Interesting @DoinResearch The need most certainly plays a part. The GPA for Muhlenberg is strong. I’m with you on the 4/30 date to accept. 11:30 pm on 4/30 seems to be his date to pull the plug. I didn’t purchase a t-shirt or sweat-shirt for the school day. I guess i could purchase some Fabric Paint and a Plain White T 
My hope is that my D returns from her final campus visit on 4/16, and has clarity and confidence in where she’s spending the next 4 years. I have made her a binder with (college color coordinated, because I’m OCD like that) tabs: Behind each tab I’ve put Departmental acceptance, University acceptance, Financial Aid, Curriculum, and AP Credit info. Since the financials are coming in very close (I think-I’m still nervous that “grant aid” could go away in future years?), it’s all about which campus & program (people) feels like home. We are almost there, y’all!
@actingdreams No t-shirts or sweatshirts here as well. S scoffs at (most) tradition, there is no way he’d ever post to social media with the school t-shirt or banner (my D is more conventional, I will enjoy it then) I post the WL and GPA at Muhlenberg for the lurkers out there - with Muhlenbergs average gpa of 3.31, and kid has a cum gpa of 3.62 with a nice upward trend jr year of 3.95 and 4.0 , I really thought of it as a safety school. He even received an “impressive” email from theater director when video was submitted for talent aid. I even said out loud to friends “He’ll get in” So, even non-audition safeties aren’t always safeties if you are in need of a large FA package. Also another piece of advise to lurking parents about to take this journey, never, ever, predict a school acceptance out loud to anyone, even when the data seems like a slam dunk. Luckily, there were many other affordable options, and only a little egg on my face.
We’re choosing between Hartt and UArts. We’re ar the UArts accepted students event right now, and we’re both a lot more impressed than we had expected to be. D can now potentially see herself there.
We’re going to Hartt next weekend. And D had also auditioned at Stella Adler last Monday, and they said we’d get a decision this week, so that’s potentially on the table too.
So hopefully after next weekend, the choice will be clear and I will be able to post in the Final Decisions thread. (I hope! I just really, really want D to be able to say “I definitely want to go to X! It feels right to me and I’m excited to go there!”)
looks like my S friend went the practical route, he held up the school acceptance folder and took a pic with it 
good move! the mom said it was the best move because she will need every penny for Boston. I didn’t know if I should’ve laughed or cried with her. College is so expensive
So I guess Tisch studios didn’t come out yesterday? I was looking forward to seeing those posts about placement.
Hi noreplays2018!
I have done this college thing 5 times now and I know how confusing the financial award info can be. First, let me allay your concern over Work Study. If you qualify for the Stafford Loans, then she qualifies for work study. Most colleges do not put that amount in your award letter and if the admissions does, the financial aid office has a fit! That is because, work study is NOT considered part of your financial aid award because it must be earned. Also the $2500 is the maximum she “might” earn that year – it is not guaranteed. The amount she earns depends on what department she works in (each dept. is given a some percentage of the federal work study grant money the college receives) and it depends on how many hours she works. Your daughter will be paid on a monthly or bi-weekly basis throughout the semester. Since tuition and expenses must be paid up front, work study isn’t considered part of financial aid package.
In regards to the Stafford Loans – You mention she got UNSUBSIDIZED Stafford loan for $5500. That is not possible. The maximum unsubsidized loan a student can receive is $2000 per year. So $3500 of that amount must be the Subsidized loan you were originally told about. Here is how the Federal Government Stafford Loan program disburses money:
1st year: $3500 subsidized $2000 unsubsidized
2nd year: $4500 subsidized $2000 unsubsidized
3rd -5th year: $5500 subsidized $2000 unsubsidized
You do not have to accept any of this money, but frankly, you’d be wise to do so. Even the Unsubsidized loans charge very low interest rates and you can pay them off as soon as you want and in any amounts you want. My daughter has both types of loans and we pay big chunks back to the unsubsidized loans whenever we can – even though payments are not required.
The other grant you mentioned for $6800 sounds like a university-based merit scholarship (based on HS grades, SAT/ACT) and her high school profile. Don’t think that just because you got a letter from the Financial Aid Office, that that is the final word.
At every college I’ve had business with there is poor or no communication between financial aid office and the academic departments. The Fine Arts Department may very well have additional money to award. The Financial Aid office has no control or interest in what the departments do with their budgets.
Once all offers have gone out to students, the theatre department has decide how to cut their financial pie. You want your daughter to be in their thoughts when they do that. I suggest that your daughter call or email the Fine Arts Department (send to a specific person that she has met if possible) and express that Elon is her first choice school and that she needs $dollar amount (be generous here) in order to make it financially feasible. Ask if she is being considered for talent-based scholarships.
