<p>Hi,
I am an international student and am accepted by UVa Early Action. While I didn't specify that I want a financial aid on my application, both of my parents received emails about applying financial aid. So does that mean that I am eligible for financial aid? I think the admission for international students is need-sensitive, or they give admission to me on the basis that I don't need aid to attend. If that is the case, I think I shouldn't be eligible for financial aid. Or is there something wrong in the process?</p>
<p>A mass email went to all early action applicants and parents just letting them know that the deadline to file financial aid forms is March 1st.</p>
<p>It was just an FYI for everyone, not a personalized email. :)</p>
<p>Thank you, Dean J. So according to my information, I’m not eligible for it, right?</p>
<p>Is there any way to find out how much we could get? I know some schools have like a financial aid calculator to estimate it</p>
<p>Regarding aid for international students, on the UVa admissions website under FAQ:
[FAQ</a> | Office of Undergraduate Admission](<a href=“http://admission.virginia.edu/faq]FAQ”>http://admission.virginia.edu/faq)
Make sure you follow the link, there are a limited number of merit awards for international applicants. The information is under the heading “Financial Aid and Scholarships for International Applicants”. It’s simply too long to copy and paste here.</p>
<p>@ MDNeuro - Here is the link to UVa’s net price calculator.</p>
<p><a href=“Net Price Calculator”>Net Price Calculator;
<p>My D1 has great stats and got in EA…but disappointing financial aid – only small loans. Other schools she’s gotten in are Columbia, Brown, W&M, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt…All giving much better aid but out of state. Do you think because she applied early that her preliminary award was also incomplete? We got our information in after March 1 but around March 15. How should we phrase our call to financial aid? D2 is in college at another campus with full tuition but out of state. D1 is Nat’l Ach. Fin. with 33 ACT and 2200 SAT …15 APs…4.1 weighted, big school in NoVA. Any advice would be appreciated. </p>
<p>Razzy: If an upper-income out of state student or an upper-middle income in-state student is accepted to UVa, they may not be eligible for much UVA aid. That is because almost all UVa aid is need-based. </p>
<p>The very most selective universities across the US also typically do not offer much merit aid - because they figure that all of their accepted students are exceptional. </p>
<p>The moderately selective universities (particularly those trying to rise in the US News ratings) typically emphasize large amounts of merit aid. </p>
<p>That is why it is always good for a student to run the net price calculators to help them decide where to apply - to find colleges that are affordable. It also is important to apply to a range of different universities and colleges so you can compare net costs vs. benefits. </p>
<p>At the same time, there are some middle income out of state students who will find that UVa is less expensive than their in-state options, if their in-state universities provide little aid.</p>
<p>Some other universities do not meet 100% of need, and expect parents to take out large amounts of PLUS loans. </p>
<p>At the same time, UVa may expect out of state students to do more work study than competing universities. </p>
<p>When comparing UVa’s financial aid, also consider that UVa has a loan cap. A student may receive additional aid in their 4th year, after that loan cap is exceeded. That loan cap is only based upon necessary federal loans. </p>
<p>UVa has a SUBSIDIZED loan cap, not a loan cap. Once the subsidized loan cap is met, then unsubsidized loans are added until total cost of attendance is met. It’s a mistake to believe that a low income family with a FAFSA EFC of zero will ONLY have subsidized loans up to the cap (as indicated by the accessUVa program). As UVa does not rely upon the FAFSA to determine EFC, it is quite likely to expect unsubsidized loans even if your EFC has been determined to be 0 by the FAFSA (as in our case). In our case, 5 other colleges agreed with the FAFSA determination and found that our EFC=0. I find that a compelling objective measure. And it indicates that the new accessUVa program is applied in a way to get around the cap, by determining an EFC that will reduce the amount of grant aid and require that low income students take out unsubsidized loans to fill the gap. </p>
<p>Charliesch: Thanks for the reply. We are in state. Our D1 applied to 10 schools – 6 of them (Hopkins, Brown, Columbia, UPenn, NYU, and Barnard were pricey). The other 4 were average cost. She got into 9. Got merit and grant aid from 7 of the 9 – 2 of them full tuitions for 4 years. UVA was the only one that gave us a very small loan. I ran the net price calculator for all schools and got a very different number. It was taking into account our contribution to our other child’s education -D2- even though she got full tuition (We still pay for room and board and transportation,etc. The cost to attend this private school was about the same as in state UVA cost so she chose the private warmer- climate school). Also, other schools D got into was much more generous including W&M – another of our wonderful in-state institutions. </p>
