Need based Aid

<p>Does Northwestern cover all need based aid? as in... they only require familes to pay their EFC and give you the difference in financial aid? anybody? I read that NW tuition would increase by 2000$ next year bringing the total to 40,000+ per year. yikes</p>

<p>It is said that they don't make it easy, but they make it possible. That has certainly been the case for my daughter. The tuition went up this year after my daughter received her ED aid estimate and before the final amount came through. The final amount covered the increase.</p>

<p>As far as the EFC goes, NU's estimation of what we could pay was fair. We're scraping, but haven't had to mortgage the house.</p>

<p>Of course it depends on your particular financial situation, but there's good reason to hope it will be okay.</p>

<p>Hi
My FAFSA reported that we can "afford about 50k/yr" which is not possible for us to pay. I have heard that many people get bogus numbers like that, but does NW expect you to pay their full tuition then? I'll never go to college!!!!!</p>

<p>Ok yeah, I'm really worried about that. Our EFC was about $45k which is actually insane because my parents only make about 80k a year total. I'm worried because they don't want to pay more than 10-15k per year for college since i can go to a state university for less than 10, except I really want to go to a more prestigious college. Ahh, i'm worried:(</p>

<p>Of course every situation is different, but don't panic until you get your financial aid offer. NU has their own way of figuring need. Even though the FAFSA only qualified my daughter for some minimal loans, NU looked at the whole picture and is giving her a substantial grant.</p>

<p>Straight up: Northwestern doesn't care whether your parents "don't want to pay more than" whatever. They look at how much they think you CAN pay. Like a poster said earlier - they don't make it easy, by any standard, but they do make it possible. If you really do need money from them, you'll get it.</p>