<p>I would really appreciate some feedback on this issue. I searched the boards and keep getting conflicting info.</p>
<p>My daughter had a 1890 SATs and our FAFSA EFC was $8000. I am a single mom. She had a 3.96 GPA in high school honors classes and was on several varsity teams and had outstanding community service. </p>
<p>I thought from reading BUs webpage on financial aid that she should get like $30000 -$40000 or something. She got half that - $15000 - and they said that was highly unusual like it was something really great.</p>
<p>Is ANYBODY getting better aid? For pete's sake, what do you have to do to qualify for that??</p>
<p>Thank you very much for any feedback. I am anxious to hear other stories.</p>
<p>Red</p>
<p>I think you mean that she got $15,000.</p>
<p>BU’s aid is very much influenced by stats. Your D’s stats are good, but probably weren’t high enough to get a preferential pkg. Those who have high test scores (well within the top quartile) are likely getting the better aid pkgs.</p>
<p>Things like varsity sports and ECs don’t matter for aid pkgs. Test scores make the difference.</p>
<p>Did you use the NPC on BU’s webpage? </p>
<p>Is your D an incoming frosh? What other pkgs did she get from other schools? I’m guessing that she’s not going to BU.</p>
<p>Yep, 15 THOUSAND, thanks for catching that! (150 would have be super, though! :)</p>
<p>What is NPC? We looked on some part of their website and according to her stats, that is what she should be getting. </p>
<p>Yes, freshman. Other schools that were not as big as Boston were willing to give a lot more - almost all of the money. </p>
<p>We are still arguing - I mean debating. :)</p>
<p>What do you have to do? Earn much higher SATs. </p>
<p>BU is quite open that their $ is used to reward students they want. This is BU’s range in their common data set: </p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading 570‐670
SAT Math 610‐700
SAT Writing 600‐680
Essay 8‐10</p>
<p>Here is a list of some of their scholarships:
<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/merit-based/freshman-merit-awards/[/url]”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/types-of-aid/scholarships-grants/merit-based/freshman-merit-awards/</a></p>
<p>Note that only 13% of freshman with need had their full need met-- and that would include people for whom a Stafford would meet full need. </p>
<p>By the way, another factor is that ,since BU uses the Profile, they may have estimated that you could pay substantially more than the FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>By the way, size of college has nothing to do with how much $ they give. The amount of $ a school gives has to do with how much they have, what their philosophy is for distributing it and how much they want your particular child.</p>
<p>NPC is the net price calculator on the BU website.</p>
<p>[The</a> Net Price Calculator Financial Assistance | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/aid-basics/cost-of-education/net-price-calculator/]The”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/aid-basics/cost-of-education/net-price-calculator/)</p>
<p>?? Where did you look on the website that told you what she should get for her stats? Can you provide the link??</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading 570‐670
SAT Math 610‐700
SAT Writing 600‐680</p>
<p>So, that’s their middle quartiles. To get a preferential pkg, a student who has 2100+ SATs is going to get a better pkg. Someone with 2200+ SATs might get need met.</p>
<p>Boston University does not guarantee to meet the full need of all accepted students. They are very up front about that. </p>
<p>What made you think your daughter would get $30K-$40K in aid from BU? There are some very highly competitive merit awards that give full tuition, but most students don’t see that amount of aid.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest that your daughter look at the schools that are affordable to you. BU doesn’t sound like they have given you enough money for her to attend. </p>
<p>The other schools might have packaged her aid more preferentially OR included merit aid because she was higher up in terms of the stats she presented in their applicants.</p>
<p>This is the BU Net Price Calculator-- an online calculator that should give you a rough estimate of what your aid should be (This is it’s first year in usage): </p>
<p>[The</a> Net Price Calculator Financial Assistance | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/aid-basics/cost-of-education/net-price-calculator/]The”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/aid-basics/cost-of-education/net-price-calculator/)</p>
<p>Here’s a chart telling you what it takes to get $ from BU. Note that most schools are nowhere near this open:
