<p>Hi,
Our efc is 30,000, which completely shocked us. The most we can do, is 18K ish, and at some point we will refinance our house, because we can do that for only one year and then our savings is wiped out. Does Holy Cross entertain letters of extenuating circumstances that would lowere the efc? Things such as paying catholic high school tuition, interest from savings bonds used to pay bills that is considered income, retroactive pay, etc.
Thanks.</p>
<p>I’m an alum and the father of an alum. I can’t speak for the HC administration but I’d certainly make the effort that you are outlining. I believe HC has a sgtrong record of meeting 100% of student need, so I’d give it a shot. It’s a fantastic college and I hope things will work out for your family.</p>
<p>Thanks KY Crusader 75.</p>
<p>Is this from the federal or institutional method. The institutional one (the CSS Profile) takes into account how much you have in savings or your expenses, such as private high school tuition. In the end you still may have to take out loans, but even if you have to take out 15k in loans per year, you would be paying the price of a public college for a Holy Cross education.</p>
<p>When was CSS due?
Are there any other financial aid options or scholarships that can be filled out in the upcoming weeks?</p>
<p>I have another question regarding financial aid. I was waitlisted. Do absolutely no waitlisted acceptees receive financial aid, or is the college just very selective with who they give it to?</p>
<p>Hey KY - we received acceptance but didn’t hear anything re: FA - In your experience, are notices part of a separate mailing? or, should i presume that silence = no FA?
Thanks.</p>
<p>[btw - you are my most quoted post when making the case for HC to my daughter - Keep it coming!]</p>
<p>Is there any wiggle room with HC financial aid? I have a daughter that received better aid at other schools, but really would like to attend HC. Would that matter at all, or are they strictly, by your EFC?</p>
<p>No wiggle room, one school’s full-need is not another’s. Well, at least I know for us, that it will stay the same (or get worse) It’s funny though, how full-need varies so at different college. Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Holy Cross, Yale, etc. all figure it out differently. I don’t think we had one amount that was the same.</p>
<p>Hi Deburns–Sorry to hear you were not happy with your FA package at HC. Has your daughter choosen another school?</p>
<p>No, it will probably be there. Marist beat the package there and St. Joe’s and she got into UPenn (a big reach) but doesn’t really want to go there and the FA was delayed. (She applied because her GC thought it was a good idea) I will see what I can work out. We will definitely visit again because I want her to be REALLY sure and visit a couple more. Her ideal is a LAC, preferably Jesuit with rigourous academics but enough time for fun too.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no wiggle room. They say they meet 100% demonstrated need but that is totally subjective. S will go to Fordham which offered a much more generous package. Plus I really can’t see what a degree from HC will do for him that Fordham won’t. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I think both are fine colleges, Fordham is just larger. What area does he want to study?
My daughter was visit HC again (Fordham aid wasn’t very good) but she liked the atmosphere and feel of it, the Bronx was “okay” but the city was never a draw for her, especially in the warm weather with her asthma and allergies.</p>
<p>pick fordham! honestly, holy cross has this notion that it outshines other schools, and thus is not compelled to offer a particularly strenuous financial aid package. if it comes down to money, go with the cheaper school. there is nothing that holy cross can offer that fordham cannot - nothing!</p>
<p>funny your user name is “hchchc” …seems like you like Holy Cross!!!</p>
<p>Fordham was more generous in their package. Holy Cross stated they do not take into consideration that a family pays catholic high school tuition for other family members, but fordham does. It was pretty disappointing.</p>
<p>Mary, I got that too, I was told it was my choice and that I lived in a good school district and didn’t have to send my S and D to Catholic school. I sort of felt penalized for it, I thought that would be an advantage, seeing that HC is a Catholic college! I was really shocked and disappointed.</p>
<p>Fordham didn’t care 4 years ago, that I paid for Catholic high school. Holy Cross back then, actually gave us more for my son, second to Drew. I guess it is different family by family. And, we did live in an area of schools not rated well…
I can understand Holy Cross to some degree, although some parents, including myself, do want a Catholic education, a lot of families choose it because of inferior schools.
Just as I was told, my working part time and keeping a job that paid less for family reasons,when my children were younger,was a “choice” by some colleges. I suppose Catholic school when you live in a nice area, is a “choice” too.
Both schools are nice though, I’m glad one came through for you.</p>
<p>We live in very good school district so yes, Catholic school was a choice but I am still surprised that a Jesuit college would not consider it when calculating a financial aid package. And you say Fordham would not consider it for you, so it does make you wonder how subjective the schools are when they consider special circumstances. When we asked HC for a review of our package, we had several items that might be considered, but the reply was “no change”. Well, it’s our first one through the college process and it’s been quite the learning experience! But the bottom line is, we could not sustain tuition at HC for all four years, but Fordham’s extra makes it a stretch but possible.</p>
<p>I know what you mean. We had with my son and now my daughters, an “easy” pay college (for lack of a better word) an couple of “stretch” schools and quite a few “no way!” schools. 
Sometimes you just don’t know why a school does what it does and you just move on. My daughters had between them over 5 full need schools and 5 varying packages, all the same paperwork.
I am SO glad this is my last ride. : )</p>