<p>I got absolutely nothing and there’s no way I can possibly afford $58,000 per year… they might as well have rejected me.</p>
<p>I agree!!! Our EFC was around 30k and the only thing they offered was non gov. loan of 5,500 that my son could borrow at 8.5 %. How is a middle class family that has a mortgage, and that lives in a high cost of living area supposed to afford college for their family? It is very depressing. As a mom, I feel sorry that I encouraged my son to apply to this college as now I have to say that we can’t afford it.</p>
<p>So back to the original question that hasn’t been answered yet: is the amount you’re expected to pay under “Total Resources” (below section III in the letter) or is it “Estimated costs” under Section IV (Estimated College Expenses)? This letter is confusing.</p>
<p>Total Resources.</p>
<p>Why in the world would you check “No”. Merit aid is free money.</p>
<p>So, my EFC is zero, but I still have ~$3400 in total resources (still no loans). Has anyone gotten $0 on this?</p>
<p>I doubt anyone has gotten $0 on total resources because the guide to financial aid that UChicago sent out along with the aid awards says that an appropriate amount for a student to earn over the summer toward his or her tuition is $1980. So even though my EFC is also zero, I’m still expected to come up with $1980 over the summer with a job. I assume that the absolute minimum total resources for anybody, then, would be $1980?</p>
<p>They expect my mom to contribute 1850 towards my expenses (not tuition or room and board)… and we’re about as minimum as it gets… eliana, did you get more than 1980 total resources?</p>
<p>No, mine said parent contribution $0 and student contribution $1980. 
If you absolutely can’t pay the $1850, I think you can borrow it via a Perkin’s loan (at least that’s what it said I could do for my student contribution if I couldn’t come up with that money). The Perkin’s loan, I believe, is the least strict because interest doesn’t accumulate until after you graduate. </p>
<p>Does your award package list the $2000 NM scholarship? Mine does but that’s only because I listed UChicago as my first choice a while ago to the NM corporation. If yours doesn’t, then I bet you can get the $1850 eliminated by reporting UChicago as your first choice.</p>
<p>I think I’m going to talk to the financial aid office because some numbers might not be right… I’ve got the national merit listed. It’s more that I think my numbers might be wrong (because my mom did the application, not me, and she listed two different home values). I’m going to try to get it removed…</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I know Chicago says you can challenge the decision, but is it really possilbe? Would it even change anything? So far, I’ve gotten into Chicago and NYU (waiting on Hopkins, Princeton, Yale, Berkeley), and both of those schools are outrageously expensive. Granted, I haven’t recieved my FA report from NYU yet, but I’m still fairly certain that it’ll be just as expensive unless I earned some huge merit aid (which I doubt). Is it worth it to talk to the school about financing? My parents are willing to take out the loans, considering I’d have to pay them in the end, but we’re not even sure if we can get approved for that much. I would be soooo upset if I couldn’t attend any of my non-safety schools because of finances. :(</p>
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<p>Combined, I received approximately $52,000 in aid from the University of Chicago grant and Odyssey donation. My parental contribution is approximately $2,000.</p>
<p>^It’s fine if you don’t want to answer, but might I inquire as to your approximate income level?</p>
<p>It’s approximately $40,000 (with low assets). </p>
<p>I actually found Chicago’s offer to more generous than I had predicted. I was anticipating an approximate aid total of around $46,000-$48,000.</p>
<p>Has anyone received outside scholarships that they are planning to apply to UChicago tuition? I can pay off my expected student and parent contribution of 7,000 with my scholarships, yet the U of Chicago policy stipulates that the award money will only deduct from the grant aid and will not affect my debt. Booooo</p>
<p>^ That’s so ridiculously unfair. Princeton takes it out of student contribution.</p>
<p>@tkkt1015, outside merit scholarships, ones not from UChicago, reduce your student contribution (loans, work study, term-time employment, student resources) dollar for dollar. If you go over that student contribution, then it takes UChicago grant funds. If you go over both of those combined, then it eats away at family contribution.</p>
<p>@tkkt1015: Actually, outside scholarships reduce loans and student contribution BEFORE grant aid. They do not replace parent contribution, however. I had to talk to an officer today about finaid, and that’s what he said. So if you were given $10k in loans and student contribution combined, and you got 10k in scholarships, you would just have to pay the parental contribution and not affect your grant money at all.</p>
<p>edit - lol posted at same time as neogop.</p>
<p>^ Oh thank god. That’s much better. :p</p>
<p>Thanks for clearing that up.</p>