<p>How are Georgetown's financial aid packages typically? High in loans, or high in grants/scholarships?</p>
<p>I’ve heard they’re not great, lots of loans, etc. and this was my limited experience with them. However, each individual case tends to vary. The best way to find out is to get in then see, compare, negotiate with them, etc.</p>
<p>Do you know how malleable they are in negotiations? My girlfriend got in and she really wants to go there, but after the scholarship they gave her (roughly ~$18k), it still leaves her $10k over what her EFC says and what her family can pay.</p>
<p>D’s FA package from Georgetown to be better than I thought it would be. It included a surprise $3000 merit scholarship. Overall the aid was in-line with 3 other schools.</p>
<p>*it still leaves her $10k over what her EFC says and what her family can pay. *</p>
<p>Isn’t Georgetown a CSS school? If so, EFC is rather irrelevant. That’s a number to figure federal aid.</p>
<p>Does the CSS profile give a number like the EFC?</p>
<p>No…</p>
<p>CSS gives a family contribution , which in your GF’s case is $10,000 + whatever her EFC is.</p>
<p>( I think it sometimes give a separate line item for student contribution)</p>
<p>EFC is a FEDERAL number derived from a federal form and its calculations. Colleges and states are under no obligation to do anything with that number other than determine whatever federal aid you’re entitled to.</p>
<p>So at the end of filling out the CSS profile, it does or does not give you a calculated contribution that it thinks the family should be able to pay? Or does it simply put together numbers in a nice report and then Georgetown/whatever-college determine how much they think the student&family should pay?</p>
<p>Profase – You’ve got it. Each college using Profile can customize how the calculations are handled. Some include all of your home equity, some cap it at a multiple of your income (different multiples for different schools), some allow credit toward K-12 private school costs,…</p>
<p>When you finish entering your Profile data you do not get an EFC. Each of the Profile Schools determine what your family’s contribution should be. At D’s profile schools their estimate of our family’s contribution seemed to range from FAFSA EFC-3K up to FAFSA EFC +12K. </p>
<p>YMMV.</p>
<p>arabrab,</p>
<p>That’s a great explanation of how CSS/Profile works and one that applicants and their parents should understand. I wish that the fin aid calculators on the web would provide such as explanation when estimating EFC using the institutional method.</p>