<p>I'm applying as a transfer student, and I am a little concerned about how much grant money I will receive from my schools. Unfortunately, I will not be receiving any scholarships as a transfer, so I'm relying on grant money. I live with my mom and she only makes around 30k, but my dad makes around 180k. How much will his salary affect my EFC? Do colleges consider the custodial parent more than the noncustodial? My top choice is Lehigh, and they cover 97% of the EFC and I'd like to receive a decent amount of grant money. Last year Villanova offered me a $30,000 grant despite my father's high salary, so I hope it does not lower my chance at good financial aid. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>For the most part, schools that require FAFSA only will not ask to see noncustodial parent (NCP) info. Different story with schools that require the CSS Profile - most of those will want NCP financial data. Here’s the list of schools that require Profile:</p>
<p><a href=“CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board”>CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board;
<p>Be aware, though, that some of the schools that indicate that they do NOT require the Profile NCP form may actually have their own NCP form.</p>
<p>I’m aware of that, but my schools DO require the NCP and I’m just curious to how much weight the NCP carries when it comes to calculating how much many I should recieve</p>
<p>It’s going to count for a lot, I’m afraid. There is some built in allowance to take a little bit of account of the fact that there are two households here, but that NCP income is likely to kill much chance of financial aid Your father is going to be expected to contribute to your college in accordance to his financial situation and he is likely to be expected to contribute a lot. You may not get any financial aid with that income from a parent, even a NCP.</p>
<p>I don’t know on what basis Villanove gave you $30K either. Does there financial aid use NCP financials? Is that $30K a scholarship or financial aid? Not that it matters, as we are now talking transfer student, which usually means less funds available since the allocations for transfers usually come after the first year students which are the prime focus, and the returning students which a school tries to keep comparable aid packages each year. Even many of those schools that guarantee to meet full need for students, exclude transfers in that guarantee. </p>
<p>It will depend upon the school, but my cousin’s son got zip from schools that had some decent aid packages for him as a freshman, when he tried to transfer. </p>
<p>In direct answer to your questions, the NCP financials carry A LOT of weight.</p>
<p>It all depends on the school. Even schools that require the non-custodial information use it differently. You might want to send a PM to NewEnglandMother…or maybe it’s NewEnglandMom. She has good experience with this issue and can advise!</p>
<p>Did you run your numbers through Lehigh’s financial aid calculator?
because Lehigh takes into consideration the income/assets of both parents, you will not be eligible for any low income initiatives (no loans for families making under 50k) despite the fact that your mom only makes 30k. </p>
<p>lehigh states:
</p>
<p>At the end of the day, you know that your dad will have to pay something; how much is he willing to pay?</p>
<p>* I live with my mom and she only makes around 30k, but my dad makes around 180k.*</p>
<p>Obviously, schools that require NCP info will expect your dad to pay a LOT…likely the entire amount. NCPs are not considered to be “lesser parents” by these schools. These schools look for deep pockets and your dad’s income is a source.</p>
<p>Also, does your dad pay your mom substantial child/spousal support (god, I hope so with his income!). If so, is that included on your FAFSA? </p>
<p>How much will your dad pay each year towards college?</p>
<p>As a transfer, you’re not likely going to get a great aid offer. Don’t cut ties with Fordham until you’ve seen the aid offer.</p>
<p>(It annoys me to see income differences like this knowing that FAFSA isn’t using the dad’s very high income. I just hope he pays a LOT in taxes to cover whatever taxpayer-freebies his kids qualify for.)</p>
<p>Cpn…nova does require NCP info…I wonder if last year’s aid offer included merit.</p>
<p>When a school mixes merit with financial aid in their packages, it’s hard to see what they defined as their need as they often don’t give out that figure, I’ve notices. WIth a custodial parent earning in the $30K range, the OP would have had a low EFC which does NOT take NCP financials into account. He could have been eligible for PELL and all the federal financial goodies. He also good have been a good catch in Nova’s eyes and gotten a nice merit award. So, his package would be a mixed bag of PELL, loans, maybe even work study based on the FAFSA EFC, but not eligible to get a cent out of the PROFILE based financial aid of Nova and like schools, but got a scholarship purely merit based.</p>