<p>I’m curious about Neonpinklime’s comment “And it indicates that the new accessUVa program is applied in a way to get around the cap, by determining an EFC that will reduce the amount of grant aid and require that low income students take out unsubsidized loans to fill the gap.” There are so many qualified students applying yet, there is just not enough money to help those who need it. </p>
<p>We are by no means low income, and you are probably thinking our D should take the tuition from one of the other schools and run. But our financial picture has not changed much in the two years since our last D applied to UVA, and because UVA is, well, UVA, I thought I had to at least give it my best try. </p>
<p>I did call to inquire but got no response so far from admissions but did get a reply from financial aid that our award was final. </p>
<p>Still, regardless of the outcome, we are very, very blessed. </p>
<p>@Razzyreb I’m glad your D has so many great choices. I understand the reasons why the AccessUVa program was changed. What I’m troubled by is the way the new program is presented/described versus the way it’s implemented. What’s enunciated is that UVa still has as strong a commitment to low-income students with a guarantee of no more than $7000 per year in subsidized loans (with a 4 year cap of 28k) with the rest coming from federal and UVa grants for students with EFC=0. See <a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/financialaid/forms/Documentation/Access%20UVa%20Examples%20082013.pdf”>http://www.virginia.edu/financialaid/forms/Documentation/Access%20UVa%20Examples%20082013.pdf</a> But that’s not the way it’s being applied. When I asked them to recheck their calculation of my S’s EFC=1500 (put directly into an unsubsidized loan) when FAFSA EFC=0 and five other colleges (one public and 4 private) also determined EFC=0, they did so and stressed that they use the same formula for all low-income applicants. I suppose they thought that would make me feel better some how in that my S was being treated fairly? However, it doesn’t make me feel better to know that all low-income families are being subject to the same method of determining EFC to get around their loan cap. It was also emphasized that it was “only one unsubsidized loan” per year at a relatively low amount. But an additional 6k in unsubsidized loans on top of 28k of subsidized loans at graduation is significant. And it’s such a far cry from the old AccessUVa program and the new program as described that applicants, families, and the UVa community need to know about it. In reality, the loan cap is really no cap at all, if the EFC can be determined to be whatever best fits the budget of the university and then translated into unsubsized loans with no cap. To be clear, of course UVa can use whatever methods they want to determine financial aid and they should because a university has to thrive and survive. And we are grateful to get aid from any of the schools my S applied to. There’s no way he could attend without it. I think it’s important, however, that people have a true and correct understanding of how the program is being implemented and not believe that students with an EFC of zero will graduate with only 28k of subsidized debt.</p>
<p>
The Office of Admission isn’t involved in the financial aid packaging process, so we can’t do much besides send people to SFS.</p>
<p>Hi Dean J</p>
<p>First, I want you to know how much I admire you and the way in which you reassure prospective students. On to my comment about Office of Financial Aid. They are the ones who told me to call the office of Admissions and the Alumni office as well or else I would not have bothered. </p>
<p>Again, thanks for all you do.</p>
<p>@Razzy, I’ve heard from a couple of other people that W&M’s offer of financial aid was better than UVa’s. I am finding that information a bit disappointing, since UVA’s aid has always been significantly been significantly better than W&M’s in my family’s experience. We have two in college right now, one at W&M and one at UVA, and a junior who will be applying to schools next year who is hoping to attend UVA. @Neon, I appreciate you sharing the information about what the new Access UVa looks like. I wish the local paper or The Cavalier Daily would do a story on the true picture.</p>
<p>@oldUVAgrad I want to move on and enjoy my S’s orientation and college experience. I’m so excited for him. I think that there are individuals (former students, faculty, current students, administrators) who thought that something like this might happen. I’m going to have faith that if it should be corrected that it eventually will be. This is the first of my kids to go to college and I’m looking forward to watching him enjoy the journey. No sour grapes here :D</p>
<p>@oldUVAgrad and neonpinklime<br>
Good luck to your bright wonderful kids. </p>