@momof113, due come back and let us know what Marshall had to say. I ran DS’s numbers, as we had a very similar EFC, round $1500.
Our Remaining cost after financial aid was $4309.
The big difference was DS received $8500 in Freshman Merit Scholarship & $4700 in tuition waiver, but he had much higher stats than your DD.
Looks like it could definitely work for your DD, but you really need to pin them down on exactly how they are determining the financial aid for ALL 4 years.
I would find out how many upperclassmen still live in dorms. Rarely do upperclassmen live in dorms at public univs, so it that were to become an issue for your DD, keep that in mind.
My son’s NMF award included 4 years of housing…great…except once he was junior he wanted to move off campus like nearly all the other upperclassmen. Lucky for us, the school was experiencing a temporary housing shortage while more dorms were being built and they allowed the upperclass NMFs to use their housing scholarships at a very nice apt right off campus and provided shuttle service.
I’m glad that worked out because S really wanted to move off campus, and giving up that nice housing award for 2 years would have been annoying!
But if she really wants to go to college, and the requirement is that she live on campus to get the extra money, that’s the sacrifice one makes. If your son’s school didn’t do that, you would have had to make a decision of paying for his housing or making him live in the dorm.
My daughter wanted to live off campus this year too. Rules say sophomores live on campus, but it turns out she’s one of the only ones on her team that does. We’re rule followers. Turns out most of the off campus people still have meal plans on campus because “that’s easier, Mom.” She’s going to be mighty disappointed next year when she doesn’t get $$$$ on a swipe card to just buy meals as she pleases.