Need-based aid at Oxy?

<p>So I'm sort of confused...here's my approximate aid offer for the next school year from Oxy, in a nutshell:</p>

<p>Dean's Scholarship (merit aid) - $10k
Governmental Grants - $15k total
Work Study - $3k
Governmental Loans - $30k total</p>

<p>Total Cost/year - $58k</p>

<p>I'm obviously freaked out, because I really wanted to go to Oxy for so many reasons, but I know I'll never be able to do so by taking out $30k in loans for freshman year alone. My family would be considered lower middle class, so this is the bulk of what my parents even make a year... It's also suspicious that I got so much government need-based grant aid but none from the school--am I missing something?
Since Oxy was the only private school which I both applied and got accepted to: is this the norm? Why would they bother accepting me if they gave me an option they know I couldn't accept? I'm not an international student, and I'm a first-time freshmen. Should I call them about this? I don't mean to sound nosy, but what did everyone else get, and are they having the same issue?</p>

<p>Thank you guys for reading/responding; that means a lot to me.</p>

<p>Yes I think it is the norm. I am sorry that you were disappointed with your aid package. Everything about OXY is wonderful except their Financial Aid Office-I wish my son had never applied because he really would have loved to attend. Like you he received merit aid and loans. Fortunately other private colleges are more reasonable with their grant money especially when it comes to home equity and extenuating circumstances. My advice is if you don’t want to get saddled with loans don’t bother attending but you should at least call them and ask for a reconsideration. And please as a warning to other parents don’t bother having your child apply here unless you have ZERO home equity, have nothing in a 401 K, and don’t mind putting your student into debt for the rest of their life! Good luck everary! I think OXY is going to be VERY surprised on May 1st when they see how many students rejected them due to the dismal financial aid they offered.</p>

<p>I’m sorry that both of you were so disappointed in your financial aid packages. I’m a current Oxy student and Oxy was insanely generous with my financial package and basically covered all expenses (with small loans). I don’t think Oxy is ungenerous at all with their financial aid, and I meet more and more people all the time who go here because of their financial aid offer was so wonderful. Just my personal experience.</p>

<p>*spelling typo in first post: I’m a freshman, not a freshmen</p>

<p>Thank you for both of your responses~ I sent them an email, though I probably should’ve called. If I get an update I’ll post here…my guess is that they probably use some sort of equation that calculates financial need, and my family must’ve been disqualified from institutional aid in some way (unless me submitting my financial aid forms last-minute–but still in time for the deadlines–had anything to do with it).</p>

<p>I received great financial aid from Oxy. It’s one of the top reasons that I really am excited to go. Only thing is, most of my aid is need-based with only 5000 in merit and 3000 in loans and I think having a brother in college is part of the reason why my aid was so good. I just wonder if it will be affordable when my brother finishes college and my family gets back on its feet financially, because 5k is nothing compared to the 60k cost of attendance.</p>

<p>We got offered full tuition (40k+), so are thrilled. We visited Oxy last weekend and came home to the financial aid letter.</p>

<p>domi555: they offered you full aid after you got your original aid package?</p>

<p>We were a little late getting in some documents, so we did not receive the financial aid letter with the original admissions letter, so got it a couple of weeks later.</p>

<p>My daughter attended Oxy for her Freshman and Sophomore years and then had to take a year off due to family financial circumstances. She has been re-admitted as a Junior for next year.</p>

<p>She is still waiting to receive her financial aid package for next year. Anyone else in the same boat?</p>

<p>On a financial basis alone (I am not speaking to any qualitative aspect of Oxy), I think Occidental represents a very poor value. My daughter applied to a number of schools very similar to Oxy, and Oxy had by far the highest tuition/room & board, and the lowest financial aid. The differences were not insignificant—her final choice ended up costing atleast $20K less than Oxy per year, and while Oxy is a wonderful school, I am not convinced that is it is $80K more wonderful than similar liberal arts colleges. For some people it might be thr right school–money is not the only factor one has to consider, but for us, we felt there were other equally attractive alternatives at a lower cost.</p>

<p>My finnanical aid package include a 27k grant from oxy and 3k work study and 7.5k loans, so i have to pay about 24k per year. my parents work in taiwan so our income consider as a middle low income family in america. I am very excited i just got off the waitlist this year 2012 but 24k is simply too much. my parents has to sell there car, decrease my granmothers medical expense if i want to attend, my sister probably even have to drop out of school, just for me to attend. </p>

<p>I called oxy’s fianicial aid office and ask why is my EFC expected family contribution is so high, on my fafsa our EFC is about 10k but oxy’s financial aid counselor told me they are using the CSS PROFILE to evaluate not fafsa and my EFC on CSS is 24k, why? my family really dont have that much money! they said there is absolutely no more award they can add to my packed…I heart occidental has a great financial aid, most of time they give a generous offer to student or meet there needs, but whats wrong with my case? other college i applied gave me a fianical aid package that i only have to pay about 10k per year which is close to my EFC. why is my efc so high in CSS PROFILE?</p>

<p>Hi stephenandrew, i am applying to oxy this fall, i’ve been researching other colleges like oxy but really need financial aid- sorry to be nosy- but which other universities did your daughter apply to? and what kind of financial aid offers did she get from them?</p>

<p>I was accepted at Oxy and unlike several other LACs i was admitted to, i did not receive one penny of financial aid. Our family appealed to the dean of admission and financial aid and his response was basically was “good luck elsewhere”. i actually wondered why they even bothered admitting me.</p>

<p>@stephenandrew @Britishstudent I’m also wondering which colleges are similar to oxy and their financial aid offers. :)</p>

<p>@Ozzy94 To what other colleges did you apply?</p>

<p>Sorry for the delayed reply! I am from the east coast so applied to 3 other LACs- Gettysburg, Roanoke and Duquesne. Gettysburg is the most comparable to Oxy in terms of selectivity and they gave me 15k in merit aid. In addition, they actually acted liked they wanted me to attend - sending me multiple letters and calling. The only contact I had from Oxy once I was admitted was from the track coach!</p>