<p>Curious what the aid package is for someone of an EFC of around $30,000 this year? (Waitlisted and wondering)</p>
<p>My EFC was $39,000 and Vandy gave me $26,000 in aid. I was shocked. I didn’t apply for any merit based aid, so I assumed they would give me $10,000 at the most. I was presently surprised.</p>
<p>In total, Vandy was very generous. My EFC was around $18,900. Vandy gave me $42,000+ in financial aid. My parents and I were very very satisfied! :)</p>
<p>I’m assuming you’re referring to your FAFSA EFC? Vandy’s EFC doesn’t always match, since they use the CSS Profile.</p>
<p>My Fafsa ESA was around 10k and Vandy gave me 51k with no loans. I was shocked.</p>
<p>^well, Vandy doesn’t give out loans in FA packages. If you want/need a loan, you have to ask the FA office.</p>
<p>My EFC was 2800 and I got 54,000 from them :).</p>
<p>crs1909: shocked in a good way</p>
<p>Ok, I want to be sure I understand you all. If your EFC was $39,000 and Vandy gave you $26,000, you STILL pay 39,000. Right?</p>
<p>No, you don’t pay $39,000. Because the total COA is 58,000- 26,000= 32,000 out of your pocket.</p>
<p>wow that is scary for me. i’m also a waitlist desperately trying to get off, but my efc was somehow $43,000 and my family is certainly not that well off. if an efc of 39 k only got you $26000 in aid, i don’t know how i’m gonna be able to get enough money to attend.</p>
<p>Jimpta, that is my point. Somehow these EFC’s have gotten out of hand. There is no way my family can spend one-half of our family’s net income to go to college. I guess a state school, where we got MORE money than we did at Vandy is the only way to go.</p>
<p>^^ Vandy was one of the first to get a decline letter from me. You guys are right, the EFC’s make no sense. IF your family makes 80K or less you will pay no more than 20% of income, … if your family makes 160K or more you will not pay over 30% of income, however, IF you are in the middle … 40, 50, 60%??? And this is GROSS income, … in my case Vandy wanted 70% of our take home pay! It is soon becoming the case that the elite private schools are only for the rich or poor, … the rest can go to state. (with the big exception being some of the ivies)</p>
<p>Plumazul…if you make over 160k…you pay full…</p>
<p>^ Ok, … what’s your point? </p>
<p>As an example, if your family makes 200K and college cost 50K, … that’s 25% of income … as income increases the less significant college cost are … You may not get much (if any) aid, but overall, the numbers make sense. For a family making 120K, the numbers make NO sense … currently, schools like Harvard and Princeton have the only systems that MAKE sense. Their formulas should be the national model …</p>
<p>plumazul, agreed. EFC’s are outrageous.</p>
<p>Vandy, however, was EXTREMELY generous. My EFC was 26,000 but I got 40,000 in aid so it dropped to 18,000.</p>
<p>If only others did the same…</p>
<p>wow my efc is 3000 on fafsa this makes me hopefull that i can afford it.</p>
<p>Remember to look at your aid package with an eye toward what it will ACTUALLY cost you. Take out tuition, room, board, and fees. What does that add up to? Then subtract your grants. That is what you will pay the school. The rest of what you owe can actually be controlled. Buy used books online whenever possible. Don’t blow your money & your personal expenses will be less than what the COA budget estimates they will be.</p>
<p>The bottom line is, the only thing you HAVE to pay is direct costs. Your aid is based on estimated costs. YOU control everything but your direct expenses. Compare apples to apples when you compare aid packages!</p>
<p>EFC $40,000, aid 25,000. Very pleased. Matches UNC’s out of state costs.</p>
<p>Hell yeah. Vanderbilt’s aid is a thing of beauty. The way school should be!</p>