<p>I'm the legal guardian for my nephew. He has received a wonderful financial aid offer from Carleton for his freshman year. What I'm concerned about is what happens in years 2-4. Does the percentage of grant to loan ratio stay the same? My neice went to Amherst, and every year the loan component was increased while the grants were decreased despite stellar academic performance. So, instead of graduating with $20,000 in debt which she had estimated based on her year 1 package, she graduated with almost double that amount. I'll be sure to ask this question when we visit Carleton in April, but I was just wondering what others have experienced already. Thanks! And congrats to all those who received Carleton offers!</p>
<p>My D graduated from Carleton last year. In my experience, Carleton met our need each year without increasing the percentage of loans. In the last year I had two children in college - and the Carleton FA package definitely reflected that with enough additional aid that we paid roughly the same amount for 2 children in college as 1.</p>
<p>Thanks! That is very helpful information, and very reassuring! Can’t wait to visit the school 
Was your daughter happy there?</p>
<p>You should talk to the financial aid officer at Carlton about this. It’s typical for schools to increase the amount of contribution the student should be making each year. That means his earnings during the summer and school years will be expected to increase and/or loan amounts, depending on how he is paying his part of the cost.</p>
<p>Sometimes the AMOUNT of the grant stays the same. However, since tuition/room/board costs go up, it ends up being worth less in subsequent years. I can’t speak specifically to what Carleton does, so it’s definitely good to ask as many questions when you visit as possible.</p>
<p>Carleton actually increased the amount of FA that my son received in response to the need of having another child at a different LAC during his senior year. It was a pleasant surprise to us.
I think that they are invested in their students graduating and being able to give back as alumni.
I know that one year out, with a good job, my son feels that he will become a Carleton contributor.</p>
<p>Imagine financial aid is a concern for most families during these current economic times. D was accepted from Carleton, for which we’re very grateful. The school was generous, but she received better pkgs from nearby schools (Kenyon/Kalamazoo)–& is still waiting on results for a couple others (Swarthmore/Reed). I don’t care what school it is, Amherst, Harvard, you name it – I’d hate to see any student come out of these places w/$40K of debt. Most of these kids end up going on to grad/professional school in the near term, anyway–which requires a further outlay of $. With the price tag of these school fast aproaching $55K/yr–when are we going to begin to witness some pushback from the consumers? (Costs seem to be growing faster then healthcare!) Grateful the svcs these schools provide–just making observations, here.</p>
<p>Believe me, oompa, you’re not alone in your concerns. We were pretty happy with the aid we received from Carleton, but it still requires cuts and sacrifices in our family to send our son there. </p>
<p>Just wondering, did the aid from Kenyon and Kalamazoo include merit aid, or was it all need-based? My younger son is interested in Kzoo (among others).</p>
<p>sun, if you are looking for a school that really rewards academic merit, have your son consider Denison in Granville, OH. It’s usually in the top 50ish LACs on USNWR and generously awards academic scholarships that range from a third to full tuition costs. My #2 son is currently there receiving a half tuition scholarship. A little bit less quirky in character than Carleton in terms of student body, there is still plenty of academic challenge for those seeking it and lots of campus activity. Comparing the two, there are elements at each campus that compare favorably and some Denison things I would have to rate higher than Carleton; e.g. off campus study and internship preps and assistance.
Just something to think about…</p>
<p>My daughter is a Carleton junior, and I have to say that Carleton financial aid has been very responsive to our needs. And has been previously posted, when our younger daughter left for college, Carleton responded with significantly increased aid. No bait and switch here … a class act all the way.</p>
<p>Carleton is definitely a class act. This school is my sentimental favorite because through their summer writing program (SWP), the introduced my D to the world of academia outside of the comfort of her highschool here in WA State. Will always be grateful for that.</p>
<p>Sunmachine, D received merit aid from both Kenyon & Kalamazoo. We have arranged for her to visit Zoo in a couple weeks. </p>
<p>Have heard wonderful things about the generous fa pkgs of Denison, Knox & Ohio Wesleyan. We’re so fortunate to have so many great schools in this nation! :D</p>