<p>does BU give a lot of money out?</p>
<p>To some people yes. To others no. So it totally depends on your circumstances and how they rank you in their pool for the college you're applying to. Some people are very happy with the aid and others aren't. BU has typically spent a larger % on aid but it remains to be seen how that will be affected by the current economic problems.</p>
<p>it all depends if they believe your parents are experiencing financial hardships, if you have other siblings in college, etc.</p>
<p>that being said, in a family of 4 from nj they felt like i had no need because my tuition would have only taken a little over half our combined income before taxes, so they gave me the dean's scholarship for $10,000 a year with no other aid</p>
<p>also, what i find ridiculous is that lets say, for example, that youre paying your own college and your parents refuse to pay, or you don't speak with your parents, etc. bu doesn't care and still takes your parents' income into account. also, with the recession, though they are trying to help more students with aid, they are also apparently suffering with their own revenue. i know lots of freshmen and sophomores that couldn't afford to come back to bu this semester.</p>
<p>I could tell you stories. The economic crisis is affecting vast numbers of people. It has also unfortunately hit colleges very hard, reducing their endowments substantially and reducing their alumni contributions.</p>
<p>And sadly, BUs endowment wasn't great to begin with. I personally have had a good experience with fin aid though. If you really think there's a problem, go talk to someone there. Not just the front desk person, but make an actual appointment with an advisor. I really think they try and do everything they can to help you out. And it never hurts to show them that you really do care about the school.</p>