<p>It’s not what your father can truly contribute, it what the schools deem he should be able to contribute. That is the issue with fin aid. Once the forms are all filled out and in there, you can see what the outcome is and where the sticking point is with the fin aid </p>
<p>Yes, Harvard’s accept rate along with that of the other highly selective schools make it a long shot as you gotta get in to get that aid. My SIL did go to Harvard and for her, their aid package was WAY more generous when the final numbers were on the table than her other options. It was not even close. Astonishingly more thatn other Ivies and highly selective schools. She got a no loan package from them that was particularly sweet and they basically exempted her parent’s pay in entirety which none of the other schools did. So see how it goes. I also know someone who got a big fat goose egg from H though his income was modest. and his son did get accepted. He made his money on rents from apartments he owned, and H did not care that selling any of them meant losing income for keeps and threatened his retirement as those were his pensions as well. Appeal and discussions, all came to naught. They would not budge. So he did not think H was so generous. Until the offers are on the table, it’s all air talk.</p>