<p>I was absolutely floored when I found out that I was accepted to both Oxford and Emory College, but sadly, I can't attend either. The plan was to get invited to the Oxford Scholar's weekend (haha), blow away my interviewer(s) with my charming charisma and ineffable genius (again, haha), and walk away with a full ride, or at least some merit money. And, following the precedent of most of my Master Plans, this one did not work out. At all. So, we get no financial aid from Emory and, since the local scholarships around where I live are just now accepting applications, the only merit money I'm sure I have is Zell Miller (that's scholarship for Georgia residents), which, I believe, for Emory, gives you a whopping one thousand dollars each year.
So...no Emory for me. I'll be attending Georgia Southern in the honors program, double majoring in writing and psychology with a minor in religious studies. I'm pretty resilient; I'll make the best of it. Besides, the religious studies department head is kind of an awesome guy.
The fact that we can't afford private school and don't get any financial aid, however, has made me question the fairness of financial aid systems in private schools. Take Harvard, for example. As far as I'm aware, any student whose family income is under $60,000 gets a free ride. That's an honorable practice on Harvard's part (I happen to have a friend who attends Harvard thanks to that very policy), but I sure do feel bad for the kid whose parents bring in $70,000 each year. I don't think any family is going to send their kid to a school whose annual bill would leave them with $20,000 to live off of each year. I'm glad that private schools are willing to fund lower class students and provide them with opportunities they otherwise would not have, and I'm glad some people can ship their kids to an Ivy League school and buy a new house in the same year, but it makes me ill that middle class academic achievers like myself are left out in the cold.
Thoughts? Anyone else dealing with this same issue?</p>
<p>Have you checked your financial aid award? It looks like you should expect at least the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Georgia HOPE. $1800/semester</li>
<li>Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant $350/semester</li>
<li>Zell Miller: $2000/semester</li>
</ol>
<p>I mean, that’s $8300 per year.</p>
<p>([Financial</a> Aid - Emory College - Types of Aid](<a href=“Apply for Financial Aid | Emory University | Atlanta GA”>Apply for Financial Aid | Emory University | Atlanta GA))</p>
<p>Also, your expected family contribution is halved if you have a sibling in college. Emory even gives you credit for private k-12 tuition.</p>
<p>Also, even given the many legitimate concerns about the cost of college, many middle class families do not save sufficiently for higher education and buy cars/houses toward the limit of their budget constraints. It is then only within that mortgage/car payment they cannot afford the cost of attendance. A rule of thumb is that you should save 1/3 of the cost of attendance before school, pay 1/3 while enrolled, and cover the other 1/3 after graduation. </p>
<p>Also, Harvard doesn’t just cut off aid at $70,000; students there receive need-based financial aid until about $150,000 depending on their family size.</p>
<p>That’s not entirely true. My parents make under 100k and I received a near full ride with grants.</p>
<p>Emory to Georgia Southern??? You should at least go to GT or UGA. From what I’ve seen, Southern is filled with mostly idiots.</p>
<p>I don’t know your income level, but that’s just not how it works; $60,000 isn’t this all divisive line. Sure, if you’re below it, you might get more, but a family that earns $70,000 should still get a sizable award. </p>
<p>Again, I don’t know your situation. But it’s very possible that other factors are at work. Emory is traditionally one of the more generous schools with money. Did you perhaps apply later for financial aid? What other types of assets does your family have? Frankly, I’m only a junior right now and haven’t gone through this yet, but per my conversations with my counselor I in no way anticipate this type of issue.</p>
<p>@aigiqinf: So we get Zell Miller on top of HOPE if qualified? Because I know that I 100% qualify for it (4.0 UW and 1580 Math/Reading) but it was not included in my financial aid package while HOPE was. If they tack it on later, do they also take out some of the grant awards?</p>
<p>I’m not a Georgia resident, nor am I a financial aid expert. It could be that Zell Miller is awarded in place of HOPE.</p>
