<p>Well, I guess it's not everyone...but most of the people I've talked to who are getting financial aid get around 10,000 in loans. Whether it's 10k for everyone or not, the point is still the same: Cornell isn't as generous as its peer schools when it comes to financial aid. I wish they'd change their policies, because as it is this year is already pretty hard to pay for my family.</p>
<p>You said you didn't know of anyone with that much in loans, so I was simply letting you know that it does happen. I agree, polo, my parents are really annoyed with the amount of loans and the "summer savings" bs that I can't pay. I'd probably be more annoyed if I didn't have an inheritance Cornell is unaware of, which will pay off my debts when I turn 21.</p>
<p>Polo and Spanks, I also got around 10K in loans. When I talked to my finaid counselor about it, her exact words were, "that's a standard loan amount for every student who receives financial aid," and her reasoning was that Cornell expects their students to work for their education - whether it be now or later.</p>
<p>My FAFSA EFC was $877 even though family income is only $18,000 (3 dependents, 3 college students). Cornell's EFC for me was $4600.</p>
<p>That's ridiculous. I guess I don't have it so bad.</p>
<p>So your FAFSA EFC and Cornell's can be different? That sounds like trouble...</p>
<p>My FAFSA EFC was like 6-7,000 more than my Cornell EFC.</p>
<p>11k loans :(
but i'm happy about my 22k grant?</p>
<p>my gf was given a $22,000 grant which i consider to be very good. I didn't get anything but I don't deserve anything. </p>
<p>also, I believe you can get your financial aid adjusted if you dont get to the $2700 (or whatever it is) summer contribution. Talk to financial aid about it.</p>
<p>I'm sorry - why exactly is it so terrible to come out of college with a moderate amount of loans? Just for the sake of argument, even if your EFC is 0, why should a college education be handed to you for free? Paying for college is tough for most families in the U.S. The median family income in the United States in 2004 (the most recent data I have) was only $43,200. Why do some students object to having a summer job to help pay their way through college? Taking a work study job or working during the school year part time? Taking out a moderate amount ($10,000 per year, for example) of loans to pay for the best investment you will ever make in your entire life? </p>
<p>A Cornell education is worth its weight in diamonds and rubies.</p>
<p>sallyawp, explain how does a school expect my family to pay 1/3 OF THEIR ENTIRE ANNUAL SALARY ON A FRIGGING COLLEGE EDUCATION, WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE ISSUES PAYING FOR OUR BILLS! I'm sry, cornell aint worth that much! i guess you don't know what it means to be living below poverty line and have 1/3 of the money taken away from you. and theres no way in hell im gonna tell my parents to re-mortgage our house they worked over 20 years for!</p>
<p>$10,000 in loans is very doable. I agree with what Cornell says...you should have to work for your education, whether it be now or later.</p>
<p>I was offered no aid by Cornell. But if my financial situation left me with having to take $10,000 in loans, I would have done it. But move that up to about $20,000 and I'm now a student at the University of Michigan where I will graduate debt-free and probably with some money to my name.</p>
<p>I have no problems paying and working. I already have 30,000 in loans from my first two years though (my scholarships don't pay for everything). I make close to nothing an hour! I already work over 40 hours a week. There is only so much one person can do. </p>
<p>For a lot of people its like this...
