Did anyone else get a ridiculously small financial aid package?

<p>Tufts offered me at least 6 times less than other schools of its caliber. Basically, they are expecting my family to pay about half of our income per year. Tufts was one of my top choices, and now there is absolutely NO chance I can go there. </p>

<p>Is Tufts' endowment really that bad?</p>

<p>Maybe. I got alot of grant money though so I never noticed!!!</p>

<p>Call them up and ask. Use a barter chip with the other schools - they might bend.</p>

<p>Tufts offered me the lowest financial aid package out of all the schools I was accepted to, even when I was selected as a University Scholar.</p>

<p>We're definitely not poor (roughly $1.3 billion, last time I checked). I unfortunately really don't have an answer for you.</p>

<p>Tufts' financial aid package was by far the worst my daughter has received. Our EFC is $30,000. They offered her a $2,500 scholarship, plus a small loan and work study. By comparison, two other top notch schools have offered her $20,000 in financial aid.</p>

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Tufts' financial aid package was by far the worst my daughter has received. Our EFC is $30,000. They offered her a $2,500 scholarship, plus a small loan and work study. By comparison, two other top notch schools have offered her $20,000 in financial aid.

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<p>Wow.. </p>

<p>I didn't apply for aid, but I know that many of my friends received aid comparable to the Ivy leagues. Perhaps there was a screw up in the financial aid office, like someone entered in a wrong number on Excel. Definitely call up and ask.</p>

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Is Tufts' endowment really that bad?

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<p>Not really. Tufts' endowment vs undergrad student ratio is very good compared to other colleges ranked 20-40 on USNews. And even if Tufts had to cut back on something, it would not reduce the amount of aid received by students.</p>

<p>I received a really generous financial aid package. Call them up to double check.</p>

<p>Yes, definitely call up and check. I know several students personally who are on full-rides or nearly full-rides at Tufts. You can certainly use other schools' finaid packages as leverage, especially if it would make a difference in your picking Tufts or not.</p>

<p>Just Heard Yesterday That I Get No Money From Tufts...am Still Wieghing Usc $20,000 Vs Tufts $0. Usc Money Is All Merit, Would Calling Tufts Be Worth It Since They Do Not Give Out Merit?</p>

<p>Well, the fact that they might lose you to another school due to money might bend them (not too much though probably) despite the fact that it's merit money.</p>

<p>kjmaui: It is unlikely (read "not happening") that Tufts will give you merit aid no matter. My D was offered the Presidential Scholarship at USC and very generous merit packages at other schools, and Tufts gave her $500 per semester for her NMS. If you don't have financial need, they don't give $. She chose Tufts anyway and has not regretted a minute. USC is VERY different from Tufts (location, types of students who attend, etc.) and if you are weighing those 2 schools you really need to evaluate the experience you are looking for. Good luck with your decision.</p>

<p>My daughter got a $500/year Natl. Merit Scholarship. She could have gotten half tuition at BU and NYU and full rides at places like University of Arizona.
But Tufts had the programs she wanted. My niece got a $20K/yr. scholarship at Kenyon and nothing from BC where both her parents were alumni.
Tufts historically hasn't had a lot of money for financial aid. I think they have more money now, but I think it goes for the students with the most need.
Unfortunately you don't always get the best financial aid packages from the colleges you want to attend the most.</p>

<p>did you already find out about the 500 yr national merit scholarship? i am a finalist, but i did not get any information about this.</p>

<p>the $500 NMS for my D was for class of 2010</p>

<p>i got $0. and i wanted to go to tufts so badly :(</p>

<p>Yeah, in comparison to my package from Georgetown, my Tufts aid was abysmal. For some reason Tufts calculated my EFC exactly $10,000 higher than both FAFSA and Georgetown, and as a result I got $8,000 in grant aid from Tufts versus nearly $25,000 from Georgetown.</p>

<p>You guys should definitely call and ask. There might just be a retard working in the financial aid office who doesn't know how to use Excel.</p>

<p>I asked around yesterday, and Tufts' EFC is about the same as the one you get from FAFSA.</p>

<p>I just got my finaid, and it's not nearly enough. I absolutely cannot go with what they offered me. I'm at UC Berkeley, and my parents can't pay more than what we pay here. Do they usually give less to transfer students? Has anyone already appealed/had any success with getting more aid, or at least some answers, from the finaid office?</p>

<p>Sorry to hear all this bad news. I do know that at least one of the kids I interviewed and possibly more, are attending Tufts because it offered them the BEST aid packages of all their choices. Including Georgetown, for the one I'm certain about. So, I don't think that this thread is presenting an across-the-board problem. </p>

<p>As for appeals to offers, every school gets them, and sometimes it works out. It certainly doesn't hurt. Good luck everyone, I hate it when choices come down to money.</p>