<p>what exactly does that mean?
that the X% of the students with need got 100% of their needs met?
like a full scholarship or something?</p>
<p>CONFUSED!</p>
<p>I think it refers to, like you first said, that x% got full need met. However, that doesn't mean a full scholarship. Let's say the total cost of attendance at a certain school was $50K. A student whose family income and assets was such that the college determined her parents could contribute, say, 30K might then have full need met by a combination of loans and grants totaling 20K, and thereby her full need was met... since the "need" was only 20K to begin with.</p>
<p>To say that a certain percentage of students had full need met is also a way of telling applicants that the school does not guarantee to meet full need, although it might and perhaps often does.</p>
<p>o. would i have to accept the loans?
i dont want any...</p>
<p>The loans would be part of the aid offered to you to meet your need. You're welcome to reject them if you'd like, but they likely won't be replaced by anything else and the school can still say it met 100% of your need.</p>
<p>There are small number of schools that have eliminated student loans from their financial aid packages. They tend to be schools with very low acceptance rates, so hard to get into. I think there's a thread on CC that's an unofficial list of them. Try searching "no loan colleges" or something like that. Off-hand I remember Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford (?), Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Davidson...... and there's others that eliminate loans for students under a certain income level. Anyway, the list is longer than what I can remember, but it's still a pretty small number. So if you fit the general profile of accepted students at any of those schools, it's certainly worth applying.</p>
<p>There are also schools with "loan caps" where they basically promise students they won't have to take out more than a certain amount in loans over the four years. The ceilings are usually between 13K-18K, or thereabouts. You just need to research the specific schools you're interested in and learn about their aid policies. College Confidential can be a good source for ideas, too, if you read it regularly -- particulary this financial aid forum.</p>
<p>Also, if avoiding loans if very important to you (and I understand why it would be!) make sure to give your state's public universities a fair look. The cost is often lower, there are often merit scholarships for strong applicants, and they may have programs that appeal very strongly to you. Even though there still may be a loan component, overall your costs will likely be lower and perhaps you can avoid borrowing through a combination of scholarships, working part time through school, and your parents' support.</p>
<p>first off, i do not want to stay in my state, they have nothing for me here.
my parents have nothing to offer me either, except a cosigner for a loan(not gonna happen!) and i've applied to several scholarships and did not get any yet. so...</p>
<p>Sugarglider, 100% of need met means that the Cost of Attendance (COA=tuition+room+board+miscellaneous fees) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be completely covered by financial aid.</p>
<p>First important point: EFC is the amount your family is expected to pay. If your family refuses to pay this amount, or if it cannot do so without borrowing, that is an issue for you to consider. You will NOT be offered any money to pay for your EFC. If you have to borrow to pay it, this is over and above any loans in your financial aid package.</p>
<p>Second important point: Financial aid varies from school to school. If the school says it meets 100% of need, it can do so in several different ways. Some schools will meet it with all grants (free money). The majority will meet it by offering a combination of grants, work study (which you do not "get," but earn as you go if you work an on campus work study job), and loans (which you must pay back). Some schools will give you a minimal amount of loans & work study in your package; other schools will give you lots of loans & work study in your package.</p>
<p>Third important point: If the school has a no-loan policy, it is only no loans IN THE FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE. Again, if your family does not have the money to cover your EFC, you may have to borrow to come up with this money. </p>
<p>You NEVER have to accept loans. If you can pay what you have to pay without taking out the loans awarded in your package, that's great. However, if you decide not to take a loan, you are not going to get that money from the financial aid fairy ... it's take the loan or come up with the money somehow yourself.</p>
<p>there's a financial aid fairy kelsmom? nice to know...i'll pray to her tonight!</p>
<p>You'll find the financial aid fairy in the tree money grows on! :) Unfortunately, it's not in MY backyard.</p>
<p>i'm sure it's not</p>