<p>ED financial estimates should be mailed out this week to everyone who submitted them before winter break. Feel free to post your thoughts on your prospective financial package.</p>
<p>My estimate said I qualified for no need based aid. I’m not really surprised, I’m average/middle class, just disappointed because it’s going to be super expensive now 
But is there any way I could still get work study or other types of aid? I don’t really know how this works…</p>
<p>CMU claims to meet full need for ED applicants. This is as good as it gets for CMU students. So if your estimate shows that you did not qualify, no, you don’t get any work study. </p>
<p>However, you do qualify for $5500 in Stafford loans as freshman (goes up a little each year) if you are a US citizen or permanent resident, and CMU does have good opportunites for part time non work study jobs as well as work study. After freshman year, you can look for inexpensive off campus housing reducing some costs that way.</p>
<p>Yes, cptofthehouse is right. If a student does not qualify for financial aid work study they can still apply to those jobs that are not tied to federal/state funding. Go to the CMU work study site. What about summer savings from a job? My son was able to work last summer in a tech/design job and earned $5000. This summer they have asked him back and already signed a contract with them for even higher pay. If you are tech oriented you can start looking for a summer job in that field now and get a jump start. Good luck- BTW my son loves CMU.</p>
<p>What exactly is the financial aid process?
I thought that if their financial aid package was unrealistic, ED kids could reject their acceptance? But if the $8oo deposit is due before you get your estimate, what do you do?
Ah, help!</p>
<p>You need to call the admissison off ice and let them know if that you have not received your financial aid estimate. Yes, it the package is not acceptable, you are released from the ED contract. You also should discuss the the package if it is unacceptable. Run your numbers through CMU’s NPC and it should come close to what they offer if the info you sent them is similar. If not, you need to have a chat with finanical aid and admissions and find out what the problem is. You do need to resolve whether you are going to request release from the ED contract because a list is circulated to other colleges that you were accepted ED, and your applications could be flushed from consideration at those schools if you don’t get your release before then.</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses! I’ll definitely look into their other options for working on campus.</p>
<p>xGlassChild, I sent in my estimate form mid-December and heard back today. The deposit isn’t due yet (I haven’t paid) so you can hear back before you need to send that. I heard that you had until February to reject your acceptance due to finances.</p>