<p>My daughter got an email for merit aid today. But I would like to know when will we get the financial aid package? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Should be within a week, as I remember.</p>
<p>Got ours today. We are still responsible for 26k per year. Insane. We will choose another school.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, how close was the 26K to your EFC? I know UR uses CSS, but I’m wondering how closely the two match. In our case it was very close, but what I don’t know is if that’s the norm.</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t know. My husband is taking care of all that.</p>
<p>My EFC was 21000. Rochester gave me $25700/yr (not including loans/workstudy) leaving $36000 of the $60000 COA to pay.</p>
<p>Probably not attending… They sent me a free visit though so I guess I will do that and see if I fall in love, though I doubt it. And it’s too expensive anyway.</p>
<p>The grant plus loans and work study brought our contribution to about $1K more than our FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>They gave a generous $21K grant, but based on working with an education financial consultant (ever so briefly), we had expected more. We have no home equity to draw from and no savings above our allowance. So the bill to us is $40K a year before loans and work study. </p>
<p>Wow, that’s breathtaking.</p>
<p>We received our U of R Financial Package today. I thought it was actually pretty good. We do have two kids attending college at the same time (twins). Both start this fall. My son received an $11,000 Dean’s Scholarship, plus an additional $30,900 in grants (including the $500 TAP Award), and a $2,600 Work Study. Given that all of that adds up to $44,500, it takes a bite out of almost all of the tuition. Tuition and Fees for 2013-2014 is $45,372. We are visiting for one of their accepted students day on April 15th. He is now between U of R and Geneseo. Geneseo sent Financial Package, but has not yet sent out Merit Scholarships. Without Merit Scholarships, right now U of R is actually a little cheaper than Geneseo if you can believe that!</p>
<p>I find finaid to be the area where colleges try to operate as secretly as possible. I expect they’ll try to keep that control.</p>
<p>It’s tough to learn about people who can’t attend because of money.</p>
<p>I’ve talked to a few finaid directors - not at UR - about how money is allocated. They didn’t take the fafsa or CSS or whatever information as is but adjusted. They absolutely wouldn’t share much information and grew more close-mouthed as it became clear I might be able to piece things together. I know they included various ranking factors, but again they keep things close to the vest. I know they include adjustments for what they feel the applicant’s likely response will be. </p>
<p>I wish there was at least some public discussion of the algorithms used. With all the data they have, they can do solid statistical work on the factors leading to yield overall down to particular students in particular areas. I suspect - read that as it’s kind of obvious - that some schools are using this to massage the admissions process so they can generate a lower acceptance rate and get the same yield. It makes sense to do that. But too bad it’s a secret. </p>
<p>Think of all the data they have: complete financial information on most applicants plus a host of other identifiers plus all the information about how each high school performs. Add that to any experience they have with how students have performed from schools and so on and so on. It’s a lot of stuff. Not NSA level database but complicated. </p>
<p>Anyway, congratulations to those who got what they need and condolences to those who didn’t.</p>
<p>^^^ I’m sure it’s an interesting - and possibly agonizing - process. I’ll admit to being glad my guy was a student they wanted enough to make it affordable to us (as is he since he loves it there). They weren’t wrong with their guessing on his part - he is doing extremely well there and has been invited to interview for a Bio workshop position for next year. UR was our least expensive option, but since a couple of others were within a couple of grand, my guy had choices.</p>
<p>I remember being annoyed at one offer (different school) that came in way unaffordable (25K+ more than UR), but upon considering it, we figured that if they didn’t want my guy to attend it was probably best he didn’t go there. I still feel that way. (I also don’t think he’d have picked them over UR, so their financial aid office probably pegged that one correctly too.)</p>
<p>In my dream world every student would find their #1 school affordable (if they can get accepted), but on the other hand, “I” ended up at my #2 choice due to finances, met hubby there, and thoroughly enjoyed myself while getting my degree. If I had it to do over again, I’d have picked that school over my then #1 school, so it did end up being for the best. But as a parent, I’m happy my two older boys both got their #1 choice and am really hoping for the same for #3 (even though he hasn’t picked out his schools yet).</p>
<p>So… I’ll agree with what you wrote here:</p>
