Whether those are available for international students is up to each school - it depends upon whether the money is federal or private.

Sometimes music students try to supplement their income with per service orchestras or other gigs. But it's tricky lining up the school and the gig at the same time.

GilBrenviolin

yea the problem is that as an international student I can't work in the US.

BassDad

It is neither normal nor advisable. The monthly payment on that loan would be ruinous on a starting musician's salary.

You need to speak with someone at NU who understands the visa process and the options available for international students, and you also need to speak with the teachers who have accepted you. You will not be eligible for US Federal aid, and there are not very many schools that provide as much in gift aid to international students as you need.

I am not sure that a per service orchestra would be able to hire you (at least officially). Some of my Canadian musical friends tell me that obtaining playing gigs in the US has gotten much harder in the last few years and that the hiring organization has to jump through hoops to demonstrate that they could not have found a US citizen to fill the position before you would be issued a work permit. Also, some teachers and schools do not want their students involved with outside performing groups without their explicit permission.