How does financial aid change each year?

<p>My first semester was around 2k this first semester, which I could handle. My EFC was 0, I only managed to pay it because I have a small trust fund. I can only hope it'd stay relatively around 2k a semester (not including books). I don't expect my EFC to be changing from here to four years. But I know tuition goes up.</p>

<p>From your experience how much has financial aid changed through four years? Huge difference? Small?</p>

<p>Everyone’s situation is different but I can tell you that kids who get a lot of local high school scholarships for the first year can end up with thousands to pay for the next year of college. Then, when students are picking majors for their junior year, there seem to be more scholarships focusing on what they want to go into.</p>

<p>Schools reevaluate aid packages each year, based on EFC and the availability of funds. Most schools that offer merit scholarships in the first year guarantee them for subsequent years, unless the scholarship was identified as a one-year scholarship.</p>

<p>Need-based aid will likely change a bit each year, but for most schools, if the EFC remains similar, the need-based aid will remain similar from year to year. Some schools have a statement to that effect on their websites.</p>

<p>One thing that changes at some schools is the student contribution. This can increase each year by up a thousand dollars per year. Schools expect that students will be contributing an increasing amount to their college education each year.</p>

<p>Also…for merit aid…you need to check your GPA requirement to keep your merit aid and maintain that GPA…or you will lose merit funding.</p>

<p>Your EFC will be recalculated annually using your parent(s) income and assets from the previous year. </p>

<p>Another thing to look at…does your school guarantee to meet your need? if not, you could very well see a reduction in your need based aid in subsequent years regardless of your EFC.</p>