<p>anyone planning on appealing their financial aid package and get any appeal results? it seems ridiculous to have 10k in loans in just the first year of school. my family just missed the 120k cutoff and they've really slammed on the loans.</p>
<p>yea my parents were over by like $1 and I have like $13k in loans and that was with my brother in a full time private university. we called the aid office and said there was nothing that could be done in our case and the snot bag said my package was "much better than it would have been last year"</p>
<p>same situation with another sibling in a private school. was the person you talked to in the office an officer or just the secretary? i don't see why they don't try to make their packages competitive for all students who qualify for financial aid.</p>
<p>I've appealed my package every year and it only worked once. You have to understand, this new FA initiative is a big step for Cornell. Yes, there is still A LOT they can do to make financial aid more competitive but it's hard when there are so many students who qualify for aid and the endowment is not as substantial as other universities. </p>
<p>Believe me, I know how frustrating this is. Just slightly over the income limit and you get hit. But, $10,000 in loans for a year? It's really not a lot, although it may seem that way. My parents have an income of $114,000 and I'm leaving Cornell with $60,000 of debt (and that's without interest). I'm solely responsible for paying it back....no help from the parents.</p>
<p>Good luck with your appeal, I hope everything works out for you.</p>
<p>Wow you all sound lucky, my family makes under 40,000 yet they are expected to pay about 15,000. I am definitely going to appeal, I will let you know what happens.</p>
<p>Last year my family made like 40k and so far my first year I've accumulated 20k in loans (10k in the package, an additional 10k to cover the 4k contribution, which my parents still couldn't afford, and to help increase cash flow in the household). Thanks to the new no-loan policy that won't be a problem for me anymore. But 10k loan/yr with 120k income is not that bad, at all.</p>
<p>wow 60k in debt after graduation! i guess i had higher expectations about the financial aid package since my siblings all went to ivy league or comparable level schools and they've all or will graduate will around 20k in loans. this is after the financial aid offices already maxed out their loans so i guess when i saw the award letter i was shocked to say the least.</p>
<p>i think the thing that frustrated me the most was the fact that after the 120k cutoff, the loans suddenly go from 3k to 10k+. it just didn't make sense and seem fair that the loans didn't have some sort of gradual increase, which really screws over the families that make slightly over 120k as they would be in a lot worse situation than the families that make slightly less than 120k.</p>
<p>Some people really need the financial aid, to the OP, if you're parents can't afford $13 grand on 120K, maybe you should help with the burden......</p>
<p>cjmdjm--wow that is surprising--we make between 80,000 and90,000 and our EFC has been around 10,000 and that's what cornell has had us pay!!</p>
<p>i would be inclined to question that</p>
<p>Indeed, I sent in an appeal form. I believe they are taking into account our large amount of assets (FarmLand). I am essentially appealing on the basis that the farmland is essential to our income.</p>
<p>to titanboxer... the 13k you're referring to are only loans. there's an additional 27k of family contribution. add that to my sibling's tuition if the financial aid is the same as last year comes out to 70k in payment/deferred payment this year. sorry if that's being too snobby for you.</p>
<p>Why does financial aid essentially stop at 120K? I mean if your family makes 120K and lives in Ithaca, you are probably "more comfortable" than someone making 200K living in San Francisco! Yet the SF family would get NO AID! (ok, a 3500 Stafford loan) The 120K family gets 22K in grants and the 200K family $0.</p>
<p>In the financial aid appeal form, they ask for your monthly expenses (food, clothing, housing, etc) so I'm assuming they take those costs under consideration when they look at your appeal.</p>
<p>something went wrong at cornells FA office. they gave me 9k in grant, wheras another top university gave 25k in pure need-based aid. and i am out of state for both (not at a nys contract college either). the thing is, i dont have time to appeal it because i finally got mailed my offer today (they had lost the tax returns). what can i do? just say screw cornell?</p>
<p>If you appeal you can get an extension on the deadline.</p>
<p>I still haven't gotten my fin aid package!!!!! aaaaahhh!</p>