<p>I was browsing the financial aid page on my NOVASIS, and I realized that my Villanova and Federal Grants were updated. However, according to that information, with all the grant money deducted, I still have to pay over $5,000. I still have not heard anything about the Stafford Loan, but my estimated amount is only $2,500 (which would be used for tuition). The other $2,500 is for the meal plan.
I received a notice about a new V-Bill saying that I have to pay about $3,000 for tuition. This would be fine since I we would only have to pay an additional $500 with the loans, but I'm not sure that we can pay the $2,500 for the meal plan by the beginning of the semester. I'm trying to contact financial aid about this, but if worst comes to worst and I really cannot get that $2,500 through my own money or another loan or grant, am I going to have to miss a semester of school?</p>
<p>I don’t know what year you graduate, and this may be completely not applicable, but please read the following which I just posted on the parents forum. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I am very unhappy with Villanova financial assistance. My daughter is in the class of 2012. The summer before her freshman year, the 2008-2009 Information About Your Financial Assistance instructions did not say that the Villanova grant could change over the four years; in fact it said “Villanova University Grants are awarded for four academic years (eight terms).” I decided we could afford Villanova because of that statement. After all, this is Villanova, with higher ideals, not the federal government with all of the EFC and FAFSA restrictions, and they have some really happy statistics in other marketing type handouts on how much aid they give. We felt good about it. This year my son graduated from another college, and the grant was reduced by 80%, which equates to serious money that I did not plan for and really cannot afford. The 2010-2011 Information About Your Financial Assistance instructions has a sentence added: “The amount may change based on your financial aid each year”. WHY DID THEY “FIX” THE INSTRUCTIONS?! Because it was an omission, obviously, and I am paying the price for believing the 2008-2009 instructions. If anyone wants to see the 2008 and 2010 forms side by side, please e-mail me and I will send both. I appealed on June 18,2010, waited a month after a couple of followup calls, was told a month later on July 18 to just pay the full bill and they would get around to me in late August after the tuition due date. I had to hire a lawyer to get any attention and spent over $1000 just to get a response before the August 9 due date. Villanova restored the aid level by about one-third of what the reduction amounted to, and it is not guaranteed for her senior year. It hurts financially, and I feel abused. I am curious if any other class of 2012 parents have a feeling that they saw somewhere that the Villanova grant was good for four years. I hope there are others out there. If anyone has an idea or advice for me, please send. Thanks</p>
<p>Sorry MikeDad:</p>
<p>I am going to be in the same boat with my oldest graduating this coming year. However, when FinAid called me after the award, the finAid counselsor told me that the figure would change when my oldest graduates. I am expecting to pay at least 10,000-12,000 more (about 1200 more a month) for the next 2 years. At least I know, but the school has been wonderful for him.</p>
<p>The Princeton Review Financial Rating - an index it develops on how generous the FA is of school - on Villanova is … 70.</p>
<p>I think it is out of 99. For us, this was listed as one of the negatives of this school, but with FA, it seems that you have to actually apply and see.</p>
<p>We like the size of the school, its offerings, including a reasonably well regarded enginneering program. Son is a HS sr.</p>
<p>Not looking to cause any trouble, but WHY should you NOT pay more when your financial situation changes(for the BETTER, i might add)…Perhaps it was an ommission,but even when you fill out FAFSA,you know that if your situation changes,so will/likley your FAFSA monies…The $$$ 'Nova saves by you now having more resources to pay more likely goes to another student who truly needs the $$$$…For fair and balanced “posting”,we are paying the full rate ;(</p>
<p>^^^DadMike was also pretty much told the same the same on the other thread.</p>
<p>So how do the current Villanovans feel about financial aid at Villanova? Generous, avg (what u might expect from a private institution)? Is there any merit aid? I notice in PR that I cited above that the avg debt of a V grad is $31,048. Seems above the nat’l avg (not sure what that is, but I thought it was south of 30k).</p>
<p>I’d like to know the FA situation too…seeing as this is my #1 school at the moment…</p>
<p>FWIW…my understanding is that merit aid is very very limited (so much so as to be considered non-existent) and offered only to extremely outstanding students and possibly also reserved for diversity admits.</p>
<p>As far as need-based aid is concerned, I can only generally describe our freshman year package. With a FAFSA EFC of $21,224 we were offered:
Stafford Unsub Loan = $2000
Stafford Sub Loan = $3500
Fed Work Study = $3000
Villanova Grant = $20,030</p>
<p>So, for a COA of $53,150, we were gapped less than $3400, about what we expected.</p>
<p>Other private college packages included merit aid, about the same amount of loans and work study, but little to no need-based aid (even at one college with higher COA). Of course the down-side to grant aid vs. merit aid is that in future years when our older son is no longer in college, we expect our EFC to increase and expect Villanova to decrease grant aid.</p>
<p>Achiemom, then you are saying you D/S was a diversity admit? Just wondering?</p>
<p>i agree regarding this post</p>
<p>No. S received need-based aid, not merit aid.</p>