Fin aid?!

Paying for College
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<p>mom2collegekids,
I have asked my school about it. I’ve sent in appeal and did everything I could. </p>

<p>I’m sorry to have caused any confusion. I’m going to say, I did change some information to protect my identity (maybe that’s why some things don’t add up). But nothing is too far off the actual. I do in fact have two other siblings in college, and they are getting way more financial aid than I am (the $80,000+=cost of attendance; my family is clearly not paying that much. In fact, what i have to pay is a lot more than my two siblings combined. My family also expected relatively consistent aid…) </p>

<p>I’ve submitted all forms on time. However, like I’ve said in my previous post, they originally thought I had one sibling in college, but I have two other siblings in college (this was a mistake on my part though, considering that i typed in a 1 instead of 2). Would this mistake caused my aid package? I really would not like to think so… </p>

<p>thumper,
my family does not own a second home or other real estate or business. My parents do have some savings but its for retirement and emergencies. I do live in a pretty expensive part of the country (job reasons), so I guess, anything might appear to be more than it is. Although I wish your theory were true for me because that means I would be able to enroll in this school again. But unfortunately, that is not the case. My sibling with the exact same fafsa numbers as me at a different institution (also prestigious, same tier type of school) is essentially getting a full ride (they only have need based aid). I think right now, my only option is to transfer?</p>

<p>Redroses,
Like I’ve said before, I did change some numbers in order to protect my identity. Therefore, I’m sorry if some things don’t add up. </p>

<p>I worked as much as I could to earn some money with a combination of graduation gifts as well as scholarships (many were one year only, unfortunately) and some of my parents contribution and loans. Last year’s bill was a lot less than what I have to pay this year! We were also expecting that things would be better this year in terms on fin aid. I guess, it was foolish of me to expect that I would receive relatively the same package as my sibling (also paid a lot more freshman year, but ended up receiving essentially full ride the years after). It also wasn’t my grades, I kept a pretty good GPA (not that grades matter since its all need based). </p>

<p>I do have two other siblings. My parents didn’t go to college, and thus, they said they would do anything to put all of us through school. But I guess for me, it will need to be a different school.</p>

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<p>Also, tuition went up.</p>

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<p>Sophie, whether you changed the numbers or not, it still doesn’t make any sense. You said the college “meets need” and your need isn’t met. If the college’s own FA methodology is saying your family can make up that difference (even with loans) it is counting some income or assets coming from somewhere. Perhaps your parents have substantial savings that they want to reserve for other purposes, but unless those savings have increased significantly from last year, that wouldn’t change your aid award dramatically from last year. The ACG grant is not worth that much, so losing it wouldn’t change utterly your FA picture. Something is missing from this story, or else the college does not actually meet need.</p>

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<p>There is changing detail, and then there is the hard to believe. No school that meets need gave anyone the package you claim. And does any school have a $58K COA?</p>

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<p>Sophie, then the above sounds like your SIBLING’s schools meet a higher percentage of need than your school does. If your EFC is as you state AND your school guarantees to meet full need, your aid package would be higher UNLESS you didn’t complete your renewal financial aid forms correctly or did them late.</p>

<p>Sorry…I still say…doesn’t add up. From what you have posted, your school does NOT meet full need. Otherwise your aid would be higher.</p>

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<p>Sophie…</p>

<p>If your school truly does meet need, then it would say so on its website. Or does it say that it “tries” to meet need?</p>

<p>Does your school state that it meets need on its website??? </p>

<p>So, find where it says that, print it out, and take it to the FA office and ask them WHY your package doesn’t meet need since you have a low EFC.</p>

<p>Do you have a non-custodial parent?</p>

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<p>According to my school’s website,
“…meets the full, demonstrated need…”
I’ve checked with the aid office, and they said I did complete everything and on time.
I’ve already sent in an appeal, and I’m waiting to see what happens. </p>

<p>My family’s income did go up, but not by a substantial amount so that might account for some of the decrease in aid, but shouldn’t the fact that i have an additional sibling in college make up for that? </p>

