<p>I was recently accepted to Northwestern, and was very interested in the school - for the most part, I still am. However, I have one question - how does the Financial Aid work at Northwestern? I only ask because the way it stands now, I can't afford to attend NU based on what they've given me. In addition, I got aid at other schools that, while not enormously different, was noticeably better at similar (and similarly-priced) colleges/universities.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how Northwestern does its calculations, or is it just a weird fluke that the other schools gave me more aid? I'm just curious, I guess, that it was so different at NU.</p>
<p>It’s all based on your EFC at NU. They meet 100% of your need, but they can do it with a variety of ways (loans usually being the least preferable). The EFC calculator isn’t perfect, but it’s what they use.</p>
<p>Note–Nearly every University costs the same. Roughly 35k for tuition…</p>
<p>Every school is different. Emory University (where I was WAY above their middle 50%) offered me work study and the minimum subsidized stafford loan. NU gives me those + tens of thousands of dollars in grants AND my national merit $2k a year (which cut into the loan amounts).</p>
<p>You can always try appealing, but you may not get the results you want. My family appealed our FA decision submitting new information of a change in circumstances for our family, and they only gave us a little more aid – not all all proportionate to the change in our need that we demonstrated.</p>
<p>Overall, I am grateful for the FA that NU offers, because I wouldn’t be able to come here if it weren’t for their aid. However, their system does have some serious flaws they need to work out.</p>
<p>Good luck! If the number they gave you really won’t work, call the FA office. They will probably try to work something out.</p>