I thought it might be helpful to share our collective knowledge of this round of financial aid formulas.
Which colleges post their formulas for home equity and which do not look at home equity at all?
Which colleges had unique CSS questions that impacted outcomes compared to similar colleges?
What was in the fine print that threw off the actual aid offer from the net price calculator?
This was sparked by the F&M posts on the senior outcomes strand.
When I looked at the link it shared their formula for home equity with examples - super helpful!
It’s very nice when colleges are transparent like this.
Duke’s page about how being an RA impacts aid is also helpful for planning future years. This how it works at several colleges.
https://financialaid.duke.edu/types-aid/being-resident-assistant/
Being a Resident Assistant won’t change your parent or student contribution. The value of your room and RA stipend will be considered as aid and will be included in your financial aid offer in the same manner as an outside scholarship, which means the value of the room and stipend will take the place of loan or work-study funds in your aid offer.
If your loans or work-study have already been reduced by outside scholarships, you may benefit less from being an RA. If your RA room value and stipend are greater than any remaining loan or work-study, Duke grant amounts will be reduced.