<p>I got an email saying my award information was available but then got another email saying that my problem (my award still isn’t available) was emailed to the dean. Hopefully, they will get my award up soon!</p>
<p>@BactriaReborn: If your award was $58,500 then what is tuition and whatnot and what is left over that needs to be paid, if anything? Thanks for your response!</p>
<p>I am pretty sure my award amount includes everything, even personal expenses. I do not know what the cost of attendance will be for 2010-2011, but I got this information from their website:</p>
<p>—Quote—
When we calculate an aid award, we use a student expense budget that includes both direct charges and out-of-pocket expenses. In 2009-10, the budget includes:
Comprehensive fee (tuition, room and board): $48,400
Other student fees (student activities, campus center programs and residential governance): $678
Health insurance (may be waived): $1,212
Books and supplies (estimate): $1,000
Personal expenses (estimate): $1,800
Travel (estimate; varies by location): $50-$2,000
Cost of attendance: $53,140-$55,090
—Unquote—</p>
<p>My family contribution is zero, I think. I only have to contribute $1800 through on-campus job for the first year.</p>
<p>Here’s some text from the online portal:</p>
<p>“This is a tentative award. We have received and reviewed all pertinent
application material. A “final” financial aid award memorandum will be
sent later. Unless you have a change in circumstances, that memorandum
will reflect the same level of family contribution as noted above.
Similarly, there should be no variation in the composition of the
financial aid in the “final” award memorandum.
Your student expense budget includes the College’s comprehensive fee
(tuition, room, and board) and student activities fees, as well as
allowances for books, supplies, personal expenses, additional living
costs during vacation periods in the academic year; and transportation
(one round trip). Please note that the transportation allowance does
not mean the College will purchase a ticket for your travel costs. You
must arrange for your travel and pay the costs yourself. If your
financial aid is sufficient to cover billed expenses (tuition, fees,
room and board), any excess amount may be paid to you as a refund.
Such payments cannot be made until after the beginning of the academic
year.
Your student expense budget includes an additional $400 for personal expenses.
If you receive scholarship aid from a source outside of the College,
we will adjust your financial aid award.”</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>That sounds like a good package! I do hope they get to my financial aid thing soon though! </p>
<p>Thanks for the response!</p>
<p>I got my financial aid award today, and unfortunately with this package, I will not be able to attend.
Sadness… :(</p>
<p>Oneric, what was your financial aid package like? I still haven’t gotten mine and I am freaking out! Did you have a large EFC?</p>
<p>What was your EFC according to the calculator on Amherst’s website? Mine is zero but with what you have to say, it seems like you were hoping for a better package that didn’t come through. </p>
<p>I’m sorry that it didn’t come through :(. I would have loved seeing some people from CC at Amherst next weekend as well as this coming fall (assuming my package comes through). Are you going to attend the weekend still even if you can’t go?</p>
<p>spiritualwitch, you are welcome! My guess is that you will soon receive a reply from them since they have forwarded your message to a/the dean. </p>
<p>oneric,
If you really CANNOT attend with the current aid, you can ask them to reconsider it. But if it’s rather an option for you not to choose to attend (maybe because of a better offer by another college), then I don’t know what to say.</p>
<p>Amherst is one of the few colleges that guarantee full aid. This means they will make it ‘‘possible’’ for everyone to attend.</p>
<p>Still nothing in terms of financial aid :(. I just emailed them again and I know I am getting annoying but I would really like to have my package in hand before I head off to the Admitted students weekend. Is anyone else in the same situation or is it just me still waiting? If it’s just me, I am unsure as to what the problem is because they have not contacted me to tell me if I’m missing documents or anything. </p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for their support and I do hope to see at least some of you next weekend!</p>
<p>According to the FAFSA, my EFC is in the high 20k’s, but I’d be expected to pay 43k at Amherst. This is probably because my parents have assets that contributed to the higher EFC calculated by Amherst…
but I did the EFC calculator on Amherst’s website during the fall and it came out to be around the same as my FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>I’ll still attend the Amherst Open House, and if I really fall in love with Amherst I will try to negotiate my financial aid award. If not, I’ll be attending Brown or Northwestern :)</p>
<p>I finally got my financial aid package this past friday. Somewhat disappointing given Amherst’s reputation for great financial aid. Oh well, I guess I’ll set aside some time for negotiation at the open house.</p>
<p>I got my financial package in the mail today and I must say that I am completely satisfied! They stuck to my EFC according to their calculator and now I only owe $2040! And I don’t even have to pay the $400 deposit! My package still doesn’t show up online but I’m still completely ecstatic right now! I received $53,132 out of a total of $55,172, including supplies, books, travel expenses, and personal expenses! So, for all intents and purposes, my first year of college is basically paid for! I doubt my tentative award will change much between now and whenever they post the final award so I am now definitely going to Amherst!!!:D:D:D:D</p>