<p>I know we have tried this sort of thread on the forum before but have failed. I really think that I thread like this will be helpful.</p>
<p>To keep this thread clear and concise, copy and paste the previous poster's list onto a new post and then add to the list before submitting. This way, we can make a cumulative list.</p>
<p>I'll start:
Stanford
Harvard
Princeton</p>
<p>bumping this to link a U. S. News list, of 100%-need schools:</p>
<p>Univ. of Southern California, meets full need, missing from USnooze list</p>
<p>Keep in mind that "meeting 100% of need" doesn't mean you are home free. A couple of major issues:
- Colleges may use different methodology than FAFSA to calculate your need. Sometimes this can be quite different.
- Most colleges consider loans (e.g., Stafford) as part of their aid package. I find calling loans "aid" a bit disingenuous (some calculations even reduce the "cost of attendance" by the amount of these loans, which is even worse), but that's the way all but a few schools do it.</p>
<p>What exactly is "full need"?</p>
<p>:-)</p>
<p>Personally I see Perkins and Stafford loans as an acceptable part of a financial aid package because at least the loans are subsidized and many colleges allow you to replace them with outside scholarships. I'll take the Stafford and Perkins over a private loan any day.</p>
<p>But to explain to MannyS, "full need" is where the school's financial aid meets your efc. To provide an actual example from my own personal financial aid, on the Brown financial aid form they show the cost of attendance, my family contribution (which is my fafsa efc), and a student contribution (which is $2250 that I'm supposed to make in the summer). So through a grant, workstudy, and the Perkins/Stafford loans, Brown gives me enough aid to cover "Cost of Attendance-Family Contribution-Student Contribution" which for me is about $31,000. This would be an example of having my full need met.</p>
<p>js - they paid 31,000 for you? Or do you have to pay it back?</p>
<p>Manny, I don't know about js in particular, but it is likely that most of that $31,000 is in the form of a grant -which does not have to be paid back. A subsidized Stafford loan for a first year student can be up to $3500; a Perkins loan can be up to $4000 -- work study awards typically are between $1500-$4000. So a weak "full need" financial aid package could be about $7500 in loans and $4000 in work study, the rest in grants; a stronger financial aid package would have less loans and work study, a larger grant.</p>
<p>My daughter's college had her take out a $2600 loan her freshman year and gave her $1500 in work study money. Work study is something that must be earned through a campus job, paid hourly -- rather than cash up front -- so most students use that to pay for their incidental month-to-month expenses.</p>
<p>Sorry to have ruined this thread, but I came across a student who had a work-study outside of campus at a supermarket. Was he joshing me?</p>
<p>I actually made a mistake. My financial aid award was $37,500 where 30,000 was in grants, 5,000 was in loans (Stafford-$3500 and Perkins-$1500), and $2500 was in work-study (which Brown waives through an extra $2500 grant). I did receive some local scholarships worth $5000 so I waived the two loans. </p>
<p>According to some people on CC, HYP would've given a better aid package especially Princeton with their no-loan policy. But since I love Brown, I don't really care if my loan amount would be a few dollars less. I'm a bit more concerned with my family meeting my efc because as good as it looks, it is still hard on my family.</p>