Anyone else found the IC NPC estimates WAY off? Same info entered on NPC and FAFSA/CSS and FA letter line item for Grants/Scholarship came back as barely HALF…contacted FA to try and understand and no reply, worried may have to break ED agreement. Any similar experiences? Denied all other scholarship apps onsite. 3.8 GPA with Senior grades Q1 and 33 Comp ACT; so confused.
@CollegeProspect7 - I have found the colleges my son has been accepted to, that the numbers have been off. Not half though. However, applying ED you have to be sure that you will be able to afford it. It is a gamble. That is why we didn’t apply ED, only EA. Your counselor should of had this conversation with you.
Our son’s grant amount was off by a good amount (the scholarship was accurate). He wrote an appeal which got the grant amount increased to just under what the NPC predicted.
Happened to me as well - my son applied early decision for Athletic Training - was accepted first week of November. I had done the NPC twice this year and both times gave us grants and scholarships of $30K per year. Our aid letter came in mid-December with $18K per year. It was a frantic week - I sent a letter of appeal to IC and they upped the scholarship amount by another $5K. Still makes Ithaca $41K a year. We declined the early decision acceptance and our son is going to George Mason (Virginia in-state for us) instead. We’re a little disappointed but that’s the nature of higher education now - if you’re middle class it’s very unlikely you can send your child out-of-state or private. Bottom line is my son is still very happy to be going to George Mason. My motives were more personal since I’m Ithaca class of 1992.
Yeah, that’s been our experience too although we’re waiting for decision from Ithaca. I wonder if private schools have mostly kids that are from wealthy families and kids from low income families with little in the middle. I will discourage my son from racking up an enormous debt for private school. It’s not just college costs that are problematic for the middle class, it’s alot of other things as well.
I’m curious how you were able to decline ED? Is it not “binding” at Ithaca? I have read that if there are financial issues you may be able to get out if it but I didn’t think they would accept simply not getting as much aid as you expected. I do understand needing aid and I worry that what schools determine we can afford will not be what we can actually afford, so I didn’t think we would be able to apply anywhere ED.
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Usually schools do make the best efforts to put together good financial aid package for Those accepted ED. A major purpose of ED is to get 100% yield. That the NPC for this school is that far off is a major problem. I urge all of those who went through this to complain bitterly, letting Admissions and the President’s office as the Financial Aid Officer.
Any and all. schools with NPCs that are way off should be told. I believe we have a list of How sccurate schools’ NPCs are. I urge all of you to add Your Ithaca College experience to that thread
I found Ithaca to be very close to the NPC that I filled out. I believe that part of the problem is that when you complete the FAFSA you are inputting additional and more accurate information then you had when you completed the NPC.
We just received the Ithaca’s financial aid letter and it is way off from the NPC. They offered a $15,000 scholarship + work study + loans. Th e NPC showed $28,300 scholarship + loans. I’m heartbroken because Ithaca is my daughter’s first choice school. Park Scholarship is a long shot, but I guess we can hope.
I’m sorry to hear that - did the letter come via snail mail or is it on their portal? Thanks