In WashU's defense...

Jeffwun
Fri, 14 Apr 2006 23:39:58 +0000

jaxmo, im glad your son loved the school; however, i do agree that 45+ per yr is a lot to pay for any school. I have heard that WashU cheated some people withr financial aid; however, my experiences that they have been really helpful in giving me money. Bill Witbrodt is such a nice guy and he and his staff honestly seem like they want to find ways to reduce the cost as much as possible. Fortunately, i was able to get a lot of merit aid; however, before I had merit aid, they did give me a lot of scholarships/grants so I wouldn’t have any loans.

With that being said, WashU does have a Scholarship Resource Center on their site (sfs.wustl.edu) and in the offices @ the school. This is to help students (incoming and current) find scholarships and fellowships to add to their finaid package (outside scholarships don’t reduce the university’s scholarship). I advise you to give them a call as soon as you get a chance to discuss the price. I know first hand, and have seen friends that were able to talk to Bill and he worked magic and got them good packages. Being an RA does cover room and board, but can’t be one until junior year and I hear that it is pretty competitive

But, in the event that things don’t work out there are so many great options out there for school that wherever your son goes, im sure, if he has the drive, he will do well and be successful. Miami is a great school, I love Miami and I would have been looking to go to school there, but im not a fan of living around the gulf, but thats another story. Im glad they are showing him money because I think it is important to graduate undergrad with as little debt as possible. I wish you all the best in the coming weeks when making this important decision.