<p>@Juliee I’m pretty sure Zell Miller is evaluated for after you graduate, since some students can qualify if they are val/sal.</p>
<p>Have you talked to the financial aid department? They may still be getting your package together. We have gotten additional together after initial packages were offered from many schools. Don’t despair. I think that somehow you will be at either Emory or Oxford next year. </p>
<p>Also, remember, it is not where you go to school, but what you make of your opportunities.</p>
<p>I read the thing about the $60,000 somewhere- who knows where- and it’s probably incorrect, but I guess it kind of illustrates my point. The thing about Emory is that Emory Advantage has a cutoff at $100,000 (this I actually know for sure!) and we’re just a little bit over that. Even so, it’s not like I’m going to be able to afford Emory just because of Zell Miller and a few other scholarships. I don’t mean this in a rude way, but it seems to me like people think it’s so easy to get financial aid, when the reality of it is lots of kids end up going to cheaper schools because even with their award package, they’re just not willing to shell out upwards of $15,000 or $20,000 each year for college. I know several kids from my school who were accepted to Mercer, a pretty good private school in Macon, GA, and couldn’t go even with the $20,000 initial merit scholarship (myself included, although I decided Mercer was the wrong choice for me and skipped my scholarship interview). There was also a girl in last year’s graduating class who was accepted to Emory and couldn’t afford it with financial aid, and her parents are teachers who I would assume make less than my family. </p>
<p>And to whoever said Southern is filled with mostly idiots, I know several people who attend Southern that happen to be very smart. I’m acquainted with a few of the professors and they all seemed very knowledgeable and were generally interesting people. If you mean that it’s a party school, the same can be said for UGA, which charges more for its name and is far too large for my taste.</p>
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<p>The Emory advantage program is one particular facet of the financial aid program that caps loans; its limit does not imply that those making over $100,000 will not receive any aid. Unwilling and unable are two different things. For a family making 6 figures, $15,000 or $20,000 is not an unreasonable contribution–particularly since the Emory gives you credit for siblings enrolled in college.</p>
<p>I paid 4k a semester last year (not including flying home/going out with friends).</p>
<p>And my family income is 92k before taxes.</p>
<p>Paid 8k a semester the years before that.</p>
<p>I honestly think they try to make it affordable. Talk to them. In person. Outline your situation. And see what happens.</p>
<p>@aluminum_boat: May I ask how your FA breakdown was? My family makes about 94K before taxes and we’d have to pay about 22K a year.</p>
<p>11/24/2012
11/24/2012
Spring 2013
MentalHlth&CounselingFeeAtlF/S
58.00
58.00</p>
<p>11/24/2012
11/24/2012
Spring 2013
Activity Fee-College Arts & Sc
89.00
147.00</p>
<p>11/24/2012
11/24/2012
Spring 2013
Rec & Athletic Fee-Atl-F/S
143.00
290.00</p>
<p>11/24/2012
11/24/2012
Spring 2013
College of Arts&Sci Tuition-Sp
21,200.00
21,490.00</p>
<p>11/26/2012
11/26/2012
Spring 2013
Clairmont Tower - Spring
3,936.00
25,426.00</p>
<p>11/26/2012
11/26/2012
Spring 2013
Meal Plan F - Spring
500.00
25,926.00</p>
<p>01/08/2013
01/08/2013
Spring 2013
Payment On-Line
-3,922.00
22,004.00</p>
<p>01/10/2013
01/10/2013
Spring 2013
Emory College Grant
-18,291.00
3,713.00</p>
<p>01/10/2013
01/10/2013
Spring 2013
Direct Fed Sub Stafford Loan 1
-2,723.00
990.00</p>
<p>01/10/2013
01/10/2013
Spring 2013
Direct Fed Unsub Stafford Ln 1
-990.00
0.00</p>
<p>Sparknotes - 3992 paid. 990 in unsubsidized loans, 2723 in subsidized loans, 18291 in grants. (list doesnt include savings of about 2000 by avoiding the unlimited meal plan freshman must choose and 1200 by avoiding health insurance).</p>
<p>@aluminum how do you avoid the meal plan and health insurance?</p>
<p>Upperclassmen aren’t required to purchase the meal plan, and if a student already has health insurance, they aren’t required to buy the school’s plan. Note that Oxford students may only purchase one of two meal plans.</p>
<p>As a Georgia student, you can qualify for either HOPE or Zell Miller. Hope will cover 1,800 a semester (3600 a year) while Zell Miller covers 2,000 a semester (4000 a year). Georgia offers tuition equalization grants as well.</p>
<p>My S was accepted, but won’t attend due to an inadequate FA package.</p>