<p>Ahoy, I got a likely letter last week from Brown, and the more I research Brown the more I'm falling in love with its everything--more than before! Now, my parents make, together, around 31,000, how much should I expect Brown to help me, financially? My parents can's pay for anything...
Thank you!</p>
<p>If your parents’ income is that low, then likely you will get full aid. However, you may have a student contribution from earnings from a summer job. Also, set some of your earnings aside to pay for your dorm stuff, books and travel costs.</p>
<p>Thank you mom2collegekids, do you think the expenses will be an overwhelming number? In other words, will it be doable?</p>
<p>Brown commits to meeting its students’ full financial need and, for low income students, it commits to doing this without including loans in the student’s financial aid package. So, yes, if you get in, it should be doable.</p>
<p>Best of luck!!!</p>
<p>[Financial</a> Aid Initiatives Unique to Brown University | Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/financial-aid/financial-aid-initiatives-unique-brown-university]Financial”>Additional Initiatives Unique to Brown | Financial Aid Undergradute | Brown University)</p>
<p>Aww, thank you, now I’m even more excited! Thank you!</p>
<p>Thank you entomom, oddly enough I had never come across that website.</p>
<p>Brown isn’t going to cover your dorm stuff. Also, any “left over” aid won’t be available until around the time school starts or a few weeks after, therefore YOU will have to likely pay for your books and travel costs. So, be prepared for that.</p>
<p>I don’t know what Brown estimates for travel costs, but many schools do not estimate enough for the costs, so be aware of that.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how much Brown estimates for “student contribution”?</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>[Sample</a> Awards | Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/financial-aid/sample-awards]Sample”>http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/financial-aid/sample-awards)</p>
<p>Editing my original response. I hope this likely letter turns into an acceptance with sufficient aid. If not, I hope that the OP has other schools on his list that he also loves.</p>
<p>^OP has a LL, so assuming they keep their grades up, it looks good for B. </p>
<p>I agree that if they have other RD applications, particularly to schools at the same selectivity level as B who are likely to also give outstanding FA to a low income student, that they should keep their options open until April and view schools then before falling in love with one school.</p>
<p>Oops - thumper1 (who has since left the building :)) must have thought you were a prospective applicant, rather than a current applicant with likely letter in hand. At this point, the only thing left to do is wait . . .</p>
<p>I think Brown puts in about $3K for the student contribution, and another $3K or so in work-study. The work study money you don’t get in a lump sum, you find a job and are paid as you go. That helps with incidental expenses during the year, but not with “start up” expenses. As mom2 suggests, the timing is challenging, especially your first year. You will need to have a job and save money this summer, enough to get you to school and buy your first semester’s textbooks, and anything you need from the dorm. I would suggest that you take a federal loan for $3K the first year, and use that to cover your student contribution, and use the money from your summer job to cover your travel, books, dorm stuff, and incidentals until your on-campus job income starts.</p>
<p>Dorm stuff really doesn’t have to cost a lot. You’ll need a set of XL Twin sheets, most likely, but after that not much else. My S took the comforter from his bed at home (which is a double, so the comforter is “too big” for the bed at school but it really doesn’t matter) and also took towels from home. I think we bought him a couple of power strips, some command strips hooks, and a cheap set of plastic shelves. So… my advice to any low-income student is not to think you have to spend a lot of money on special dorm stuff.</p>
<p>Congrats on the likely letter! Double check with Brown to ensure that their financial aid office has received everything it needs from you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Entomom…</p>
<p>Thanks…looks like Brown expects a “student contribution” of $2000. That is a decent amount, but the student may still have a shortfall. </p>
<p>What I’ve noticed, though, is that low-income students often have a tough time right before school starts when they have many expenses (books, dorm stuff, travel costs), yet they haven’t yet rec’d their aid. </p>
<p>As many of us have experienced, just buying stuff for a kid’s dorm can easily run $1000+. When you add in travel costs (more if a parent comes and helps), and ordering books for the first semester, the amount of cash that a low income student needs shortly before school starts can be substantial.</p>
<p>Things “for the dorm” don’t have to cost $1000. The OP can first shop in his own home for towels, blankets, etc. One set of twin xlong sheets isn’t going to cost a fortune.</p>
<p>The OP can also reduce his out of pocket costs by buying textbooks used online, and economizing on things like clothing and other personal expenses. </p>
<p>Hopefully the OP has a job now, and a summer job so that he will have some cash in his bank account when the semester starts…he will need this whether he goes to Brown or any other college.</p>
<p>Spending $1000+ on dorm stuff is an unnecessary luxury. No low-income family is going to go out and do that.</p>
<p>I’m not talking about expensive bedding. I’m including things like a laptop, if needed.</p>
<p>and if the student is used to living in a warmer climate, then purchasing warm clothing and outerwear becomes necessary.</p>
<p>A laptop is also a luxury unless it is required by the school (in which case it will be included in COA). It can at least wait until aid is disbursed if cash flow is an issue.</p>
<p>There are laptops for under $500. This is a good time for this student to put aside gifts for his birthday and graduation towards a laptop…if he really needs one.</p>
<p>Yeah, thankfully I’ve been saving up money for those same things. I also agree with mathmomvt, I’m most definitely going to try my best to not waste so much money, but I do understand that some investments will be necessary. I already have a laptop, which I plan on taking. 
and thank you guys for congratulating me on my LL–for those that were a bit thrown off, the LL says it’s the equivalent of an early admissions letter. I’m actually going to go ahead and use the Brown financial calculator and let you guys know what it says.</p>