<p>I am currently a freshman and looking into transferring. I'm debating between transferring after first semester or after the first year. Why? College is so EXPENSIVE. I would be living off campus when I transfer (not to mention that the school there has the major I want to go into). Does anyone know what the financial aid will work and which route would be better.
Any help is much appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>Transfer students often get lousy aid.</p>
<p>Are you receiving any federal aid such as the Pell grant? The Pell should be the same at any school (assuming your financial situation remains the same). You would still be eligible for federal loans. Campus based aid such as SEOG, Perkins, and WS vary enormously from school to school as each school only has so many $$$s to award in those programs.</p>
<p>As far as merit aid, scholarships for transfer students, if available, are usually much less generous than those for freshmen. Schools that offer institutional need based aid will vary as to how they treat transfer students. You would need to check with the schools you are interested in.</p>
<p>I might be wrong, but I heard at an admission session at UChicago, that all colleges have to put up financial aid calculators on their websites. Check the websites of the colleges that you want to apply to.</p>
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<p>Well…don’t know when that will happen, but it currently is NOT the case. Regardless…those financial aid calculators will give you nothing more than an estimate of what your aid will be. At schools that include loans, you will not know how your ‘aid’ will be packaged (free money vs scholarships/grants).</p>
<p>And MOSTLY if the school does not meet full need for all admitted students, you would have NO WAY of knowing what kind of institutional aid YOU might receive.</p>
<p>The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), by October 29, 2011, states that each postsecondary institution in the United States that participates in Title IV student aid programs must post a net price calculator on its Web site that uses institutional data to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students and their families based on a students individual circumstances.</p>
<p>I think in most cases the net price would be out of pocket - for lack of a better term. The “covered” costs (considered FA) would include grants, loans and work study (except for the no loan institutions).</p>
<p>If you need significant financial aid, do not transfer mid-year. The SEOG, work study, and instutional aid are generally gone before they can be awarded to mid-year transfer students. It is generally a better bet to try to transfer for the new school year … and get your FAFSA to the school in January (yes, before you are accepted).</p>
<p>Do not cut ties with your current school until you have aid pkg.</p>
<p>What is your efc. How much will your family pay. What does your current aid pkg include. Where do you want to transfer to.</p>
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<p>Key word…in my opinion…ESTIMATED.</p>
<p>How r those calclators going to handle self employed and ncp info when needed</p>
<p>My guess is those calculators will also have some way of entering the data from the NCP. Re: self employed…this is why I would caution that these will provide an ESTIMATE of the family contribution. It says ESTIMATE. Until the taxes are completed and the final documents submitted, ANY financial aid calculations…even those done BY the college would be estimates. If the final numbers (for example) change on your taxes and on the subsequent update of the FAFSA/Profile…your aid package COULD change.</p>
<p>Total tuition at Vtech runs about 18k a year. I want to transfer to George Mason and live off campus. Mason runs about 10K per year. Loans runs about 5K for me, family contribution is another 5K and I received a 8K grant from the VA grant (I think)</p>
<p>Can I still apply to transfer and then make a decision after I receive the packet(if I get in) . I just dont want it to be a bonding and final decision once I apply. In other word, can I still decline the acceptance and aid as a transfer now and stay at Tech and then transfer next year?</p>
<p>Pick up the phone and call the folks at George Mason. They will be able to answer all your questions.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Of course you don’t have to go to George Mason just because they accept you. You can apply, wait to see your aid award, and then choose whether or not you’ll leave your current school and enroll at GM.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that transfer students often don’t get their aid packages until quite late. So, you still need to sign up for future classes, dorm, etc, at your present school.</p>
<p>For those who are transferring for Fall 2012, they may not get their FA package until late July! very late!!</p>
<p>*Total tuition at Vtech runs about 18k a year. I want to transfer to George Mason and live off campus. Mason runs about 10K per year. Loans runs about 5K for me, family contribution is another 5K and I received a 8K grant from the VA grant (I think) *</p>
<p>Tuition & fees at Tech are around 10K/year, not too much more than Mason’s. Does your 18K figure for Tech include housing? I assume you plan to live at home and save money with the different amounts you mention.</p>