get a great Education and pay for the next 20 years for it
or get a good education....</p>
<p>If people want to better themsevlves I think there should be programs out there (like financial aid) that help those that are already helping themselves.</p>
<p>"explain how does a school expect my family to pay 1/3 OF THEIR ENTIRE ANNUAL SALARY ON A FRIGGING COLLEGE EDUCATION, WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE ISSUES PAYING FOR OUR BILLS! I'm sry, cornell aint worth that much! i guess you don't know what it means to be living below poverty line and have 1/3 of the money taken away from you. and theres no way in hell im gonna tell my parents to re-mortgage our house they worked over 20 years for!"</p>
<p>I'll tell you how (and, by the way, it's the same way that thousands of other students in your position, including me, have made their way through Cornell and other schools through the years) -- YOU, not your parents, take out the loans. When you get out of college with your shiny new diploma, you get a job and you work to pay off the loans. Why are you expecting your parents to foot the bill for you? This is YOUR education. It is certainly wonderful if a student's parents have the desire and/or the means to pay for a student's education, but that is not always the case. I happen to think that it is an honorable thing to put yourself through school, and to do whatever is necessary to make it happen. Work two jobs each summer. Work part time during the school year. Take a work study position on campus. Take loans. This is an investment in YOUR future. Be grateful that you get financial aid in the form of grants at all -- many middle class families fall through the cracks and get absolutely no help.</p>
<p>Take charge of your future and make it happen.</p>
<p>And harvardman, if you can't afford Cornell, why are you going? Reality set in for me...my parents had saved somewhat for my education, but we didn't get any aid and I was far short of what Cornell would cost. My college savings were all my parents had budgeted for, and they couldn't contribute anything additional while I was in school, because they have my sister coming up in a few years and budgeted for that money to go into her accounts.</p>
<p>Yeah, if push came to shove my parents would probably give me quite a bit of extra money had I decided on Cornell, but I wasn't going to do that and rob their retirement or my younger sister. I'm not extremely happy about going to Michigan, but I'm taking the logical route. When I was at the meetings with Cornell alumni and talked about my Michigan/Cornell dilemma, noone really offered me a good reason to spend the extra money at Cornell.</p>
<p>With a name like "harvardman" I'm guessing that you were just looking to go to the school with the biggest name and Cornell was it. If you're upset about having to pay $15,000/year to attend Cornell (Family EFC + loans), you probably should have decided to matriculate at a less prestigious school.</p>
<p>ummm... i am working 5 days right now. u assumed i didnt. the more urgent issue is. i have a bursar bill sitting on my desk right now with 4,500 dollars due on 8/8, and i'm trying to figure out how am i going to get that 4,500 dollars. I've made about 1,500 so far this summer and have gotten about 1,800 from relatives and my parents. that leaves a 1,200 hole. the question now is, how am i going to get that 1,200 dollars in 3 days?</p>
<p>dsmo,
i didn't choose my school based on financial aid because every school i applied to was "need blind" and meet "100% of need", including u mich, who gave me nothing as an ou of stater btw. i assumed that the colleges are telling the truth and i will get through it somehow. obviously, i was wrong as i cannot get the money to pay for my bursar bill.</p>
<p>Um, my summer savings is used to get clothes and stuff for school. </p>
<p>Gomestar, I talked to them, they told me to take out more loans, lol. My parents said they'd pay the difference, though.</p>
<p>Sally, so you're paying for your entire education, I take it?</p>
<p>I paid for college, law school and business school with a few grants and scholarships, work study, a part time job, two summer jobs each summer (at least during college) and a huge amount of loans. I'm certainly not the only one to do so either.</p>
<p>Without any parental assistance?</p>
<p>With almost zero parental assistance (the almost represents being allowed to live at home during the summers during college, doing laundry when I came home, etc.). That doesn't mean, of course, that a hefty middle class family parental contribution wasn't factored into my financial aid decisions throughout (most law schools require you to include your parents' financial information in your financial aid application until you are between 26 and 30 years old, depending on the law school, with no regard as to whether you are married with kids or actually receiving assistance from your parents). My parents simply couldn't afford to help with my educational expenses, despite what any financial aid office might say. I wasn't going to skip going to college, so I worked and took loans and made my way through school. </p>
<p>Like I said earlier, I'm far from the only person ever to put themselves through school.</p>
<p>hey guys, if you dont mind, can you guys post your FAFSA efc and what cornell actually gave you in grants + loans! that would be really helpful!!</p>