<p>maybe I am just stupid and totally missed something, but…</p>
<p>I just got my aid award and it was nothing like what I expected. I called the fin aid office and spoke to a very nice lady there.</p>
<p>She said the award was based on what was submitted. So, I started going over the numbers and she said, Well that is not what was submitted. When I asked what she had there, she gave numbers from my parents 2007 tax returns. We talked further and well to make a long story short. Turns out doesn’t matter what you put on the FAFSA or CSS profile, they don’t use your 2008 numbers until you send your tax returns in. Well, my parents 2008 income was less than half of 2007 so now I don’t know what is going to happen.</p>
<p>I have been checking my financial aid to do list since my application was complete and even today and it says there is nothing I need to do.</p>
<p>I was told before that I only needed to worry about sending the 2008 returns in if/when I was admitted. They are the only school that did this. Just doesn’t make any sense.</p>
<p>Now I am scheduled to come to Cornell Days and I don’t even know if I want to come because I probably won’t know if we can even afford it by then.</p>
<p>I am so, so, so dissappointed in how they handled this. If they had to have the 2008 returns before being able to make the award, they should clearly say that somewhere, anywhere.</p>
<p>ok, Im done venting now.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is any chance they “will not” be able to adjust my award letter now, after they get our returns?</p>
<p>Did anyone else not send 2008 returns yet? Was it on a to do list?</p>
<p>They will probably be able to adjust your award, but it may take some time. I would personally attempt to explain to them that your matriculation there is dependent on the award from your 2008 taxes. I believe we do not have to send in 2008 returns until May 15th.</p>
<p>Sorry to burst your bubble suziechapstick, but I clearly remember seeing a notification on the website that 2008 forms had to be turned in by Feb 1 or as soon as they were done. Your comment about sending them after admission does not ring a bell at all.</p>
<p>Anyways, my aid package came in today. It was the best one so far, except that I’m pretty sure that they included my dad’s income in the parental contribution (I live with my mom), making it higher than it really should be. I’m sure that it will still be doable, but apparently his added income threw me over the $60,000 combined income line, because part of the aid is a $3,000 sub loan. I also got work study AND an increased student contribution, how does that work out? I might try calling the office, but I’ll feel bad because it will seem like I’m b*tching about a small part of my aid compared to the $34,574 Cornell grant. Should I still do it anyways?</p>
<p>Remember, tax returns are not due until April 15th. Many people have received their acceptance letters before their parents have completed theit tax returns. Once your completed 2008 tax returns have been submitted to the FA office, an adjusted FA package will come. We got more aid, you may get more, less or the same.</p>
<p>Why to I always manage to make myself look dumb? Guess I was wrong on the tax form stuff, although it is a lingering memory. Maybe you can appeal after you send in 08 taxes?</p>
<p>also, I just looked at the back of my letter and it says</p>
<p>“The family contribution components of your award will remain the same unless the income reflected on your 2008 income tax returns and FAFSA differs from the projections provided on the CSS Profile.”</p>
<p>That would make it seem like the financial aid award would be based on the “projections” provided, not based on the 2007 tax returns submitted. If that wasn’t the case, they could have to redo tons of awards.</p>
<p>I am so dissappointed. For such a distinguished institution, I hope if I come there this is not how difficult it will be every year with Fin Aid.</p>
<p>And I just tried to call to verify they received my fax and all i got was a message giving me their hours. Which they said they were there until 4:30 today but I called 10 mins ago and it wasn’t 4?30 yet.</p>
<p>Wow, Cornell just became the cheapest school!! 32K in grants! My federal EFC was 25K, but my Cornell EFC was 15K? Not that I mean… I’m so happy! So I guess it’s between Cornell and Rice…</p>
<p>I’ve been seeing people with high EFCs heving lower ones on their Cornell aid package, but why is my significantly lower EFC raised?? It’s pretty much the opposite of what should be happening.</p>
<p>My family EFC is only 4900 but it turns out that we’ll have to dish out $8000 for parent contribution! If $8000 is what is offered for my parent’s 2007 projections, I can only imagine how much more they’d have to pay once their slightly higher 2008 wages are processed. Additionally, my current award has $1000 in pell grant, which I’m not eligible for. So that would probably equate to around 10k in parent contribution, double the EFC!</p>
<p>That’d be the worse case scenario…but it’s definitely a possibility. According to what was written on the back of the award letter, it doesn’t seem possible that the parent contribution could decrease.
I’m expecting a call from one of the finaid officers monday. What should I do to hack the price down? $5000 is realistically the most our family could take. Would it help if I appealed with my awards from Rice and Michigan Ann Arbor?</p>
<p>the federal EFC and Cornells number will be different a lot of times. Cornell considers things like equity in a primary home if it is over $100,000. They also consider deposits to IRA accounts as income, which are not income on FAFSA. So, each persons circumstance is different, but it is very possible to have a much higher parental contribution from Cornell and what your EFC might suggest.</p>
<p>Really, it’s vexing. If only Cornell took off $3000 I’d be able to go. If I tell the financial aid officers that my matriculation would depend on that, would they cut me the slack?</p>
<p>How long do you think students have to haggle with the FinAid office? Is it better to call ASAP?</p>
<p>And I’m in a similar situation, lzhang. For some reason Cornell put items on my FinAid package that I don’t qualify for (or at least my brother doesn’t qualify for it… is this possible?), so I’m not sure what to do. Right now Cornell is one of my most expensive options, and I’m really worried that I’ll have to turn down an Ivy League education for one at an average school that offered me a full ride. Not that the other school is bad or anything, it’s just that I’ve worked so hard to get into an Ivy… :(</p>
<p>When I called the finaid office they told me that the award we got was an estimate based on our CSS and 07 tax info. My efc from 07 does qualify for the pell grant, so I got a pell grant on my awards. But once the 08 stuff gets received the pell grant is going away, and I’m guessing the Cornell grant will increase to accomodate it.</p>
<p>However, since my family’s income is increased this year too, I guess that means we will get an even increased family contribution(currently 8k, almost twice our efc).</p>
<p>NJBkitty, I’m also struggling to pick between Cornell and a essentially full ride university…it’s tough. I mean, 8k parental contribution and 4k from wkstdy and summer job is definitely payable even for us. But it’s a big stretch on our finances.</p>
<p>I’m supposed to get a call from the office monday, maybe things will turn for the better then.</p>
<p>yeah, my parents are left with 37K to pay, i’m screwed. buh bye cornell. i feel worthless right now, like i worked hard for 4 years and worked my a** off trying to get into cornell…only to be left in the dust at some state school. wonderful.</p>
<p>I’m going crazy over this fin aid thing too. They finally found my CSS profile but they’re taking their sweet time trying to calculate it. Then when they finally get to that, I have to appeal and then wait some more for the results. Great.</p>
<p>Oh, I got into Rice, Northwestern, Vandy, WashU, etc. None of them are giving enough aid for my family to live off more than canned beans for four years.</p>
<p>you worked hard for that ivy…but you worked hard for that FULL RIDE too! </p>
<p>make the most of your state school experiences…you might actually enjoy them! and if you worked hard in high school you’ll work hard there. try to take full advantage of the state school resources. if you hate it…then try to transfer…</p>