<p>Hey everyone, I just got into Columbia (woohoo!) but I'm a little nervous about my financial aid package. I was selected as a John Jay scholar, so they gave me 16k per semester for that, totaling 32k per year. That's all they offered, which leaves around 28k for me to contribute. My EFC is 11k! What gives? I got the same amount from NYU, and they're known for being stingy! This is an ivy!</p>
<p>I dont want to sound ungrateful, of course. Just wondering if there's anything else to the finaid or if I have to find a way to pay around 120k for my education... :(</p>
<p>Call up the admissions office, ask for more financial aid, and be bothersome about it if you have to. I’ve heard of people getting their financial aid packages matched to another school by simply speaking with admissions. Just be persistent.</p>
<p>If your EFC is only $11,000/year, (meaning your parents’ combined income is probably around $70–80K) there’s no way you’ll be expected to pay $28,000/year. Are you sure they didn’t include any other grants? Definitely call the admissions office. Columbia guarantees 100% of need, as demonstrated on FAFSA and CSS.</p>
<p>I’ll definitely try to call them. And my income is actually around 110k, but from the FAFSA my efc came out to be 11k. Maybe they calculated a much larger contribution potential from the CSS.</p>
<p>If you’re a John Jay Scholar, that means Columbia really wants you. Tell them your offers from other schools and that you will definitely attend Columbia given enough financial aid.</p>