<p><em>buh bump</em></p>
<p>thanks yayy, that checklist helped a lot, I think I’m just missing the tax forms; I thought the IDOC was enough, but apparently not! </p>
<p>I’m keeping my fingers crossed. If I get enough I’m so going!</p>
<p>you’re welcome : ) i hope i can go too!</p>
<p>Not to hijack the thread or anything, and sorry if this has already been answered, but I applied for the CV merit scholarship and did not receive it. In my acceptance packet there was nothing about other merit scholarships…can I assume that I simply did not receive any merit aid? Or is there a chance that info on that will come later? Thanks very much.</p>
<p>According to the VU Scholarship office today, all merit scholarship monies have been awarded. If you didn’t hear already, there will not be any additional scholarships.</p>
<p>Ah. Thank you.</p>
<p>I got my financial aid letter inside my acceptance packet as well. It was the first thing I saw, actually. </p>
<p>Let me just say that I am completely in love with Vanderbilt for paying for almost my entire college education, save $3000. Woo, free money. =D</p>
<p>Anybody get a ‘VUE’ award? Letter said it was for academic performance and financial need. But separately noted need based grant also. So, is the ‘VUE’ a merit award?</p>
<p>I cannot believe the aid Vanderbilt has offered me - now that’s meeting need - hope everybody else is as pleased.</p>
<p>Finally got the acceptance letter along with the financial aid offer today. The financial aid offer is not good for me. Vandy only offers me $11k. There is no way I can afford the 45k (total cost is like 56k) annual cost attending Vandy.</p>
<p>My daughter gets $0 financial aid. Our reward for saving money and working so hard while she was in high school. Let’s see, $224,000 “free” tuition or working hard, not spending, and saving beforehand…mmmmh. Bonus vs. punishment. And now our stock savings plan has tanked. This is Wealth redistribution, pure and simple. I refuse to support this system. We’re looking elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’m surprised at that, usually vanderbilt is excellent with financial aid for those families that need it and is known to be one of the best values</p>
<p>Because we don’t “need” it–we’ve worked and saved in preparation. I’m sure we would qualify in four years, however, after paying the full $224,000 in tuition. </p>
<p>Wouldn’t it be “fairer” for everyone, say, if instead of half of the students paying $56,000 a year and the other half paying nothing, if everyone paid $28,000? Then everyone has the same “stake” in their education? Do people really think it’s “fair” to have one student paying $56,000 and in the next desk, one paying nothing? The one student is being “punished”, monetarily and significantly, for the fact that their parents saved money or had good jobs. Isn’t this the primary reason people go to college in the first place, to get good jobs? And this is how they’re “rewarded”?</p>
<p>well I got a merit scholarship to cover tuition and anough need-based to cover the other $20,000 per year. I can’t really afford vandy without it–my mom is a substitute teacher. But I see what you’re saying, it is an unfair burden on the families that are considered able to afford it</p>
<p>Lauren, I’m happy for you getting the merit scholarship. I heard they were very limited this year for Vandy. Congratulations! My daughter has almost the exact same stats as you–but without your geographical “diversity.” </p>
<p>It’s a great system for those who benefit from it, but it really pushes away those like us who have to support it. Especially if we stop supporting it. Was it Margaret Thatcher who said something like: “The problem with socialism is, you eventually run out of other people’s money.”</p>
<p>Take advantage of it while you can. With the way the economy is going, I doubt universities like Vanderbilt will be able to keep this kind of system much longer.</p>
<p>$0 a year.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>Yeah. Ditto. And my stats are nearly identical to Lauren’s. I also have geographic diversity (Montana), religious diversity (Jewish), and racial diversity (part Native American, enough to affiliate with tribe). I’m really upset, as Vanderbilt is far and away my first choice and our family looks much better on paper than we are in reality. Like you, kentuckymom, my parents saved and saved and didn’t spend since before I was born. They worked their butts off to ensure that I would get a good education. It’s not their fault that obstacles cropped up that really hurt our finances.</p>
<p>I really hope Vandy takes the time to reconsider some financial situations. I’ll be crushed if nothing comes through!</p>
<p>Same here! Without significant merit aid, we really cannot “afford” Vandy. I take that back, we can afford it, but then we can’t afford to retire, buy a car, etc. We have been conservative for so long, that my kids think we are poor, and are confused as to why we don’t get financial aid, when their “richer” friends are getting it. they have bigger houses and go on better vacations, but apparently don’t have much in the old bank. </p>
<p>Yeah, it doesn’t seem right.</p>
<p>Is it completely out of the question to apply for FinAid now? My parents forgot that I even applied to Vandy, more or less, and now that I’m seriously considering it, they find it unfair that I would’ve had to apply before I even knew if I was going. I told them multiple times when the deadline was, but they just finished their taxes, like, yesterday-- Am I completely SOL?</p>
<p>try filling out your fafsa and css and see what happens</p>