<p>I'd really like to hear from people who have attended/are attending Wash U (or their parents if you peruse these boards :) ) about the need based aid from the University.</p>
<p>Basically, I am curious how much financial aid is given in comparison to the Estimated Family Contribution from the FAFSA. So, for example, if my EFC is $11,500, and the ticket price of Wash U is $53,000, does that mean I'll get $41,500 in aid?
Or is it not based on that EFC at all?</p>
<p>It will be different, because they will look at the CSS Profile or their own fin aid form if you filled that out instead, and then different things are looked at such as home equity. Plus, each school’s formula is different and what you get as part of your aid package differs too.</p>
<p>I think the FAFSA EFC is quite general, and is slightly different for each school, though that could be a pretty good estimate.</p>
<p>If WashU calculates your EFC to be that much, then yes that is what your family will contribute.</p>
<p>I can’t really say how much more I got, since I never filled out the FAFSA (not U.S. student), so I didn’t know my EFC to begin with. However, WashU is pretty good with financial aid, and if your family absolutely cannot afford to pay for your education at WashU due to extenuating circumstances, you can always appeal to the fin aid office. They are pretty nice about that.</p>
<p>Basically, you are right. However, (and this is just based on anecdotal evidence) the breakdown of the $41,500 will be about $7000 in loans/work-study and the rest will be grants. You can always appeal your situation as well.</p>