<p>(no response from U of Rochester forum, so here it is again)</p>
<p>To those who have recently applied to Eastman or similar $35,000 colleges: What was the average amount
of need-based aid received?</p>
<p>My application and FAFSA clearly indicates i needed aid (4997 EFC), but I did not
receive any from them. After talking to them, I received $500. Is this a
mistake? Even the financially deprived Peabody of JHU gave me $4000. Should I
interrogate them until I get more, or is $500 a reasonable amount of
need-based aid for a $40,000 school?</p>
<p>Maybe they thought I was an international student? I indicated I was a non-native speaker since I came to the US when I was 8.</p>
<p>It looks to me like you were gapped pretty badly there. I would call them and let them know about the Peabody offer, and express curiousity and interest as to why you got substantially less from Eastman.</p>
<p>I did receive 14500 in merit, but the merit is supposed to be indepedent of need-based. Had I not received merit, it would've just been $500 measly dollars. Enough to buy a few books.</p>
<p>Many times merit is integrated with need at colleges. You have $15K in grant money for a $35K school which means your parents need to come up with their EFC of $5K, which gaps you $15K. You can take a loan out for $5K and that leaves a $10K gap that you can maybe make up half by working this summer and weekends starting now. That leaves another $5K to be gapped and that is where you have to make some tough choices. Can you earn enough to cover that perhaps with workstudy over the year and working double shifts in the summer? Are you willing to increase your loan amount over the federal rec amount? Was Peabody's overall package better for you?</p>
<p>The 14500 H. Hanson was merit, and there's a separate category for need-based funds. This is interesting:</p>
<p>"International students who are not permanent residents of the United States are not eligible for Eastman need-based grants."
At first I did not even receive the $500. I think they still think I'm an international student. </p>
<p>Peabody filed for bankruptcy last millenium, so I'm not surprised I only got $4000. For U of Michigan, I received 16,000 in need-based, as well as a separate merit one for the School of Music (don't know how much yet). </p>
<p>Loans are useless, and really isn't "scholarship". It just means I don't have to pay right away, but I still have to pay. I'm just trying to take financial pressure off my parents, and every little bit counts.</p>
<p>You may not like loans but they are often part of the package. You should talk to them directly if you think they are considering you international. I doubt it, however, because U Rochester is pretty quick in sending internationals a means of support form that needs to be completed. If an international student cannot come up with the money for total cost of attendence and list the sources, he cannot get a student visa, and if that is the case Rochester wants to know so it can recycle the scholarhip. Also, they do not give financial aid, even $500 to internationals. Nor are they offered subsidized loans or work study.</p>