<p>i'm in high school and interested in princeton. thanks to the handy calculator on the princeton website my mother and i determined that our family contribution would be approx. $9k a year. i'm just wondering (if anyone knows) if this is roughly what i can expect from the other ivys, or if princeton's financial aid is significantly more generous than say, columbia or penn?</p>
<p>Currently Princeton with the no loan policy is much more generous than Columbia or Penn.
If my son had chosen to attend Columbia our contribution would have been over 15k more than Princeton.
Harvard and Yale is also very generous with the former being free if you make under 60k.
Princeton also does not take home equity into play but H&Y might have the same policy.
The top LAC's (Amherst and Williams) also are on par with HYP.</p>
<p>DD offer of financial aid from Princeton was around $8,000 better than Cornell.</p>
<p>My experience is that HYP is much more generous than Amherst and Williams.</p>
<p>Care to elaborate Zuma.
In our situation the two top LAC's gave almost identical generous offers as Princeton's. Others have posted how Williams in particular has given 100% grants to lower income applicants.</p>
<p>Of course, each situation is unique. In the years since I've been looking at financial aid offers from these schools, HYP have almost always offered the best package. In fact, I have a hard time remembering when this hasn't been so.</p>
<p>In our situation Amherst was a bit more generous than Princeton.
Here is a thread regarding their packages.</p>
<p>William's offer was almost identical to Princeton's.
An example of how generous Williams can be.</p>
<p>Of course there are situations where both schools have disappointed some of their admits.</p>
<p>The difference may lie partially in how home equity is treated.</p>
<p>Of course Princeton is on record not counting home equity.
In our case neither did Amherst or Williams.
I think A&W go by a case by case basis looking at several factors determining the final package.</p>
<p>nopoisonivy, are you saying that Williams didn't take home equity into account in your situation? Please elaborate.</p>
<p>Princeton's financial aid calculator gave my family an EFC of less than $5k, which is about a third of what we're actually able to pay (or even less than that if we make sacrifices)... if that's accurate, and if I by some freak accident somehow get in, that would be more than lovely.</p>
<p>Williams is part of an elite group of colleges who cap home equity at three times a family's annual income.
So if you have a home worth 500k that has no mortgage and your income is 75k then they would consider the equity at $225k.
Then they take factors such as parent's age, their retirement savings, etc to determine the FA package. Williams I would guess would not count home equity if your earnings were modest.</p>
<p>Princeton does not count home equity at all no matter how high your earnings might be.</p>
<p>I didn't know that! I'm one of those applicants whose parents don't make a lot, but have high home equity. Thanks a lot nopoisonivy!</p>
<p>More info on how fin-aid is determined.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.oakwoodgroup.com/28elite.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.oakwoodgroup.com/28elite.html</a></p>
<p>i am in the same situation as you, priceless</p>
<p>for me its bc of huge real estate appreciation in my area the last few years.</p>
<p>in my experience, princeton was much more generous than any other school i was admitted to, including harvard.</p>
<p>Here's a Nassoons song to tell the story... music same as "Under the Sea"</p>
<p>"Your money is always greener before your tuition's paid,
and if they years are leaner, you must get financial aid.
And so the administration, not too many days ago, they changed the situation.
Now all can afford to go...</p>
<p>Princeton is free! Princeton is free!
We've got to keep it the best kept secret in Ivy League!
The Orange and the Black the way to go, everyone else pays through the nose.
We've got the plan here save all your clams here, Princeton is free!</p>
<p>At Princeton, the folks are happy as in Woody Woo they soak.
The Eli's they sure ain't happy, they sad cause they all be broke.
But folks up at Yale is lucky, they in for a worser fate.
The loans that they use for money come through when they graduate!</p>
<p>Princeton is free! Princeton is free! Administration give us libations in secrecy!
Everyone know that Harvard sucks, but did you know they pay big bucks?
Much better way here, why don't you stay here? Princeton is free! Princeton is free! Life here's less stressful, be more successful naturally! No need to scrimp, no need to save! All of your worries go away! President Tilghman, she foots the bill 'mon, Princeton is free!</p>
<p>Now Shirley T, the Wa, and the Street, the 'Soons, and the 'Lils, the Prince, and Carrill,
the ivy, the crest, the U-Store, the press, are in socialist control!
Everything free, the band, the cane spree, the old Woody Woo, the Inn, and the Zoo, even the clapper come with a wrapper and, oh the endowment grows!</p>
<p>Princeton is free! Princeton is free! No need to weep here everything cheap here take it from me!
No need to pay the forty grand when you've got fiscal slight of hand, no need for dollar when you're a scholar. Princeton is free! Why be a debtor? Old Nassau's better! Princeton is free!
Life here is gorgeous, no second mortgage, 'cause all the banks are run by alumni! So glad you came here, now you can stay here. Princeton is free!"</p>