My kid is a junior in high school. Swarthmore is high on the list, high enough that we’re considering ED. However, the EFC calculated a scary big number with the numbers I put in for our finances. If we submit an ED application and the financial aid comes out less than what the EFC showed me, well, that would be a pretty awful family conference.
Those of you who went through Swat ED, did your financial aid amount come anywhere near what the online calculator told you? If it was inaccurate, was it high or low?
I don’t want to know your secret personal finances so no need to share exact dollars, but if you can give me a rough idea that would be helpful.
The EFC calculated through Swarthmore’s NPC for our middle class family was the lowest of any of the high academic LAC’s, and by a good amount. Next lowest was Amherst, then the Middlebury’s, Carleton’s, etc…
I would be very surprised to find the cost of attending Swarthmore to be more than any of it’s peers, and would guess that it would be less than most. It has a healthy endowment.
@ninakatarina I was just admitted to Swarthmore through Fall Early Decision, and my family was also concerned about financial aid. However, I second what @57special said, and Swarthmore’s aid award has made it feasible for me to attend next year. Our family reached out to the financial aid office to discuss relevant circumstances as well, and they were very helpful.