How good is Financial Aid?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>So I've been hanging out some on Thick Envelope, Chicago's admitted students site. There's actually a pretty substantial topic about the dearth of financial aid from Chicago. Quite a few students are being forced to turn down Chicago because of the financial situation. </p>

<p>I called the financial aid office (who was quite rude, though maybe understandable at this time of the year), and apparently their formula goes by the FAFSA EFC. Now my EFC is sky high (in the 50,000s), but I did qualify for financial aid at another college, little as it was, at least it was aid.</p>

<p>What has your experiences with Chicago's FA office been like? My overall impression is that they are not particularly generous or very flexible. </p>

<p>I personally love Chicago, but I will probably be going elsewhere for financial reasons too.</p>

2

<p>I don't think its just Chicago. If your EFC is at a certain level(like yours) you simply are not going to qualify for financial aid at any of the highly ranked private schools.</p>

3

<p>Actually, I did qualify for financial aid at another highly ranked private school. Chicago was unwilling to even match the offer.</p>

4

<p>Chicago is not good in this regard in my opinion.</p>

5

<p>Given that I'm getting $15000 more financial aid per year at Williams, I wouldn't consider Chicago good in this respect.</p>

6

<p>unfortunately, this was the case for us as well. the people at the financial aid office [ incontrast to those at admissions] were rude, and would not consider any outside circumstances at all.</p>

7

<p>My mother called financial aid and the people were quite rude.</p>

8

<p>The aid package we recieved with my son's EA admittance was very poor. I went ahead and called the Aid Office and, while they were not the friendliest bunch I've ever run into, they did suggest that I write a letter with my final tax return submission explaining why I didn't think home equity should be counted in our EFC calculation. Low and behold, when the aid package arrived last week UC had removed that component. Now Chicago's aid is better than the other private schools son was considering - Carleton and Grinnell.</p>

9

<p>SBDAD, would it be possible for you to PM me with the approximate wording re:home equity that you used in that letter? I would sure appreciate it!</p>

10

<p>Wow, good question! I have been very unhappy with Chicago's financial aid office. At this point, he's admitted but <em>still</em> doesn't have a financial aid award. The situation is that he's estranged from his father, who is chronically unemployed anyway. As a result, we've had to request waiving the non-custodial parent forms at the schools he applied to. </p>

<p>Some schools requested a letter explaining the situation. Some requested a letter and some documention. Chicago was alone in demanding a letter, documentation, and a separate "third party letter" from a limited set of individuals -- not a family friend, not a lawyer, etc -- to further confirm the situation. Whenever I wrote back to try and discuss this with them, they sent back a form response that said, "send two letters..." and nothing else. </p>

<p>But more than just demanding the letter, the office has had a rude tone in their emails. They don't return calls. Son even went to see them in person while he was visiting last week, and they were still very unhelpful. All of this has really been a shame, because they were one of his first choice schools and he was really excited about attending. But you know, when you get one acceptance with a financial aid offer, and another acceptance with no word on aid, and the school saying, "it will take at least 3 more weeks to decide, and we never waive noncustodial parent information, anyway", it's not that hard a decision. </p>

<p>Yesterday Chicago sent another form email, saying it was "urgent" that we get them documentation that I had sent over a week ago. I wrote back and explained that we were very disappointed with their office, and that their rigidity had pretty much cost them son as a student. The thing is, I am pretty clear based on their behavior than when/if we do get an award, it will be smaller than the one we got from son's other top choice. Why wait around for 3 weeks for that? Son is accepting the other school's offer instead. </p>

<p>To contrast, the other top choice has been a dream. I sent an email early in the admissions process explaining the financial situation with non-custodial parent. They said, "Okay, we'll forward the letter to financial aid, and they will contact you if they need anything else." Admission letter came with full ride financial aid award, and they have been a dream to work with since then.</p>

11

<p>What the hell is wrong with with the financial aid office anyway? I think some people need to be fired.</p>

<p>I'm going to have to pay $20,000/year to attend, despite the fact that my father isn't paying a cent and my mother makes $17,000/year. I'm going to try to pull it out, but sometimes I wonder if I can. Purdue gave me a full ride and $3,000/year personal allowance and Chicago's giving me hardly anything considering my financial state.</p>

<p>Although I've already applied for housing at Chicago and I've payed $350 to get in, I'm really considering taking out my application, losing the $350, and getting into Purdue. UChicago's financial aid office sounds like it needs to grow up.</p>

12

<p>Send Michael Behnke an e-mail with your complaints-- he oversees both the admissions office and the financial aid office. Obviously, the University has the decision to award as little (or as much) money as it seems fit, but they should be answering phone calls and e-mails, and they should treat students and parents with decency and respect:</p>

<p><a href="http://orgchart.uchicago.edu/bios/behnke.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://orgchart.uchicago.edu/bios/behnke.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

13

<p>phuriku, so you know, even though the deposit is referred to as "non-refundable," you can actually get your money back. In the fine print they say that as long as you submit a written request to have your money returned by a certain date (I think it's may 1, but you should check) that they would comply. Just so you know, in case you do go that route</p>

14

<p>I'm sure most know this, but it should be pointed out the need-based award and the merit awards are not additive. Merit is subtracted from Need. However, the loan, work-study, and student contributions of the need package may be reduced by the merit award. That is, if the need award is $15,000 with $5000 in loans, ws, and student contribution, and the merit award is for $10,000, then the remaining $5000 of the need award will have no loans, etc. This in effect, may make meeting the EFC a little easier since loans and work-study can still be obtained.</p>

15

<p>They screwed me over on financial aid. My first choice school, and they want far more than my parents are willing to pay, or even take the loans for.</p>

16

<p>idad: Yup, that's true. Our problem is that we're an EFC=0 family, and the overall feeling has been that they accepted son, but are being difficult just to avoid having to enroll at that level. I know that's probably not true, but it's certainly what it feels like.</p>

17

<p>My mom makes <10,000 and I have to pay every cent of 50,000 dollars from my own inheritence.</p>

18

<p>Out of the 5 families that I know personally who have faced this stinky/no aid from U of C, ours was the only one that said "no" and went somewhere else. The other 4 families sent mom back to work, mtged the house, put the kid to work AND went to the bank and borrowed extra $$ to pay their EFC. Two of the 4 were NMFs. As long as they can fill their freshman class with top notch kids who will do whatever it takes to pay full freight there is no incentive to give an inch on the finaid pkg.</p>

19

<p>"The other 4 families sent mom back to work, mtged the house, put the kid to work AND went to the bank and borrowed extra $$ to pay their EFC. "</p>

<p>So, what's the problem with a mom working? Also - it is my strong feeling that kids SHOULD work for their own education.</p>

<p>FWIW, the college's packet was as expected for us, and the grant aid did increase last year with the tuition increase.</p>

20

<p>I am afraid if I go to UChi, my family will end up like what mercymom described. I really want to go to UChi but i just don't think it is worth it to walk out of school with 50k-100k in loans and would probably be better to go to my state school.</p>