<p>If Columbia University gave me a financial aid offer, and I showed them a better offer from another Ivy League university that was better, and they matched the better offer, what will happen when I apply for financial aid next year? Will they give me the same original offer that wasn’t very good, or will they repeat the better offer (assuming my financial situation remains the same)? Thanks for any replies.</p>
<p>I think that this is a definitely a question that you should ask Columbia directly as to how your package will be treated in the future. </p>
<p>Because you must reapply for FA each year they probably will not be able to commit to what your package will be in the future. There will be changes to your FA package as each year, the amount of money from your stafford loan will go up and your work study earnings will increase. </p>
<p>Effective 7/1/07 the amount you can borrow as a second year student will increase from 3,500 per year to 4,500. </p>
<p>What I would do is look at your over all package look at your ratio of loans to grant aid and that is what you you should be shooting for.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>If your EFC is 25% of your family’s income and assets and your old need based package is 80 % grants and 20% loans </p>
<p><a href=“http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=3853&profileId=2[/url]”>http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=3853&profileId=2</a> </p>
<p>and your new package was increased to reflect 90% grant aid and 10% loans and your EFC is now 20% of your parents income assets, </p>
<p>This is the question that you need to ask of Columbia; if your grant, loan, EFC ratio will remain the same .</p>
<p>I have a feeling that if I ask Columbia about whether or not the amount of aid will decrease to the original offer in future years, they will probably tell me that my financial aid will be re-evaluated each year, and they cannot even estimate what it will be last year.</p>
<p>Has anyone had any experience with attending a college that matched another college’s offer and re-applying for financial aid the next year? Thanks.</p>