[Freshmen</a> Who Received BU Need-Based Scholarships Financial Assistance | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/]Freshmen”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/)</p>
<p>Yes, I will have her send it to me and post as soon as I get it!</p>
<p>I don’t know if has to do with size or not. All I am telling you is that there were 7 very small private colleges that offered her either full or close to full packages. All in the northeast or midwest.</p>
<p>The NPC is like a dry run. In BU’s case, since they throw gpa and scores into the equation, it could mean the NPC can’t be as accurate. (Unless their npc asks for stats input.)</p>
<p>BU tends to throw a lot of words out that make them sound so helpful re FA, but, imo, they are not one of the more generous schools. Eg, Boston University makes every effort to assist students with calculated financial eligibility and high academic achievement, measured against the credentials of other admitted students. </p>
<p>“Makes every effort” is not a commitment. “Measured against the creds of others” is dicey.</p>
<p>The page with the income vs stats chart does make it “seem” like you should get more. But, if they slotted her into the 1730-1890 range, only 38-39% of those asking for aid got scholarship funding and it’s impossible to guage which kids got what amounts. And, 25% of the kids in that category got even less than 15k. </p>
<p>This is the gobbledygook of financial aid. Other schools may have looked at her need without putting her into a stats competition. Or, at BU, for families in your income level, there could have been a host of other factors that made the school go to bat for those admits- eg, other sorts of diversity, achievement or goals. Good luck.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s a chance you’ll get a better deal from BU so there’s not much point in wondering why. I recommend not overextending yourself to choose BU, but that’s just a general recommendation I’d make to anyone without knowing the specifics.</p>
<p>I’m not doubting you. They were probably either schools that meet full need, schools that really wanted her or schools with very generous merit. It’s comparing apples to oranges. </p>
<p>To clarify-- let’s say a poor kid-- 0efc-- has 1800 SATs with 3.6 gpa and regl ecs gets accepted at a meet full need school. Another kid has a 70,000efc with 2200 SATs, 3.9 gpa and great ecs and also gets accepted. The first kid would get more $ than the second at the meet full need school. But if the kids had applied and been accepted to a school that rewards merit like BU, the 2nd kid would get more $.</p>
<p>Thank you lookingforward! I am finding what you just posted to be precisely the case. The messages I have gotten from other frustrated parent seem to support this also. And no, I never “expected” for BU to meet full need, I just find the correspondence we have received from them to differ from reality. I also realize that it is our decision on whether or not to take on such enormous debt and that there are other options. It is, nonetheless, barely a carrot and very disappointing.</p>
<p>Thanks 2college. Makes sense I guess; at least in this very bizarre world of college financial aid…</p>
<p>If you would be stuck with high loans, please consider the other, more generous schools. BU is leaving you with a huge gap.</p>
<p>Does your D have a non-custodial parent? If so, then BU takes that into acct.</p>
<p>Also, BU is a CSS school, so your FAFSA EFC doesn’t really matter. Do you have home equity or anything?</p>
<p>BU is a huge school for a private. That’s one reason why they don’t give great aid. They’re operating almost like a public in regard to aid.</p>
<p>“to take on such enormous debt”</p>
<p>Oh my…do NOT take on big debt. So NOT worth it. You’ll regret it. What is your D’s likely career and what will she likely be earning upon graduation?</p>
<p>No, father not in the picture at all. Minimal home equity. She wants to work in finance and wants to major in business management and economics with a goal of working for a huge corporation or bank.</p>
<p>She doesn’t need BU for finance- she needs the right academic program and experiences that will lead her into that field. Many LACs are good for that. Look at internship and career planning strengths. Check the sorts of classes available in her field, at these schools. Don’t be caught with $1k/month or more debt repayment when she graduates, just to have BU on the diploma.</p>
<p>OP - I’m surprised no one has pointed you to [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1341302-accepted-but-zero-financial-aid.html][b]this”>Accepted but ZERO financial aid - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums]this</a> recent thread<a href=“although%20perhaps%20you%20already%20found%20it%20on%20your%20own”>/url</a>. It has an excellent discussion of the unpredictability of BU financial aid, with some very useful links to help explain the process.</p>