<p>I just filled out collegeboard's EFC to get a feel for what my family will be expected to pay for me next year. The results came back around 20k. Now, if I attend a top 50 university, can I expect to really only pay my "expected family contribution". These top schools have tuition around roughly 40k. Will most of them be willing to grant me half of that tuition?</p>
<p>There is a caveat at the end of the calculation that says schools may have very different policies. I was just wondering if top schools were generally the same as collegeboard's EFC. </p>
<p>Thanks a lot to anybody with experience who can answer this... It is vital information when making my final cut of schools.</p>
<p>Some of the most selective schools (e.g. Harvard, Stanford, MIT) are very generous with need-based aid; go to their web sites and look at their financial aid pages.</p>
<p>However, these are “reach for everyone” schools, so you will need to find safety schools that are definite acceptances with definite affordability. Your in-state public schools are likely to be more generous with aid than most out-of-state public schools.</p>
<p>Try putting “net price calculator” and “financial aid estimator” in each school’s web site search box.</p>
<p>Well when I viewed one of my possible schools- Davidson, I saw that they meet 100% need. I’m more interested in how close their estimate of what I “need” is to what collegeboards EFC says I “need.” </p>
<p>People who have used the EFC and subsequently received actual grants would be well suited to answer my inquiry.</p>
<p>First, did you fill out the FAFSA calculator or Profile? Private colleges are often more generous, but they also look at your finances more closely. Many consider your primary residence which FAFSA only schools don’t. They also are less generous with deductions for business owners. Each private college has their own methodology and your packages from private colleges will not be consistent.</p>
<p>Also don’t forget that meeting need most often includes students loans and work study. At some schools it can also include a Parent Plus loan. Most colleges also expect a summer work contribution from the student.</p>
<p>Do what UCB recommended. Go to the individual school sites to see how much each one forecasts. You probably used the FAFSA calculator and the Profile could be much different (and that info is used differently by each school).</p>
<p>If you’re aiming for Davidson as a reach, Trinity must be down in your “match” zone. I’d expect peer LACs such as Bates, Colby, Connecticut College, or Kenyon to offer similar aid packages. Typically, the more selective the school, the more generous the need-based aid.</p>
<p>^ While the Trinity College info may be interesting academically, they also use the CSS Profile which can make significant differences from the averages shown. Use their Net Price Calculator to get a better idea of the expected Price.</p>
<p>My son was accepted by three top meets-need schools. They were not Ivies, which are incredibly generous, but normal meets-need schools. At least two of them used the CSS, I think all three of them. They all three came in very close to each other in what we would be expected to pay, and they all pretty much matched the “official” EFC. One gotcha, though, was that while most of the need was met with grants, each school had several thousand a year in student loans as part of the meeting-need package.</p>
<p>It really is OK to call the financial aid office that uses the CSS Profile, and ask them about the specific formula that they use. If money is going to be an issue for you, you may want to do that.</p>
<p>I’m considering like 8 schools. That’s a lot of calls -_-
Looking at the following right now-
NYU
Emory
USC
Urochester
Stanford
Fordham
Davidson</p>
<p>A school that, on these forums, has a reputation of poor need-based financial aid.</p>
<p>But 8 phone calls or 8 visits to school web sites should not be too much effort compared to the effort of filling in applications and financial aid forms, right?</p>
<p>Add Fordham to the list of schools with poor aid. The only school on your list with great aid is Stanford. NYU is one of the worst in the Country and it meets the needs of very few.</p>
<p>If you are a competitive candidate at Stanford, you should get at a least half tuition merit scholarship at USC.</p>
<p>University of Southern California practices need blind admission. Over 60% of last year’s freshmen received need based financial aid. Aid is determined by the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. </p>
<p>On the SC Forum is a long thread on financial aid. There is a link to the calculator which an applicant can use to estimate the possible amount of financial aid. </p>
<p>The deadline is December 1, 2011 for students who wish to be considered for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus- Very true.
And yes, College Park is definitely affordable and a top option right now.
Assuming I receive absolutely no aid from UMDCP I would still be able to attend. </p>
<p>@GeorgiaGirl- Thanks. I’ll go search for the calculator. And I have my application finished other than the one USC supplemental essay and a small part of the common app, which I plan to finish and submit tomorrow for the scholarship deadline.</p>