<p>I was admitted into BC thinking that they would offer 100% need based financial aid, as promised on their application. However, their offer leaves me paying 10K a semester which I simply can not afford. I was counting on the Gates Millennium Scholarship, but I did not get it. I got wait listed for Columbia, but if I do get in I was wondering would they actually offer me 100% need based financial aid? I know i qualify for it; I only have one parent who makes about 24,000 a year and 3 siblings, one of which is in College. Has anyone been given need based financial aid?</p>
<p>According to their website and the info session I attended today, any family making below $60k per year will not be expected to pay tuition/room&board/etc… So, if you get in, it seems that you will get to go for free!</p>
<p>I personally think Columbia has a very generous financial aid.</p>
<p>I applied ED, and the forms i sent to ED wasn’t the best representation of my family situation. Although my dad (sole employer) makes 100k+, we have a house with a huge mortage and bunch of other expenses. After FAFSA, we sent them another email asking them to reevaluate, and I’m now having to pay less than 20k to go there. With your family situation, I think that you would definitely be able to get a full ride. GL</p>
<p>I received the admission package today and found that they considered the room&board as my cost attendance, which was totally 10k. Because of that my total cost becomes 60k, and after 3k of student contribution, the final need of mine is 56K. </p>
<p>At the same time, the acutally aid they’re going to give me is 50K, which is less than 56K. Since my family is far under the level of 60k/year and few assets/saving, I was expecting a full ride. And as you can read here, it’s not.</p>
<p>As a 3+2 combined plan student, I could live off-campus(and not required to live on-campus), which will significantly reduces the cost and make it around 50K, the amount that they’re planning to give me.(This might be only coindicence)</p>
<p>So I’m confusing why would they consider me to have room&board cost, and at same time still expecting me to pay (56K minus 50K) now that I’m obviously having 0 EFC.</p>
<p>Anyone having some ideas what’s going on here?</p>
<p>FallMonkey, I would go to the finaid office if you’re nearby, or call if you aren’t. If your family’s income is under 60K per year, you should not have to pay anything at CU. </p>
<p>One possible thing that could be affecting it could be your personal income, if you for any reason were making, I dunno, around 10K a year. Still 6K is a big discrepancy.</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused about your math, though—you’re paying 10K for your housing… and that’s in addition to tuition? Because most figures put Columbia ~54K AFTER housing costs, not before… and then you say your total bill is 60K, but after a 3K student contribution, what’s left is 56K…? I think I’m missing something here.</p>
<p>Troddle, I’m also confused by your situation. With one parent making 24K a year, your EFC should be 0 on the Federal scale, much less a more generous institutional scale. So I’m surprised Barnard is making you pay anything, but I’m almost positive that Columbia wouldn’t make you pay anything, unless there’s an important detail missing from your OP.</p>
<p>That said, unfortunately, getting off the waitlist is never certain, so for now, I would definitely encourage you to find a more affordable second choice and/or explore options for paying tuition costs for your current options.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply, silverchris9.</p>
<p>Sorry about the confusion. </p>
<p>In their FA letter, they listed the cost attendance of me, which included “Room” and “Board”(6K and 4K). As you can see as 3+2 combined plan applicant I was not expecting that. Then the total cost attendace was 60K. After that, they listed out the contribution, i.e. how much me and my family should pay. 0 for my family and 3.4k for myself since they expected me to work during summer and have a few savings. That’s fine, and after that 3.4K my financial need turns out to be 56.6K.</p>
<p>By those figures they said they were willing to give me such and such, which add up to 51K.</p>
<p>Since I was not expecting my family to pay and knowing that I will pay a bit. The discrepancy between their aid(51K) and my need (56.6K) is confusing me. Either they actually didn’t expect me to pay room&board, nevertheless they listed them in my cost attendance, or there’s something I don’t know about their calculation.</p>
<p>Sure I will call my FA advisor they assigned to me asap at Monday.</p>