<p>One of my top choices for college is Reed, but its financial aid comes up pretty short. Are there any LACs with really solid aid? My goal for undergrad is to avoid debt altogether, if possible. My criteria includes really solid academics and, preferably, a student body that's on the liberal side. Thanks</p>
<p>Carlton College has “really solid academics” and a mostly liberal student body. Its financial aid packages are fairly generous, but they do include loans:</p>
<p>[Carleton</a> College: Admissions: Affording Carleton](<a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/afford/]Carleton”>http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/afford/)</p>
<p>Are you looking for need-based aid or merit aid? What is your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?</p>
<p>In general, the most selective LACs (like the most selective private universities) have the best need-based aid, but do not grant merit aid. As you go down a notch in selectivity, fewer schools are need-blind, no-loan, and meet 100% of need. However, many of these schools do grant merit aid. </p>
<p>Check out Grinnell College, which is rather generous with both need-based and merit aid. Other possibilities include Davidson and Rice (but Grinnell may be closer to the atmosphere you’re after.)</p>
<p>I second Grinnell. And check out Macalester, if you want a more urban environment.</p>
<p>Swarthmore seems to have a loan-free policy, and if you like Reed you might like Swarthmore as well.</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Financial Aid :: More about Swarthmore’s <br>Expanded Financial Aid Program](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x16525.xml]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/x16525.xml)</p>
<p>No merit aid, though, and very competitive admissions.</p>
<p>A lot of the top LACs give very good financial aid. Colgate, Haverford, Hamilton, and Lafayette all gave me generous aid, and I’m sure many others do as well.</p>
<p>Holy Cross like the Ivies is need-blind. Also Bowdoin and Davidson.</p>
<p>Many LACs indeed give good financial aid. However, we learned through my son’s experience that just because an LAC claims to be “no loan” or has a reputation of being generous, does not mean that it’s offer will be good as to any particular student. It all depends on how that school calculates your EFC, and colleges vary greatly in this. I therefore recommend that you apply to several good LACs and then compare the financial aid packages if/when they arrive.</p>
<p>We would need to know what you mean by your aid comes up short. Reed offers good need based aid. Do you mean you qualify for little need based aid and need merit aid? If so, we need to know your grades and scores to advise you.</p>
<p>^ Agree with Redroses. Reed meets full need and the average award was $35K last year (though self help and loans are also used). I have to wonder if what need you qualify for. If you’re truly looking for a school that doesn’t use loans to fill need that narrows the list to a small number.</p>
<p>Look at elite LACs like Bowdoin, Pomona, Middlebury. They provide no loan, need based only, full meet and blind admissions. Colby does as well.</p>
<p>“One of my top choices for college is Reed, but its financial aid comes up pretty short.”</p>
<p>A school meeting full need comes up “pretty short?” Yikes.</p>
<p>One reason some schools (especially those with limited endowments) use student loans (at around 10% of cost) is to be able to offer aid to more students. If you’re one of those additional theoretical 10% of students receiving aid (but, of course, there’s no way to say if you are one of them) because of loans, thus making attendance possible, you should be quite happy to have the rest of your need met.</p>
<p>Rejecting whatever school is your top choice because of 10% loans seems counter-intuitive (but if only one of your top choices, it’s one of many influencing factors).</p>
<p>We found that the need-based aid at 100% need met schools varied by as much as 25K/year. I also don’t think it’s the same across the board. The school that gave my d less aid may give more aid to another student. You have to cast a wide net.</p>
<p>“Preferential Packaging” comes to mind. How badly do they want you to enroll? </p>
<p>An applicant they are really trying to get to enroll may have more Grant $'s or Merit $'s and less in loans, than say, an applicant who is not as desirable. </p>
<p>“Enrollment Managers” who are at many schools have a great job description: It is their job to determine how to get you to enroll while giving you the least amount of money!</p>
<p>On a school’s website, do “search” on “Enrollment Manager” if one shows up in your search, you will know the College/University employs an Enrollment Manager who works very closely with Financial Aid & Admissions. </p>
<p>Once you have the name of the Enrollment Manager you can “google” them with the name of the school, see if they have attended any of their seminars/conferences in their line of work! You can see what professional organizations the school belongs to in regards to “Enrollment Management.”</p>