<p>I've just been accepted to Emory University for ED1. I cannot attend this college unless i recieve some sort of financial aid.So I applied for CSS PROFILE with my app and only recieved approx $1500. That is not nearly enought the amount i need. I cannot send in my deposit because i cannot afford the college. What should i do??</p>
<p>call up their financial aid office, i'm sure they'll be willing to work something out with you that's acceptable</p>
<p>do i still need to go to the school if i can't afford it?</p>
<p>Your situation is exactly why it's not a good idea to apply ED if financial aid will be important.</p>
<p>While it's possible to get out of ED for financial reasons, it can be very difficult. You will have to talk to the school, and you will have to hope that they don't think you are simply trying to back out of ED. From what I have heard, things can get very nasty in these situations because the college can let other colleges know you've backed out of ED and those other colleges may refuse to accept you.</p>
<p>Did you know the average amount of loan debt that US college students graduate is around $20 k? Is it possible for you to do what most college students do -- take out loans and work to help pay your share?</p>
<p>My advice would be to first talk to the financial aid office.</p>
<p>Well, MIss Northstar, I'd just like to say that I applied to only two colleges Emory and my state university. Although I will admit that the reason i applied to my state university was for the money, I don't think i've worked my butt off the past four years to go to the state university. I deserve to go to a top 20 school.Anyways, their financial aid office is closed until Jan 3rd so therefore if they refuse any aid i will pass all of the Jan 1st deadlines for schools.I have just been screwed by the system.=(</p>
<p>Yanks,
If you know that you need money and desperately want to go to a top 20, not your state school, then you, not the system, messed up by your decisions about how and where to apply.</p>
<p>You have not been screwed by the system, you screwed yourself so you might as well take responsibility for your actions.</p>
<p>It was you who decided to apply and commit to a school with a $41,000 price tag, without knowing 100% for sure if your family could / would pay for it .</p>
<p>So please explain how the system screwed you, as apparently , you were the one :</p>
<p>Who did not sit down and talk with your parents to find out what they could afford or were willing to pay for your education, or if they did tell you, then you took it upon your self not to listen or take what they said seriously. Since Emory gives need based financial aid, and they only gave you $1500, the school must believe that your parents have the money/resources to pay. However there must be a glich in your thinking because your parents have decided that they can't or won't write the check for the other $40,000</p>
<p>Did not do adequate research on financial aid at Emory and how you fit in the equation.</p>
<p>The system did not make you sign the acknowledgement that when you apply ED, you are basically saying that if admitted, you will attend (and essentially money is not a problem). n So what we see here that you really needed to compare packages, which you now cannot do and as part of the ED commitment, you must withdraw your other application.</p>
<p>Granted, you may have worked your butt off, but you did not make good choices regarding reach, match and safey schools including a school which you would want to attend that is also a financial safety.</p>
<p>Now you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, because the school really has no vested interest to negotiate anything with you as you have already committed to attend. </p>
<p>Sure they can throw the $40,000 balance at you in loans, but I would suggest start looking at some outside scholarships, speaking with your parents again to find out what they can pay, or defer a year so that you can work and earn some money.</p>
<p>You are now a classic example of what happens when someone applies ED, gets accepted, and can't afford to pay- you still end up by your own hand without a school</p>
<p>You shouldn't worry about it too much, you really have worked like hell for the past four years. Elite schools are not just for the wealthy, I'm in the same boat as you, middle class, accepted to NYU ED. they gave me money, but we still have a balance of about 21K to pay. it's possible. it's been done. This is your decision and your reward, don't let yourself feel defeated. Get a fastweb account and apply to as many scholarships as youu qualify for, no matter how annoying or tedious they are. Don't stop at 10, 20, or 30, keep applying til you've ammassed so many that you're sure to get something. that's what I've done in spite of my busy schedule. Don't be afraid.</p>
<p>Also, loans can be your friends to a certain extent. Yes, after college you will probably ahve some bills to pay. But isn't a quality education the best thing you can invest money in? If you are as succesful as you hope than you'll easily pay the loans off later. Just be smart about things.</p>
<p>Congratulations on being accepted into Emory, send in your deposit, and have faith, if you don't belive in God, then have faith in yourself. Don't let the negative paranoia of those around you deter you from your dream. If you want it, take it.</p>
<p>P.S. It couldn't hurt to apply to your other schools out of good faith.</p>
<p>Listen i'm just too sad and bitter about this whole situation, and don't want to create any fights. I did apply there knowing full well that I could not afford it, but i just thought it might work itself out , but it hasnt. i'm just stuck now and dont know what to do. I've took the advice and critisicms into consideration, any other help is appreciated.</p>
<p>The very thought of being 22 years old and having $160, 000 of debt can be very daunting. But as kyjones05 did state that you are investing in your self. If Emory is the school of your dreams then attend, however you really should start looking at options such as a part time job now and full time even 2 jobs in the summer. </p>
<p>You really have to sit down and talk this over with your parents.
If your parents are wiling to take a home equity loan for your tuition, at least they are getting to write off the interest on their taxes. If you are still getting gifts for the holidays, birthdays, graduation, etc let people know that you need $</p>
<p>Apply for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. Do you know if youare in the running for any of the emory scholars scholarships? Call the financial aid office at Emory on monday. What is the worse that could happen, they tell you now and nothing has changed. The first year is going to be the hardest, because next year you could consider becoming an RA, where your rom will be covered and you will get a stipend.</p>
<p>I think the most important question is how much money do your parents make, Mr. Yanks? If your parents don't make that much and don't have much savings, call up the fin aid dept for an explanation. Did you complete the FASFA and the CSS Profile? Did you get any red flags or warnings there as to your EFC? It shouldn't really be much of a surprise.</p>
<p>I filled out CSS PROFILE And that is how emory made the decision to give me 1500 in loans. the problem is that my father had lost his job last year and recieved a very high severence package which immediately jumped his income for the one year. This was all clearly explained on the CSS PROFILE. And the extra income recieved was all quckly used in my father's new startup small business. FAFSA will be compleeted next week, but i won't know how much money i get from that for a while and i have to reply to emory by jan 15th.I will also be applying for scholarships , but once again i won't know if i have recieved enough money by the jan 15th deadline. So right now i just have to wait until jan 3rd (opening day for financial aid office) too see what i have to do. I have talked to my parents and they said they can afford 20,000 so that leaves me with an extra 20,000 to find. but the one problem is my parents will not let me take out loans because they believe i will not be able to pay them off in any reasonable time, and that i am too young to decide that on my own. btw thanks for advice</p>
<p>Good luck! There is a chance that Emory's financial aid office will change your package after your parents talk to them. </p>
<p>I agree with your parents that $20 k a year is too much for you to take out in loans.</p>
<p>Do you have any extended family who could help? </p>
<p>I also hope you're following others' suggestions to apply for outside scholarships. Typically, the most scholarships are available for h.s. seniors and for the senior year in college for students in certain specialties (education, journalism, business, agriculture, usually not the humanities or social sciences).</p>
<p>That would have been helpful information in the first post, Yank. If you do choose to go to Emory, the financial package will definitely be different (I assume more favorable) next year since you have to file new forms each year. So if you think he'll be doing good next year and his income won't be that high again (would be helpful to see some numbers), maybe Emory isn't completely out of reach.</p>
<p>I will apply to as many outside scholarships that i can over the next week unitl the financial aid office opens. I will update then on the situation, after we have talked to them. the help was greatly appreciated.</p>