<p>“Congratulations to those who got what they need and condolences to those who didn’t.”</p>
<p>One of my kids got into a school that offered her nothing. My reaction was, “Why did you waste your time? You had to know that with her record she’d have better offers.” </p>
<p>I think the criteria for choosing need to be:</p>
<ol>
<li>Where do you feel you want to go? That means comfort and desire.</li>
<li>Where do they have your program? That requires some research. Let’s say you want civil engineering. It probably makes more sense to look at Lehigh, which gets lots of money for civil engineering, than another school where most of the money is in electrical engineering. But this point is really a way of expressing fit, meaning you need to balance what you want with what they offer.</li>
<li>What can you afford? That is a big subject. </li>
</ol>
<p>My kid’s experience at UR has been great. I hope everyone has a great experience there or wherever. And I continue to not understand why some people care so darn much about arguing the merits of x over y school.</p>
<p>Remember: your life is about you, not what others think or want. As someone I like once said, “I’m the hero of my own story, aren’t I?”</p>
<p>I got my package today and I didn’t like it that much… There’s a 6,000 dollar Gift Aid difference from what the estimator told me, in the wrong direction. Also, the difference between gift aid and Cost of Attendance is like $20,000. My family income is 85k (one parent is a professor; other unemployed). I don’t want my parents paying more than $5000, and I don’t want to be in debt. So, for now it looks like U of R ain’t happenin’.</p>
<p>Received my financial aid package this morning, most terrible amount I received. I applied to three colleges that required the CSS Profile. Here’s a comparison:</p>
<p>University of Puget Sound (whole year)
Fed Pell Grant: $ 2595
Fed Subsidized Loan: $ 3500
Fed Unsubsidized Loan: $ 2000
Fed Perkins Loan: $2000
Work Study: $ 3000
Scholarship: $ 19,000</p>
<p>Total: $32,095
COA: ~$ 57k
Family Contribution: $ 25k </p>
<p>Willamette University (whole year)
Scholarship: $ 22k
University Grant: $ 8950
Fed Pell Grant: $ 2595
Fed Subsidized Loan: $ 3500
Fed Unsubsidized Loan: $ 2000
Fed Perkins Loan: $2000
Work Study: $ 2500
Fed Supp. Opp. Grant: $ 2000</p>
<p>Total: $44,545
COA: $55k
Family Contribution: $11k</p>
<p>University of Rochester (whole year)
Scholarship: $9k
Rochester Undergrad Grant: $2k
Rochester National Grant: $11600
Fed Pell Grant: $ 2595
Fed Subsidized Loan: $ 3500
Fed Unsubsidized Loan: $ 2000
Fed Perkins Loan: $500
Work Study: $ 2600
Fed Supp. Opp. Grant: $ 2000</p>
<p>Total: $34296
COA: ~$60k
Family Contribution: $26k</p>
<p>Some may note the 22k scholarship I earned from Willamette may be the reason why it’s so affordable, such can be countered by if I never received such an award, I am $22k more in need, so I would have obtained the $22k either ways. </p>
<p>I wonder what these the other two are thinking, do they believe my mom will take out another mortgage for me? </p>
<p>Reference: EFC:3005</p>
<p>Change a small bit above. COA for Rochester is 2k higher for 2013-14.
Tuition and Fees $45632<br>
Room and Board (meals) 13128<br>
Books and Supplies 1290<br>
Transportation 850
Miscellaneous educational costs 950</p>
<p>As per further digging through my award page, the final family contribution is $ 29.5k/yr</p>
<p>I hate how they didn’t have the EFC clearly stated on the award like my other colleges.</p>
<p>Why does everyone think it is the college’s obligation to make sure you can afford it? Sorry, but it is a bit like watching House Hunters on HGTV where people diss houses cause they can’t afford anything better. Unfortuntely there are plenty of people who can afford the tuition with the financial packages they receive, so it is not quite a buyer’s market for college. “I wonder what the other two are thinking?” What kind of statement is well, welcome to the real world. Compare the rankings of the schools where you get big scholarships. That is how it was with my son-the lower ranked schools gave him plenty of money, we understood that. I know this sounds harsh, and I apologize, but unless there are special circumstances, colleges are not in the busines of making sure everyone can attend.</p>
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</p>
<p>It’s true that those who qualify for admissions to URoc often can garner significant offers from lower ranked schools - no question there - but that doesn’t change the fact that anyone who truly hopes to attend URoc wishes it were affordable.</p>
<p>I feel fortunate that my guy is able to go there - the school came very close to hitting our EFC AND we’re making the EFC affordable. For some, their EFC is not what they can truly afford. For some, it’s tough to have to make hard decisions to attend a lesser school and not much of a consolation to hear that “there are plenty of people who can afford the tuition with the financial packages they receive.” While the statement is true, it’s just not much of a consolation.</p>
<p>I wish everyone who got in and wanted to go could afford to attend.</p>