ED Financial Aid Barnard?

calmom
Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:04:24 +0000

Do not apply ED if you need financial aid.

I also found Barnard’s financial aid to be workable for my daughter, but I also was willing to borrow with PLUS loans as needed – I borrowed about the same amount in PLUS loans that she took in subsidized Stafford loans.

It is possible that your family may be in the -0- EFC range and you will get good financial aid, but it is also possible that your or your parents will be expected to take on loans that are burdensome and no feasible in your financial situation. (I can spare a few hundred dollars every month to make a loan payment… can you?)

As far as I know, Cornell’s financial aid tends to be very heavy on loans – probably more so than Barnard. (College Board stats show that average debt at graduation is $21,549 for Cornell; $14,706 for Barnard; the average need-based grant at Barnard is slightly higher as well, so that would tend to support an inference that Cornell’s aid would tend to be weaker than Barnard’s)…

Anyway, the bottom line is that you need to apply to multiple schools, RD, and choose among options in the spring. That includes schools that are less selective that Barnard/Cornell but likely to be generous with merit aid; and in-state public options.