Family can't afford EFC

I didn’t realize I could see what my dad entered in CSS, but I checked and there is no significant extra income and it also reveals more debt, so I really am puzzled myself about why I didn’t receive more from NU. I’ll call the financial aid office once I get the chance, it’s my top choice at the moment. Some have said that the college can decide themselves what they constitute to be “need” but that’s merely speculation

Isn’t Northeastern in Boston, or am I thinking of another school? There’s a Univ. of MA in Boston too, isn’t there? Did you apply there? The Univ. of Mass (Boston) is $12k for tuition and fees/year. If that’s within commuting distance, you could cover that with the federal student loan, Pell, and summer work earnings. If you didn’t apply there this year, you could take a gap year and apply for next year.

@dodgersmom‌ I really appreciate the suggestions, thank you! Alabama might not be a feasible distance for me but I’ll look into other options

Did your http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/cost-financial-aid/financial-aid/

This is from the NEU websites clearly states that they pledge to meet full need for all.

This is a change that started this year. Prior to that, NEU did not meet full need for all.

To the OP…not wishing to pry…But to have a $0 EFC, your parent income would likely need to be $30,000 a year…or less. Is it that low?

Maybe the mistake is on the FAFSA.

Did your NEU financial aid award include a $5700 or so Pell Grant? That is what a $0 FAFSA EFC student would get.

Also UMass Lowell. Good scholarships available and maybe you could commute. There is s train.

My brother goes to UVM for very little and he was a similar student to me so there is always hope there, they already gave me the highest merit award (but that pales in comparison to their sticker price)

Well, you definitely wouldn’t be commuting, but with the sizable grant you’d be receiving, airfare would probably be affordable.

No, it’s true, each college makes its own assessment of a family’s need. But that kind of subjective assessment of need usually comes into play only where there are significant family assets, a family-owned business, or a self-employed parent. If none of these is a factor in your case, and you’re just dealing with simple wage earnings, there shouldn’t be a significant discrepancy between your own assessment of your family’s need and the college’s assessment.

Look at your CSS Profile, and see if there’s anything there that could explain the discrepancy.

Will your brother also still be in college next year when you start? Did that get indicated correctly on your FAFSA and Profile?

No my brother graduates this year so we didn’t get a break there. I can’t find anything myself on CSS but also I’m pretty unfamiliar with finances and that so for the moment while I wait for more packages I’ll see what I can manage by contacting NU

The automatic scholarships at Alabama cover only tuition; the others are competitive. I wouldn’t assume the “sizable grant you’d be receiving, airfare would probably be affordable” since you still have other expenses - room/board, fees, supplies that’d need to be covered as well, but I’d add it to your list.

How does a family live on $15,000/year in Boston? Something doesn’t add up here, in more ways than one.

Since you’re going to need to spend some time reviewing your file with one of the FA counselors, what I’d suggest is sending an email now to ask if you can set up a telephone appointment for tomorrow afternoon or the next day after you get out of school. And then, when you have the appointment, have both the CSS Profile and the FAFSA readily available (printed out if possible), so you can look at the numbers as you’re talking.

Agreed, and OP mentions that he got a look at the Profile that was submitted and “there is no significant extra income and it also reveals more debt” than the FAFSA. Debt, other than primary home mortgage debt, is not asked for on Profile. Perhaps there is a big chunk of home equity that is skewing the numbers.

If your parent annual income is really only $20,000 a year, you would have gotten significantly more aid from Northeastern. Your story is not making sense. Do your parents have savings or investments? Are they self employed? Do they own property?

What was your brother’s EFC last year?

A $20,000 income would net an auto $0 EFC, I believe. In addition, the FAFSA would not ask for any assets IF you qualify for the simplified needs test (income below $29,000 a year, and either filing a 1040a or EZ or qualifying for a means tested benefit like free lunch).

BUT assets would be ignored ONLY in the FAFSA calculation. NEU uses the Profile. There is no simplified needs test for the Profile, so all of your family assets would be counted.

Look on that Profile…and look at the lines for savings, checking, etc. what is there?

ETA…UVM doesn’t use the Profile. They use only the FAFSA. So if, indeed, you qualfy for the simplified needs test…your brother would not have needed to provide asset information.

Read my post, @irlandaise - I said UAH, not UA, and their scholarship for a student with @basta6’s stat’s does cover housing! (And they are also still accepting applications.)

We don’t live in Boston but we live close enough to a t station that would make commuting manageable. There are little savings and a giant home equity loan. I have no idea why there’s such a large discrepancy between fafsa’s efc and neu’s but I will set up an appointment with my financial aid counselor.

If you live near a T station you are in metro Boston, same cost of living.

The t station is still in another town 20 minutes away. I’m not in a Boston suburb

So you don’t have home equity?

In any event, it is not possible for a family to live in eastern MA on $15,000/year.