Let me know if this topic has already been covered. I ran the numbers at Harvard and Dartmouth and Harvard would offer way more aid to our family. Does FA usually turn out pretty close to the net price numbers?
Last two times, Harvard offer was best, but we did not run NPC that time, this time family contribution are as follows
Merit based schools (lowest) < in state school< HYP < MS < other ivies, Willams, Duke, WUSTL (without scholarships ) < oos schools (most expansives)
It depends. If your income is straight forward, i.e., no businesses, no rental property, parents married, then yes I think they are fairly accurate. If there is a family-owned business, divorce, etc., then it can get trickier.
1 Like
Thank you!
Harvard has FAR more generous need based aid than most other schools.
But then…you have to get accepted at Harvard which 95% of applicants don’t do
@thumper1 that is true, but YP are equally good with need based aid
@nynycasino1234 This poster didn’t mention Yale or Princeton.
Yes Mybad, I am just giving poster a picture about his or her options
Any and all information is welcome. My oldest child will be a senior in the fall and all of this is new to me.
@suzy100 is right. My family’s finances are straight forward. My D’s college FA and NPC were only $300 off!
OP, with my D who is now a college sophomore (and the same will be true for my current high school senior), I had a certain dollar amount I could pay each year for college. I made sure they both knew that. Then I ran the NPCs. If it returned an estimated family contribution that was within budget - and even 10K over - then that school stayed on the list. BUT - D knew that if she was admitted and the actual award was out of budget, then she would have to turn it down.
^^ (post 10) This is exactly how we did it too.
But we added that if difference between the budget and the actual award could be covered by Stafford loans, then it would be his decision. He chose a school with no loans in the end.