<p>Hello everyone so I got accepted to Columbia ED and I am pumped!!!</p>
<p>However, I only received 3k a year in Financial aid. In WORKSTUDY -___-. I think they misinterpreted my financial aid status. My parents make 80k a year and pay for my sister's tuition at Seattle University at 40k a year. Don't I deserve a little more? Is there anyway I can argue this? THanks!</p>
<p>Income is only one factor in determining financial aid. If your folks have a significant balance sheet, you may not qualify for more aid. It can’t hurt, however, to review your situation with Columbia. Give them a call, or send them an email. In my experience, they are very friendly (although, in my case, not very forthcoming with the bucks).</p>
<p>1) you aren’t giving us all the financial aid information that the finaid people would see (so you should first realize that finaid is more complex than just how much your parents make a year) so it would be naive for anyone here to know how much money your family’s EFC would be. and please do not publish sensitive financial information on here as well.</p>
<p>2) this is not a final finaid award, but it is a financial aid estimate if you read the website. that means based on offering them more information the actual financial aid award that they don’t give out until the spring can be amended.</p>
<p>3) i would suggest you and your parents call the financial aid people next week and have a polite conversation. ask them if they can explain to you how they arrived at your financial aid estimate, and then talk about how to appeal or provide more information.</p>
<p>the little i’ve learned about financial aid from receiving it and from paying attention to this board - you have to realize it is far more complex than it at first appears and that family financial situations are far from uniform. at times having a conversation can help you understand where things came from and help the financial aid officer clarify their own understanding. </p>
<p>but a bad place to start is to expect a certain amount of money. so when you said “don’t i deserve a little more” really caught me off guard. i think you have to pay deference to the fact that the financial aid officer does as much as he/she can based on the information you give them. i hope that you and your family believe you receive the support you need to attend columbia, but i think above all the most important thing is to not go in with expectations, but go in with questions, what does this estimate mean, what options do i have, etc.</p>
<p>I didn even get an estimate… Where did you guys get an estimate? I have a combined income of 25k… :(</p>
<p>it comes with your admission decision if you provided enough information. if you didn’t receive anything, wait for your paper admission letter with instructions on how to follow-up.</p>
<p>Ahh thanks. I didn’t submit certain documents, even though I submitted all the ones they told me to. But couldn’t send the ones like 2009 Tax Income etc. :)</p>
<p>^If your family has a gross income of $25,000, you should qualify for a full ride (unless you have a significant net worth). Were you accepted today? Did you not get a full ride? Does your family have a nominal net worth? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” you should contact Columbia immediately.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response admissionsgeek, it truly means a lot :)</p>
<p>Okay, I will contact Columbia and feel what they think about it probably next week when things get a little less hectic.</p>
<p>yeah I jus didnt submit all the information necessary.
Its not too late right… ?
:]</p>
<p>and yeah i got accepted todayyy :(</p>
<p>Hellosuperduper, just get them in ASAP!</p>
<p>You can contact the financial aid office and speak to them about your situation. They’re really super helpful!</p>
<p>Do you think I have a reasonable argument? With my sisters 40k tuition and my current 50k tuition, that alone passes my annual income by 10k!</p>
<p>^Not if your family is sitting on a $5 million bank account. There truly are many factors, besides income, that go into the financial aid analysis.</p>
<p>how much is full aid?</p>
<p>52k? please bump and help me out im calling tonight!</p>
<p>Yes, 52k is the estimated cost of tuition and fees.</p>
<p>i got 54k, but im wondering is workstudy necessary? can i cut back workstudy for semester to make it 52k lol</p>
<p>Colleges expect tuition to come from more than just income. They expect you have saved and are willing to borrow.</p>
<p>From what you’re telling us, Columbia made a huge mistake. You would get a lot of aid if your situation is as simple as you describe. But does your family have equity in a home or two? Stocks/options and bonds? Own their own business? Cash in the bank?</p>
<p>Few families making $80K could afford to pay $40K in tuition. That alone raises questions.</p>
<p>Yes we have quite a lot of money in savings. But I still feel that we need a little aid. I was discouraged to not see much at all. Thanks for the help hmom5.</p>
<p>NW - please give them a ring to find out more, at this point everyone is just speculating based on what you have noted. As I mentioned, there is a disconnect between perhaps what you expect (what you think you and your family wants), versus what the financial aid estimate will say. In a sense ‘need’ is an idea of perception. So be careful when you use that word. As I said- I hope your family can get the answers you feel will be helpful to make sure that Columbia is a viable option for you. </p>
<p>Good luck on your conversations with them. And remember - go in with questions and not expectations.</p>