<p>For need-blind financial aid, what do they look at? just parents' income? anything else?
If my parents make about 60K, about how much do you think I'll be able to get for financial aid?
and need-blind financial aid should be about the same amount for most colleges... right? =/</p>
<p>Sorry, I'm REALLY not familiar with how financial aids work so if anything I asked was kind of silly.. well, then you'll know how clueless I actually am >.<"</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>If the financial aid is need-blind, it's not financial aid, it's merit aid, and it doesn't look at 'need' at all. It would be based on merit only, like grades and test scores.</p>
<p>To clarify, I think what you are referring to is 'need-blind ADMISSIONS', which means they would admit you without regard to your financial situation. To get an estimate of what your aid package MIGHT look like, run some estimators at finaid.org or a site like that. </p>
<p>Different schools will look at your finances in different ways, so your packages may not be the same at all schools.</p>
<p>OH</p>
<p>wow, sorry, i totally didn't know that.. so do most schools do need-blind admission?
I noticed people tend to favor need-blind admissions, do the colleges tend to discriminate against poorer families or something if they're not need-blind? as in the student from wealthy family has a better chance of getting in than one from unwealthy family?
is that what "need-blind" is used against?</p>
<p>Thank you for correcting me btw! =D</p>
<p>Need-blind admissions means that the decision to admit you (or not) to the college is separate from the decision to award (or not) financial aid. In other words there is a clear two-step process.</p>
<p>You can be admitted under need-blind admissions and not be awarded a cent of financial aid, and not a cent of merit-based scholarship money. Then, if you decide to go to that college you will have to scrape all the money up from somewhere yourself.</p>
<p>You can also be admitted under need-blind admissions, and then when they pass your paperwork over to the financial aid office and/or scholarship offices, those folks will figure out that you are incredibly poor and/or incredibly smart and/or incredibly desirable because of some special hobby/interest/academic goal/athletic skill/you-name-it and throw tons of money at you.</p>
<p>A college that takes need into account in the admission process will run the numbers to see how much financial aid you need, and will take that information into account in deciding whether to admit you or not. If you are too expensive for them, or if they have run out of money before they get to you, you won't be admitted. In this case, a student who won't need financial aid will indeed have a better chance of being admitted. But, think about it, would you want to go to a school that has that kind of attitude anyway?</p>
<p>As jude_36 advises, go run the calculators at FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans and see what your family is likely to be expected to be able to pay (EFC).</p>
<p>I suggest borrowing the book Paying for College Without Going Broke 2008 and reading past threads on this board. You will be up to speed in no time with a bit of research.</p>
<p>A few things that are important to know right up front -- your EFC (the expected family contribution) is based on your parents income and assets and your income and assets. It is almost always much higher than you expect and than seems possible to pay. </p>
<p>Very few schools actually meet your "need". Most school gap -- meaning that they do award you some money, but not enough to cover your need. so you not only have to pay the EFC but you also have to pay the gapped amount.</p>
<p>Almost all financial aid packages will include loans (and for many, it will be mainly loans) and work-study. </p>
<p>Many high school counselors are not fully informed when it comes to college financial aid -- and students are often told to "apply whereever and the money will work out". It frequently doesn't -- so you really need to know BEFORE you apply to colleges what your strategy will be.</p>
<p>And finally (since this seems to always come up) you cannot file as an independent student for financial aid until you are 24, married, have a child, are an orphan or ward of the state or are a veteran. It doesn't matter if you support yourself, if your parents don't want to pay or refuse to pay or if you file your taxes as an independent.</p>