Financial Aid Award Package Question

EFC of 8,000. Gap including all fees (transportation, personal expenses)-$10,000. Gap to be paid to the university (room and board/tuition)-$6,000

Also look at the terms of the outside scholarships, are they renewable or one-time awards?

Are your parents helping your sibling pay for school?

some of the info that has been given is misleading…since you’ve been given NO FREE MONEY from the school, your outside merit will reduce the Plus Loan…if the Plus loan is the EFC + gap.

You weren’t given any aid…you were just given loans…and that school should be ashamed of itself calling plus loans as “meeting need.” outrageous.

that said, that school is an OOS public for you so it has little/no interest in giving you free money since it has its own resident students to worry about.

I would never consider Plus Loan as financial aid as many parents cannot even get it. There are schools “shamelessly” include that on the financial aid package though.

Actually, in a way, this student IS getting some “free money” from UMN-D. The student is not a MN resident…And is getting instate tuition through a reciprocity agreement.

True…but none of that is affected by scholarships

A common mistake that people make when applying to neighboring states that have reciprocity or other agreements is that they think that they’ll be treated as instate for aid. No, they’re only getting special treatment for tuition cost.

that’s why deals like WUE and others are often only affordable to those who can pay.

No none of that is affected by scholarships. And as you and I both noted…this student didn’t receive any need based aid…it seems. Still, they are required to report their scholarships received. However, there is nothing to be taken away…nothing.

What is your resident state?

^^Wisconsin.

And you don’t think UW is a good school?

I think its a great school for many students but the fit is not for me

UW is one of many public universities in Wisconsin. Are you saying nine of the schools in your home state are suitable for you? Would any be more affordable than a UMN public university?

To clarify I applied to one Wisconsin school, three Minnesota schools, and one Iowa school. My Wisconsin school is predicted to be right in the middle expense wise of the five. I have no problem going in state, it is just that are other options for around the same price out of state and for me, a much better fit. I completely understand that I might have to choose a school that is not my first pick on account of financials. I will keep all options open because this is life-sometimes things do not work out the way we would hope them to. That being said, Duluth is without doubt my number one choice if not be for the financials.