<p>I just got accepted into Purdue yesterday with a 2.7 GPA (very steep upwards slope. Goofed off early on, picked it up later on.) and a 27 ACT. </p>
<p>I got accepted into the physics program, and the thing is I don't know how much financial aid I'd be eligible for. </p>
<p>My parents make around 60,000 dollars, my dad is is still paying off a business he recently purchased (about a yearish ago) and he is paying 10k for my brother's college (NYU) on top of that, he also just recently purchased a 10k car (2 days ago actually) because his old one got wrecked, and he's still paying off my car. (Immigrant parents typically believe that their kids deserve what they themselves couldn't have. I didn't ask for a good car, he surprised me with it.) All in all, money is incredibly tight, and likely will be for a while. I really appreciate my dad and would rather go to a very cheap, not so highly ranked school if I can't receive appropriate financial aid. </p>
<p>The numbers above are just in case any experts on here could perhaps give me an estimate, but otherwise, how should I go about doing it? We'll fill out the FAFSA in a couple months, and I'm an out of state student. </p>
<p>Should I call their financial aid department ASAP or wait till I fill out the FAFSA? Do they even look at financial situation or do they just look at income? </p>
<p>Purdue University does not gurantee to meet need, and doesn’t for the most part. So whatever your EFC or NPC turns out, is not going to matter that much because there is no guarantee that you will get it. The financial aid department will be looking at your family FAFSA EFC (Expected Family Contribution) which I expect will be low with two kids in college, and yes, it is based primarily on income and all of the hardships you list will not be taken into account But, your EFC is likely to be low anyways. The problem is that it isn’t going ot matter much at a school that does not tend to meet need which is the case with Purdue. </p>
<p>You need to ask your parents what they can realistically pay each year for your college, and you need to figure out what you can do to come up with some money too. Find a job, your loan possibilities (probably the $5500 staffords is it for you in terms of borrowing). Is Purdue in state for you? What other options do you have that are definitely affordable with no contingencies? If Purdue does come up with enough money for you to go there, well and good. But they may not. In fact, they are likely not to do so, especially if you are OOS. In which case, you need to have some good alternatives that are affordable. You are not likely to find out what your aid package is until the spring, so make sure you have some other possibilities.</p>
<p>They will only look at income and assets, not debt. The school should have a NPC on the website that you can fill out. You will qualify for a loan for $5500. If your EFC is small enough you may qualify for a small Pell grant… $5500 for and EFC of 0, down to $0 if your EFC is above the threshold for Pell. </p>
<p>Does Purdue offer institutional grants to OOS students? Do they also require the CSS profile? </p>
<p>As an out of state student you are going to get very little aid. What state are you in? Given the financial situation you’ve described and your stats OOS publics are not going to work for you.</p>
<p>When you say that your dad earns about $60k…do you mean that is his “net income” from his business? If so, that’s not the same as what would get considered on FAFSA.</p>
<p>Since your dad is paying $10k for your sibling, just bought a car, is paying on your car, and then pays for home and living expenses, that suggests that his income is really higher, but he’s netting around $60k.</p>
<p>*I got a 27 on the ACT, but only because I was incredibly tired.
33 in English, 26 in math (was so tired I stared at a question for 10 minutes and lost track of time), 26 in science (same as before. Didn’t pace myself well) and 23 in reading (I actually went to sleep during this test about 30 questions in. Woke up and had to fill in random for the last 10.)</p>
<p>I retook it earlier today and I know for a fact I got a 32+ (on the practice ones I took I always got 34-36) and most colleges WILL be getting that. I’ve written a darn good college essay.*</p>
<p>What is your new score?</p>
<p>I see from your list that you’ve applied to a lot of OOS publics. Those won’t give you the aid you need. If you’re OOS for Purdue, that won’t be affordable either. </p>
<p>Why would you wait a couple months to file the FAFSA? First come, first serve. File on Jan 1 using estimated numbers and then update as soon as taxes are filed.</p>
<p>I got a 34 this time around. 34 straight across. </p>
<p>My brother’s EFC, I’m not so sure of. My dad gives a little more than 8k a year though, that’s all I know.</p>
<p>I’m out of state and my parents earn 60k together as total income, not net income. </p>
<p>I have changed many college preferences since then - specifically in that I realized that many public college won’t give me nearly as much aid as private ones. An updated list of colleges I’d prefer would probably be as follows:</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Chicago (A longshot, maybe, but I know of several people with credentials worse than mine but with similar trend that have gotten in because of the sheer rhetoric in their essays.)</li>
<li>University of Illinois at Urbana or Chicago (Chicago maybe, because I have plans to try and transfer into UC regardless. It’d help to know the city)</li>
<li>Stony Brook University</li>
<li>Boston University (the Boston choices would be nice because along with UC, I will also attempt to try to get into MIT) </li>
<li>Northeastern University</li>
<li>Boston College</li>
<li>New York University </li>
</ol>
<p>I tried to call them, but they told me the deadline was November 15. If it were a couple days later they could’ve understood, but it’s much too late now.</p>
<p>BU, Northeastern, NYU - none of these schools guarantee to meet full need . . . and they’re notorious for offering really crappy aid packages. With your ACT score, you might do better, but that GPA isn’t helping you.</p>
<p>You need to find an affordable option - preferably an in-state public, just in case. Meanwhile, find and run the **net price calculators<a href=“NPCs”>/b</a> at each of the schools you’re considering.</p>
<p>Have you run NPCs for each of your schools? Please do a search for each school and “net price calculator” and see what each school estimates. Only 2 of the schools on your list meet need (BC and UChicago) and I don’t see any financial safeties. NYU is notoriously stingy; BU rewards high scores/ grades and your gpa will hurt you. The out-of-state publics (Illinois and Stony Brook) are unlikely to meet need. Are you also applying to colleges you know you would be admitted to and could afford (like instate publics)? How much can your parents afford? </p>
<p>Oh, and to answer your original question: No one can tell you what Purdue is likely to give you but it generally doesn’t give much financial aid to out-of-state students. State colleges use state funds to subsidize the costs for instate residents. While some state colleges have a policy of using funds to attract out-of-state residents they want (with merit scholarships), <em>most</em> state colleges don’t do that. You would be better off including schools where you are likely to get good funding. Run the NPCs on BC and UChicago-- they are your best bet financially but I think admissions will be a challenge. Here’s a link of schools that claim to meet full need:</p>
<p>I do have in state alternatives such as Belmont university and Tennessee Technological University, but I really do want a school with a very strong physics program.</p>
<p>Would maybe transferring after 2 years be a plausible choice? Do they put a lot of weight on high school performance after 2 years of college?</p>
<p>You need to find ONE school to attend. When you need lots of aid, the idea of transferring is often bad unless you live in a state that gives great aid to transfers to their own state schools.</p>
<p>Even many of the schools that give “great aid,” do not give great aid to transfers. </p>
<p>If you do attend a school with the idea of transferring, do not cut ties with THAT school until you’ve SEEN the actual aid pkg of your new school.</p>
<p>I was considering a UC or MIT transfer anyhow, and to the best of my knowledge, they consider transfers the same when discussing FA, do they not?</p>
<p>That is always the problem when searching for that perfect balance. Those schools most generous with aid are generally the most difficult in terms of gaining admission…</p>