<p>I dont have a non-custodial parent. </p>

<p>Is there anything else I might have possibly done wrong? Because if there is something, I can always take it to the financial aid office and maybe, I will be able to stay at the school. Do any of you think that it might be the result of the mistake on my part for stating the incorrect number of siblings?</p>

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<p>thumper,
my sibling’s school also meets full need, just like mine. Is it because different institutions use different formulas? but it shouldn’t be that far off either, right?</p>

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<p>Either you or they have made a mistake. I think you are over-focusing on the effect of the number of students in college. I understand you made a mistake there, and now that has been corrected, as I understand it. However, even if they were working with the assumption that the number of siblings in college had not changed from last year, your award would still look more or less like last year, with a proportional adjustment for your family’s rise in income.</p>

<p>Either there is a mistake on one side or both, or there is more information upon which they adjusted the award. Hopefully in your meeting with a financial aid officer you’ll get it all sorted out. Good luck!</p>

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<p>sophie, to answer your question … you are not eligible for ACG due to your sophomore standing. That’s how Congress wrote the rules (don’t even try to figure out why!).</p>

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<p>Sophie, I am sorry you are going through this. Like some of the other posters, I am confused. I understand the federal part of your package based on FAFSA. If your school says it meets all demonstrated need, it probably requires another app, usually PROFILE or its own. If need is indicated by that second app, and the school guarantees to meet need, your need for this year should be met by some of the college’s funds. All you have listed there are the federal resources. Is your institutional “EFC” far higher than the FAFSA figure?</p>

<p>Another explanation is that your college meets need with loans, and may meet most of the need with loans. That really stinks when the cost is that high. If this is the case, do talk to your financial aid officer and find out what the heck is happening here that you are not getting any college grants, only loans. Were you given need based grants from the college in prior years? Something really does not add up in this situation.</p>

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<p>Sophie…again I’m going to say this…and cpt said it too…schools that meet full need AND cost in the $58K range do so with not only federally funded aid (Pell, Stafford, Perkins SEOG, ACG, work study, etc) but also with institutional aid (money in the form of grants or scholarships that the school provides out of their funds). The reality is that even the MAXIMUM federal award would NOT pay the price of $58K…money would have to be added to that to meet full need by schools that do so.</p>

<p>The aid package you posted contained ONLY aid awarded based on the FAFSA…there wasn’t any institutional aid. NONE. This is highly irregular for someone who qualifies for a portion of a Pell grant AND is going to an expensive school. I can’t even imagine that your total Cost of attendance minus the family contribution was met by that Pell and the aid you listed. It makes NO SENSE. Your need is significantly higher than that, RIGHT?</p>

<p>So…either you didn’t complete something accurately, OR you didn’t get something in on time…</p>

<p>If your school meets full need AND your family income didn’t go up that much, your aid for this year would AT LEAST be similar to last year (did you receive institutional grant money last year???). With an additional kiddo in college, your need would be MORE and your aid would be MORE at a school that guarantees to meet full need.</p>

<p>Look at your award from last year. What did you get last year that you did NOT get this year (beside ACG which is small potatoes compared to your COA). </p>

<p>What WAS your FAFSA EFC and on your financial aid statement from your school what did THEY compute as your family contribution.</p>

<p>Yes…schools that use the Profile use different formulas from one another. BUT you went to the same school last year. It’s highly unlikely that your school changed their formula that dramatically. </p>

<p>A student that qualifies for a partial Pell has an EFC of less than $5000. That would mean your need is in the $50,000 range. Was that the same last year? What was your aid LAST year.</p>

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<p>Sophie…</p>

<p>ask the school this direct question…</p>

<p>Since our income and assets are low enough that I receive Pell, I don’t have a non-custodial parent, and I have 2 siblings in college, why am I not qualifying for any **institutional **aid from a school that guarantees to meet need?</p>

<p>BTW…are your parents helping you deal with the FA office? I think a firm and clear-thinking adult is needed to cut thru this nonsense.</p>

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<p>Sophie…I’m assuming your parents are married and both are providing financial info on the FAFSA…and the Profile. Is this correct?</p>

<p>Another suggestion…get the FAFSA and Profile for last school year AND the ones for THIS school year and compare them LINE BY LINE. See if there is something else misentered.</p>