Be careful interpreting this: “Over 98% of Saint Peter’s students receive some type of financial aid.” Federal loans, which are offered to all students who file a FAFSA & are eligible, are financial aid. Loans may well be the only aid offered to many of the 98% cited.
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My D received merit aid as a transfer student, both at privates and a public, but they were less prestigious schools than where she was transferring from. Several were substantial awards.
As far as getting aid now vs pre-Covid, I think there are some schools that have seen a drop in enrollment that may continue to offer $ thinking it’s better to get some tuition than no tuition. So it might not be as bad as one would think. These would probably be mid-level privates, not public unis.
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Seton Hall costs ~$60k/year. Even if transfer students receive a $20k/year award (that doesn’t include loans) the net cost is still over $40k/year. A Pell eligible student is not going to be able to appeal that award and get a result that approaches anything close to affordable. Borrowing the $7500/year federal student loan for the last 2 years is affordable. Borrowing upwards of $40k/year for 2 years isn’t. I hope you’ve moved past the idea of borrowing ~$60k/year or more for the likes of NYU.
If your Pell award is ~$3k/year then with the $7500 federal student loan your budget is ~$10k/year. If your parents can contribute and/or you can work or get a need based state grant from NJ you may be able to cover the costs for room and board. But you’d need a full tuition grant. I don’t know which schools offer that to transfers, but I don’t think Binghamton is one of them. Without knowing your stats, major, or budget it’s difficult to offer suggestions, but your state publics (Rutgers, etc) should be on your list.
I get the impression that you’re worried about not having a prestigious school on your resume so you’re contemplating enormous, life altering debt to get what you consider a name brand. I know you don’t want to hear that your state schools will be good enough or that it doesn’t require massive debt to get an education. But the mission of the Penn States, NYUs, Temples, and expensive OOS publics isn’t to make themselves affordable to Pell eligible and/or OOS students. I think you’re wasting a lot of time asking questions and starting involved conversations about things that don’t pertain to your situation. It doesn’t matter if ~$60k/year colleges offer 50% discounts if you can’t cover the gap. Please do yourself a favor and focus on schools that will be affordable for your family.
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