That’s because the federal agency hasn’t processed your FAFSA yet. They (Oberlin) gave you work study because it depends on them; the federal loans don’t vary in amount so they can list that no pb… but Pell varies in amount depending on your need and from that estimate they can provide you with institutional grants in equally varying amounts. So that second part is still stuck in the FAFSA fiadco somewhere. (If it were the full package you’d see Pell listed since you qualify).
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My FAFSA says it’s been processed, though. It was processed the same day Oberlin released decisions, so maybe they didn’t get it in time.
Please listen to the advice you are receiving here from multiple experienced posters (including one with years in a financial aid office). Contact the schools to ask if (1) need-based aid has been released, (2) ask for a review of your CSS Profile because there is absolutely an issue. These schools meet-need and will have no issue helping you and your family through a review. That is why they are there; they are used to helping families in your situation.
MYOS provided you with a template for emailed communication. Please send that now to start a conversation. Do not wait for the rest of your decisions. If there is a typo (e.g. extra -0- in the AGI) in your Profile information, all schools will see that including the ones you are waiting on. It is best to rule that out and make corrections as soon as possible. April will be very busy.
Best of luck. You do have fantastic acceptances and should be proud of that. I’m sorry you are now having to deal with unexpected financial hurdles. Hugs.
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There is no way they would have had time to process same-day. 
I know from experience that it takes a few days after FAFSA processing for the information to show up in the school’s system for their own evaluation. (at least some schools I have experience with).
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This will end all your drama (pardon the pun, for now) - simply by calling (or emailing) and asking the simple question vs. wondering. I prefer a call personally. Why? Faster response. Inquiring minds want to know - namely yours - but our too!!
So I emailed Holy Cross, and they told me they don’t use the FAFSA to determine need-based aid. So even if I tell them I have a SAI of 0, they won’t care. I looked through the CSS, and I don’t see anything blaring a huge red flag; the only thing I could think of would be that under federal taxes paid, it says 0. The reason for this is since we pay a higher tax rate in Canada, we don’t have to pay the double taxation, and we don’t make enough to pay the double taxation anyways.
But that isn’t the question.
The question is - was your aid statement merit only or merit and need. In other words, is need still to come? Or this is everything?
They didn’t answer. I asked directly, and they didn’t answer it. The scholarships, to my knowledge, are merit-based, but that was all. How they worded it strongly suggests that this is it: there’s no more to come.
I find it strange because why would they give 0 need-based aid? Everything on the CSS is correct, same with FAFSA. How can I be eligible for max Pell and have an SAI of 0, yet I don’t get a single bit of need-based aid? Surely the CSS and FAFSA can’t differ that much.
It’s a yes / no question.
If they didn’t answer it, call back and ask - give them your name, social, etc. and say I’m confused - is this my total offer or need based aid is to come.
You have to hold them until they give you the answer you need.
Otherwise, you go with what you think - you have your answer - eliminate them and move on.
But I think you need to call back. It’s really a simple scenario - they have no reason to dodge you.
So ask point blank - Is there a need component to come or this is everything?
You better write out all your acceptances by cost - starting with the cheapest (I presume Arizona and up to I guess the other is UMN).
When you have a cost barrier, you often don’t get to choose where to attend school. Rather, the cost determines it for you.
But I think you need to call back - and find out if more is coming. I would for you but they will not share a specific student’s particulars with anyone other than that student.
I still don’t get why you applied to BC, Oberlin, and Holy Cross - but that’s a separate issue
I did l, I emailed back and asked if what I received was merit based or needs based. She said they used the CSS and IDOC to determine need based financial aid, and that they used the documents I provided. I’m 99% sure that she meant that’s all.
Well, atp, it doesn’t matter much where I applied cause UMN is still going to cost quite a lot. I didn’t receive a bill from them, but if we base it off last year’s bill, which was 57k OOS with housing, we can subtract 15k for merit-based scholarships and another 7k from my parents, leaving me on the hook for 35k. Over four years, I’d still have to take out 140k in student loans.
I would call - not email.
Email is very hard to determine tone or meaning.
You don’t want to eliminate a school based solely on a miscommunication. Leave no doubt.
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And since you can’t, that’s not an option (and thank god you can’t, that’s financial suicide).
What other options - how much is U of A - with the auto merit (and they fix the price all four years).
Any other as cheap?
U of A merit is 13500 a year; they won’t consider test scores for merit. The yearly cost seemed nearly identical to UMN last time I checked. Edit: I just checked it’s 62k a year OOS with housing, so it’s more expensive than UMN.
That doesn’t answer your question though. So they use the CSS and determined your need to be $…? Can they answer that question?
If they cannot, it’s just a work study student manning the phones and fielding calls, providing generic answers. You need to call or email your specific admission regional rep or a specific FA officer (Hence the “Dear Mr./Ms.” At the top of the email template) so you can discuss your specific case. And email is better because you give them time to pull up your file and you have written proof of an answer.
There’s simply no way an SAI-0 admitted student whose college-administered merit aid recognizes they have financial need that deserves supplemental funding (as per the fact you got a Faber scholarship) receives zero need-based aid at a college that meets full need.
They may not offer as much as you’d want but they will offer something (as mentioned upthread, thr MyInTuition thing estimates 40-60k in aid depending on various data I input. It may well be less. But there’s no way it’s nothing.)
The fact they did not package Pell, which is NOT dependent on institutional aid but comes from the federal government, is a big tell that your need based aid hasn’t/had not been processed and sent (I know that on the day you got your acceptance from HC your FAFSA processed but it means that it was processed 2-3 days after the actual decision was made/entered in the system; keep in mind that in addition to those whose aid has not been processed yet, there are, as admitted by the federal office in charge, hundreds of thousands whose federal aid package was miscalculated and thus “pulled” to be recalculated before FAFSA can send Pell eligibility level to colleges.)
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This is way too much in my opinion. I do not think that you should start at any university expecting to end up with this much debt and a bachelor’s degree. Hopefully something more affordable will come through.
And of course without a cosigner no one is going to be willing to loan you $140,000 (and this is a good thing).
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Unless @ravk06 has access to his regional rep’s phone number (or a person in the FGLI office who can smooth this kind of questions out), I disagree. Calling the general number means high odds of getting a work study kid who cannot pull up personal files.
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I did email my specific financial aid counselor, so I’m not sure why they didn’t answer my questions very well. I will make sure to follow up. I’m not sure. I mean, it’s their school, so maybe they just decided not to give need-based aid. There’s nothing illegal about it, I guess.
I’m wondering is HC processed you as an international student because you graduated from HS in another country?
Does College of the Holy Cross give financial aid to international students?
There is limited need-based aid for international students. International applicants seeking consideration for need-based aid should submit a letter requesting review for need-based aid with the Certification of Finances. A request for review does not guarantee the awarding of funds.
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