When she gets an answer, if it is not enough, have your daughter write a letter of appeal in which she states why she wants to attend the program and why it is the best fit for her and her goals. You can also tell them if you have a more favorable offer from another school and though you like the other school, you would prefer Elon if it were as affordable.
Yes. At this point you are begging - -but it is often productive. My daughter gained $2000 per year additional money because of her appeal letter and she did not have any extenuating circumstances other than it was just way more than she wanted to spend or go in debt for.
Good luck!
PS You might find this page helpful in understanding the loans. I added spaces because hyperlinks aren’t allowed, so take them out when copy and paste. https:// studentaid.ed.gov /sa/types/loans/ subsidized-unsubsidized
We repaid the unsubsidized loans whenever we got some extra cash (during the four years of college), too, both me and the boy, and it brought his ending loan balance down to a very manageable level.
Great info @daughtersdreams and @Jkellynh17! This is my first time dealing with college financial aid. It is very confusing. Auditions and acceptances were confusing enough so now fin aid just adds to it so any info is really appreciated!
@sopranomtmom I would love to ask you some questions about Hartt, but I have not posted 15 times! Could you PM me?
@mrsborle - I’ll reach out to her and ask if she’ll drop in here to comment. 
Thanks for the heads up @daughtersdreams! I sent you a PM @mrsborle. Happy to answer any questions I can.
Hi everyone! Just wanted to pop in and let the NYU prospectives know that we visited this week and did the “Day on the Square” Friday - we heard several people state that studio assignments were going to be sent out on the 13th. I figured if anyone was on the edge of their seat, they’d want to know.
@Noreplays2018 That’s financial aid for you! They aren’t there to give away money. I just talked to a financial aid office in person at the school my D wants to attend. Although they gave my D a very good financial package in the tens of thousands, we need more. They didn’t really care about our situation. Basically, it was like, we can appeal, but “Hey, it’s a competitive program and we have others who will take your spot.” That’s financial aid. Whereas the theater arts department are really trying to “Sell” us on the school. It’s all a game to the school financial aid department - but it’s our children’s lives!
@daughtersdreams Very helpful insight. Thank you for sharing.
The one thing I’m afraid isn’t right is the bit about how the $5,500 can’t all be unsubsidized. It definitely can. The link you shared gives a maximum on the subsidized portion. Some people aren’t approved for the subsidized piece and get all unsubsidized.
@kate529 is correct. The ONLY non-merit-based financial aid any of D’s schools offered us was a $5500 unsubsidized loan.
@katew529 like we were at elon. $5500 unsubsidized. No subsidized. That was AFTER the email said we got $3750 subsidized and the follow up call with Donna said they had “split” the Stafford award to give us $1850 subsidized.
I think at this point that every day that passes without an official award uploaded reduces your chances of subsidized aid. They must be getting a lot of calls and it’s just getting shuffled around and in some cases taken away. I truly believe now that by telling the loan officer that the theater Dept had given my D a 2k talent award for 4 years is why she took the subsidized portion away and eliminated the federal work study from her official award.
Schools that don’t layer scholarships on top of need based awards are awfu. Michigan is apparently the same way.
Hello all, there is so much activity it is hard to catch up! I just wanted to share that my D has graciously let two programs know that she will not be attending: Syracuse and U Minn/Guthrie both for BFA Acting. I have only great things to say about both programs and auditions. Final decision coming soon. Sending good wishes to everyone out there. There are so many paths for an artist to take; these kids are amazing with beautiful souls.
@owensfolks sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but you can count on grant money being diminished or disappearing altogether if your 2017 tax returns indicate a higher gross income and likewise for future years.
It really doesn’t matter if your income is being increased based on COLAs with inflation just like the direct cost of tuition. They only factor in your gross increase, not theirs.
Or so it seems bec all else being equal on our 2017 returns except the amount of money I pay for my mother’s memory care (which also increased at a higher rate than her social security income), my eldest child’s financial aid package went up 10k bec the grant went down 5k per semester or by half.
Buyer beware. The only thing that’s guaranteed is the merit aid. Don’t be fooled.
@daughtersdreams okay wow!
This CC thing could be life changing. Thank you soooo much! I obviously need to call Elon and track down what this all means but wow! How does someone know this who doesn’t question authority? Seriously? I consider myself to be an educated, critical thinker who does her research (more or less and in Elon’s case way less) but still.
Your post gives me hope. I will defer my despair and bad news leading up to my D’s return tonight from an out of town thing until I call tomorrow to straighten this out – all while doing my day job of course.
Ps @katew529 I replied to you before I saw this post. Working backwards on my phone.