<p>So, it was absolutely fantastic to get accepted to Yale, but I can't go without substantial financial aid. Unfortunately, although my dad makes around $180,00-200,000 a year, we cannot afford Yale partly because we give around 15% to charity. Does Yale take such things into account? I am sooooo excited and want to go sooooooo badly, but I am afraid that my father's hard work may keep me from getting the 20-25 grand I need in order to be able to attend. Does anyone know what kind of FA package I might get? I have an older sister in college.</p>
<p>And my parents won’t let me go if I will have more than 10 or 20 grand in debt…</p>
<p>I will hopefully get mine sometime in Jan… Need near to full and should get it. Will be nice to have a number though. </p>
<p>“Unfortunately, although my dad makes around $180,00-200,000 a year, we cannot afford Yale”</p>
<p>Call it 150 000 after charity…</p>
<p>Unless you have serious medical bills/lawsuits/live a ridiculous lifestyle there is no way you should not be able to afford Yale. Yale will give what you need. Speaking as someone whose parents make less than it costs to go to Yale and with almost no assets, it looks like you don’t ‘really’ need much. Unless there is something you are not telling us I wouldn’t expect too much…</p>
<p>I don’t mean to sound obnoxious complaining about how expensive Yale is, but truly, I know that we are very fortunate, but the cost of living is very high where I live. We cannot afford to give away 30% of our income to the government, 15-20% to charity, and then another 30% to Yale. Everyone automatically assumes that if you make six figures, you’re just spoiled and rich, but I have had somewhat substantial medical bills, and we are taxed so heavily that there is no way we can live a “ridiculous” lifestyle. My family worked for what we have; my dad started out dirt poor. Sorry if I sound a little bitter; I understand that your financial circumstances aren’t as fortunate as mine, but it was kind of insensitive and unnecessary to flaunt your expected ability to pay for Yale when, if I get “nothing,” my dream will be shattered.</p>
<p>I posted this on a Harvard thread, as well: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1053829-accepted-harvard-other-school-covers-need-w-out-loans-but-cant-afford.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1053829-accepted-harvard-other-school-covers-need-w-out-loans-but-cant-afford.html</a></p>
<p>In 2008 and 2009, Yale was providing substantial financial aid to families making up to $180k. This year, with little fanfare, Yale seems to have lowered that cap to $130k – although you cannot tell from their December 16th announcement without comparing the two press releases:</p>
<p>Yale Financial Aid 2008-2009: [Yale</a> Cuts Costs for Families and Students](<a href=“http://www.opac.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=2320]Yale”>http://www.opac.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=2320)
Yale Financial Aid 2010-2011: [Financial</a> aid budget to increase by 8 percent | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/16/financial-aid-budget-increase-8-percent/]Financial”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/16/financial-aid-budget-increase-8-percent/)</p>
<p>Although my son was accepted EA to Yale this year, Yale’s decision to lower the cap is making Yale unaffordable for our family, as well.</p>
<p>:( Thanks for the links. My parents started saving for my college before they even adopted me. I guess that will work against us too, though.</p>
<p>@ Gibby
Not to be rude, but if you have gotten your FA estimate yet, would you mind telling me what it was and how much you make? Kind of taboo, sorry, but I’m worried</p>
<p>Hey mate. I’m in a really similar position as far as being in the FA ‘hole’ goes. I think I’m going to end up taking out student loans though (and lots of them…) because there is no way I can wrap my head around not attending Yale.</p>
<p>I know exactly what you mean, Vaeliant. I have gotten so excited over the past few days! I have told anyone and everyone, including some random nurse from Eritrea who was with me during surgery haha she was nice, though…I was a bit overexcited about Yale, and now I feel like I may just crumble if I can’t go. It’s such an amazing opportunity, and to get in (which is so hard) and not be able to go…for all the people who could have gone (are poor or have the money) who got rejected or deferred…:(</p>
<p>I’m sorry… Nice people. I hope for enough FA for all and that I will see you come sept</p>
<p>Based upon Yale’s 2008-2009 financial aid illustration, our family falls between “Case B” and “Case C”. So, under their old policy, with one child in college, our expected EFC would have been – at max – $23,000. The statement we received from Yale yesterday for the 2011-2012 school year was for 10K more. Not what we had expected.</p>
<p>@Idiosyncra3y Thanks 
sorry I snapped; this is so stressful haha</p>
<p>@ Gibby OH NO! So they gave you less than 20 grand???</p>
<p>That is very bad news 
I’m sorry; I need more than that, and I am pretty much a Case C! No where near Case B…</p>
<p>^ With 1 child in college, yes.</p>
<p>Honestly, the 15-20% your family gives to charity could easily be the 15-20% they give to your education. Sorry, but that’s how Student Financial Services will see it. Donating money is a luxury, not a necessity.</p>
<p>My family makes around the same amount as your family, maybe a little more. i get pretty decent financial aid (about 2/3) but i still have to take out loans. it was still by far the best package i got. remember that every situation is different. also sometimes you’re able to haggle them down.</p>
<p>My parents make around 200k combined, and we live in the Bay Area, and they offered to pay full tuition, with just my parents paying room and board. Not sure why everyone else is getting lower estimates.</p>
<p>I got a really bad package too. 35% of my parents income, of which 30% already goes for tax. All of this when I fall under the low income policy, which I just found out doesn’t apply for internationals.</p>
<p>To the OP
- You pay 30% in taxes? I assume income+property? What is this, Europe? For 30% taxes we should get free uni, healthcare, etc! In Denmark they pay 40% taxes and get all health services and education for free, along with awesome pensions. I guess that’s our price for having a huge and badass military.
- Lol so just tell you parents not to give 15-20% of their income to charity. Simple as that. Donating to charity isnt a necessary expense, buddy.</p>
<p>Seriously, guys? For me, donating to charity is a religious imperative called tithing, and even if it weren’t, I’m not going to stop sharing my blessings just because I need more money. Charity is a moral imperative for me. It would be hypocrisy to have done this all my life and then stop just because I hit some hard times. It is unfair that my family is punished for doing as we should. IMO, they should subtract money spent on charity from our “income” and then evaluate us for FA. For me, giving is ALWAYS a necessity.</p>
<p>And yes, we are taxed at 30% of our income. That does not include property tax.</p>
<p>Edit: Just realized this sounded preachy <:( sorry…I meant that for MY family specifically, donating this amount of money is what we believe is what we should do, not necessarily everyone else</p>