<p>The same might happen with him with Lehigh or other such schools. IF the FAFSA EFC is very low, he would be eligible for federal funds . But the school would define his need using PROFILE and NCP info and IMO would come up with a big fat goose egg in that department. So the PELL would be guaranteed, as would be subsidized and unsub Staffords. How schools determine eligibility for Perkins, Seog and Work Study, I don’t know–whether the student has to meet school need eligibility for such funds or just make the FAFSA EFC threshholds. One thng for sure, he ain’t gonna get school funds with a parent making close to $200K unless there are some serious reductions in that figure to what is reported as the AGI on the tax returns.</p>
<p>OP, be aware that Lehigh happened to have covered 97% of NEED AS THEY DEFINE IT, for freshman in a given year, but does not guarantee to do so, and they did NOT cover 97% of EFC. EFC is a FAFSA term, that is a number that makes you eligible for Federal AId at certain thresh holds. The schools that tend to be the most generous with financial aid use their Family Contribution numbers and most of them are higher than the FAFSA EFC because they do tend to include NPC finances, primary home equity and often require a minimum student contribution regardless of whether the student makes and has nothing. That’s only some of the differences, and there are a lot more, which makes just paying the FAFSA EFC a rare event unless you get merit money.</p>
<p>thanks everyone for your responses. One thing I’ll add is that with Villanova last year the 30k I received was the “Villanova Grant,” and I assumed that that money was not merit based since it was called a grant. Receiving a 30k was very surprising because Boston College told me that my dad made too much money to give me any type of institutional grant money…so I’m assuming that this year as a transfer student I may be in the same boat with Lehigh…unfortunately</p>
<p>The Villanova Grant is need based in that you have to have financial need in order to get it. But it is not a dollar for dollar need grant. It’s a merit within need awards which some schools have in order to entice the most promising students. At some schools just qualifying for a dollar of financial aid will make you eligible for certain grants that end up paying for more than the need. </p>
<p>It seems to me that you were a very highly desired student freshman year with a number of selective schools offering you admissions and funds. You are going to find that this is not going to be the case as a transfer student. Some schools will meet full need for transfers but with your father’s income where it is, that need is likely to be small. And as said before many schools tat do meet full need for UGs will not extend the same for transfers. The pickings are definitely slimmer for transfer students, with few grants out there as well. </p>
<p>The term “Grant” is often used for merit awards as well, but in the case of the Villanova Grant, there is a need component to it… It is one of those hybrid products.</p>
<p>The other thing that you need to keep in mind is that you are not applying to Villanova but to non Catholic schools that use a whole different methodology in calculating need. Villanova, BC, Fordham have some similarities as they do have overlapping applicants and they compete for them My guess is that BC did not give you anything, Villanova gave you the $30k and Fordham beat them out with their merit award. That’s the way it usually works. I know many kids who apply to that sequence of schools, as my high schooler will also be doing the same.</p>
<p>well thank you for your insight you were really helpful. so basically im looking at full tuition without the scholarships this time around</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>You can expect to pay all costs.</p>
<p>What is your merit offer from Fordham that you currently have? </p>
<p>How much is your dad paying towards Fordham’s costs.</p>
<p>How much will your dad pay if you leave Fordham and attend another school.</p>
<p>Why don’t you like fordham?</p>
<p>I am sorry that you don’t like Fordham. Is there a possibility that you can move to the Lincoln Center campus (or vice versa to RH if you are at LC already)? That will give you a whole other experience. Talk to someone at the school and see what options there are for you. Also go on ahead and give it ago—this is just an internet board, and sometimes things do happen that are not typical of our experiences. I was sure a kid wouldn’t likely clear a wait list once at a school I well know, as she had financial need and the school was not need blind, did not meet need even for its regular admissions students. Danged if she did not only clear the waitlist but got a full need package! So it give it a go, but understand that as a transfer you are at a disadvantage. You can also look for departmental transfer awards at some of your schools. Ask and scour the websites for info. You might as well give it a go. But understand, getting the kind of money you want when you are not going to have need as a transer is not likely.</p>