<p>I have a question about financial aid coming from “need-blind admission” colleges, which promise to meet financial need.
Does college use the same calculation formula to determine amount of financial aid for freshmen as for upperclassmen?
In other words, if family income stays the same, should student expect to get the same financial aid from college during all four years?</p>
<p>Given the current financial situation, I’m not sure anyone can provide a reliable answer to your question. Theoretically speaking, the answer would be “Upperclassman status would not adversely affect need-based financial aid.”</p>
<p>The expectations for student self-help (earnings, loans) will go up over time, but generally according to a formula that is spelled out in the first year.</p>
<p>Both my kids attend(ed) Rice U, which says it will meet 100% of determined need, and limits total student loans to $14,500 or less (minus any scholarships students bring to school). Our financial aid has stayed about the same all 6 years - and our contribution has only increased a modest amount as our income has increased over these years. The best part was that the year DS and DD were both at Rice, it cost us the same as when only DD was there. (Would have made great financial sense to have Dd delay University entrance a year, and DS graduate HS a year early, so that they could have overlapped there for 3 years!!! 
) Dd graduated loan-free, and DS should graduate with loans of only about $8000 as long as the Byrd scholarships continue to be funded by fed government.) Not all colleges that are need-blind meet full need, and most increase loans as part of the financial aid packages as the student moves up through the years. It is important to check and see what the average loan debt is for student’s who take out student loans, so you can see if the the amount is reasonable.</p>