<p>I’m back again hoping to get further clarification. I’ve been in a full-blown panic all day. I feel like I’ve led my niece to spend the better part of a year to study for SATs, work on a ridiculous number of essays, visit colleges, and interview – all with the promise of being able to go to a good school if she’s accepted. I just spoke with my sister who doesn’t want to stress my niece out anymore – she thinks we just need to wait and see. </p>
<p>I just want to make sure I understand this better now…</p>
<p>The total gross income combined for my sister and niece is just under $30K for 2012. There are no other assets and no other children in college. My niece’s dad has not been a part of their lives for many years. My sister sent in documentation with the CSS profiles to discount him as a non-custodial parent and, I believe, most of the schools have agreed to this. </p>
<p>If I look at two of the schools on her list and find the Average Net Price for the $0-$30K range, the numbers are very different for the two schools. How close are these figures to what’s usually offered by the schools? (I am going to have my sister run the NPC for each of the schools on her list this weekend but, for now, I’m just looking at the averages.) </p>
<p>For Wheaton College, the Ave. Net Price for her income range is about $16K. She’s already been given $14,500 in merit aid from them. I know we won’t know until we get the final package from them, but how would you imagine this might be broken up? What are the options?
– What would they ask my sister to pay each year?
– What would they allow my niece to take out in student loans? I don’t think additional private loans are going to be an option.
– How would the merit aid play into this, if at all?
– Is there a scenario where we would have to do private loans in order to pay?
– And does that $16K assume books and fees? I’m assuming it doesn’t include travel.</p>
<p>For a different school, the Ave. Net Price for her income range is about $7K. She hasn’t been accepted to this school (it’s a big reach) but how might a package like this be broken up.</p>
<p>Wooster, which I’m trying to get them to add, quotes $9K for her range. On the website, however, they say the deadline for merit scholarships is Jan 15. Should that be a factor at all?</p>
<p>Lastly, on the College Navigator site, the averages are different depending whether “Title IV aid” is involved or not. What determines this?</p>