<p>I've used the NPC on CollegeBoard numerous times in the past. This morning I went back and did it again but got different results. The information is the same because it was saved under my account yet the Financial Aid packages are less generous. It seems like all the schools cost me $5000 more than when I used the NPC in the past... It also seems like the school who gave me the most aid before is now giving me less in comparison. Any guesses as to why?</p>
<p>In another thread, it looks like you have a NCP. Is it possible that earlier the NCP’s info was not being considered and now it is?</p>
<p>"Too “rich” for Financial Aid and most scholarships are need-based. What to do?
My dad and mom were never married. My dad remarried and as of last year I have been living with him (therefore I have used my dad and step mom’s income for FAFSA and CSS). Although they don’t make that much money separately, together they make a little over $100,000, therefore too much for me to get a lot of financial aid (that I really do need). </p>
<p>Since I figured I can’t rely on FA too much, I have been trying to look at scholarships, but they are all need-based. Any idea on how I could come up with some money to pay for college? If it matters, I hope to attend Wellesley or MIT next fall.</p>
<p>My dad will pay little to none"</p>
<p>how do you expect to pay your family contribution at these schools if your family won’t pay???</p>
<p>I don’t see how kids expect to go far away to a need-based school with no financial support.</p>
<p>Well I am also applying instate to two schools and to a variety of private schools that are giving me merit aid. However, I calculated out all the financial aid and merit aid stuff and they all seem to be around $20,000-25,000 a year… I honestly have no idea how I’m going to pay to go to school considering my parents are not helping and the schools are hardly giving me money…</p>
<p>Are the instate schools public colleges? How much merit did you get from them?</p>
<p>Are you saying that of all the schools that you’ve applied to, they’re all giving you about $20-25k in merit? If one of those schools is an instate public, then will that be affordable?</p>
<p>Is it too late to apply to any other instate publics? Is it too late for merit from those schools?</p>
<p>It doesn’t seem like you were advised very well on which schools might work for you considering that your parents won’t be paying their “family contribution.”</p>
<p>If you don’t get any affordable offers, then you may need to take a gap year, work and save as much as you can, and reapply. Do NOT take any college classes during that time…you wouldn’t want to ruin your “incoming frosh” status for big merit awards (which are given to incoming frosh only).</p>
<p>It looks like Wellesley is your first choice school…is that right? What kind of “family contribution” is the NPC saying that you’d need to pay?</p>
<p>If you applied in-state public, is there a chance you can attend UW (around 11k tuition) live at home and cover the 11k with earnings, loans and possibly small parental contribution? In addition, you should get some decent merit aid from WSU if you applied.</p>
<p>Also, you never know what the package will be until it arrives in the mail. It’s good to have a plans B, C, and D in mind because there is limited time between the arrival of offers and May 1st, but you won’t really know how they will build the offers until they come.</p>
<p>Saint is right about trying to commute somewhere…either UW…WSU…or WWU. WWU does give good merit, I think.</p>
<p>If you didn’t apply to the right schools based on your financial situation, then you need to do a gap year, and reapply next year. Don’t take any college classes during that time…just work, work, work…and save, save, save…since EFC is too high already, making it higher isn’t going to hurt you. </p>
<p>Since you applied to a lot of elite schools, I’m guessing that you have high stats. If so, then you have merit options. However, you need HUGE merit…not just “half tuition” …you need FULL TUITION PLUS… Are you a NMF?</p>
<p>My vague stats:
GPA: 3.98 UW (8 AP classes, 5 honor classes)
SAT: 2170 (670 CR, 780 M, 720 W)</p>
<p>I tried my best to apply to a wide range of schools, state public schools, private safety schools, east coast schools, etc. Here’s the list with approximate FA stuff:</p>
<p>UW:
Cost: $21,000
FA: none
Cost after FA: $21,000</p>
<p>WSU:
Cost: $20,000
FA: already got a $4000 merit scholarship, possibly more to come?
Cost after FA: $16,000</p>
<p>Scripps:
Cost: $56,700
FA: $31,000 grant, $5,700 loans
Cost after FA: $19,899</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna:
Cost: $58,165
FA: $38,001 grant, $1,900 work study
Cost after FA: $18,264</p>
<p>Wellesley:
Cost: $56,500
FA: $31,137 grant, $4,725 work study and loans
Cost after FA: $20,638</p>
<p>Smith:
Cost: $56,866
FA: $31,372 grant, $5,700 work study and loans
Cost after FA: $19,794</p>
<p>MIT:
Cost: $55,270
FA: $32,908 grant, $6,000 loans and work study
Cost after FA: $16,362</p>
<p>Whitworth:
Cost: $43,726
FA: $19,000 merit scholarship, $8,200 in loans and work study
Cost after FA: $16,526</p>
<p>University of Portland:
Cost: $49,560
FA: $17,000 merit scholarship, $32,560 loans
Cost after FA: $0 (lots of loans though…)</p>
<p>Willamette:
Cost: $51,402
FA: $17,000 merit scholarship, $3,200 grant, $7,500 loans and work study
Cost after FA: $23,702</p>
<p>*I feel like this information may not be accurate. I used the NPC on Collegeboard but only included my household information (my dad and step mom), not my NCP’s info (my single mom and three younger siblings)</p>
<p>IMO you should add the amount of loans to what you will have to pay, not subtract them.</p>
<p>^ I agree with EK4. That’s still not covered.</p>
<p>If you can get under $20,000 a year for a 50K+ private school, go for it! Did you think you could go for free? Those days are over. Public colleges in California are over 30K, so any school cost under 20K is fabulous.</p>
<p>MindySue, the OP is not going to receive help from parents so $20,000 is still out of reach.</p>
<p>* from upthread*</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Looks like feasible option is to attend a community college ( although Seattle community colleges don’t participate in Stafford loans), then transfer to UW with an AA certificate. Id look at Edmonds or Shoreline CC’s</p>
<p>University of Portland:
Cost: $49,560
FA: $17,000 merit scholarship, $32,560 loans
Cost after FA: $0 (lots of loans though…)</p>
<p>==============</p>
<p>Uh…it is not $0 after FA…ALL of your schools could offer the same loans. Those loans are for ALL schools…Were the loans Plus loans? If so, those are for parents and your parents won’t be signing those. AND…that is waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy toooooo much in loans. So, you need to understand that.</p>
<p>I realize that you thought that you were applying broadly, but that term is often misused. It does no good to “cast a wide net” if you’re fishing in the wrong sea…which you were. That’s why I said that you were poorly advised. Someone who understood your financial situation should have told you that those “need-based aid schools” won’t work, and that you need HUGE merit.</p>
<p>With your stats, you could have gotten FREE TUITION at many schools…which would have left you with only room, board, and books to pay…which could be covered with a 5500 student loan, some small help from parents, and a summer job.</p>
<p>I suggest you take a gap year and re-apply to schools that will work for you. Don’t take any college classes during that time…work, save money, and do something meaningful…volunteer, etc.</p>
<p>I don’t recommend starting at a CC because you’ll have the same problem your junior year…you won’t be able to afford any schools AND you will have ruined your merit chances. Kids with high merit-worthy stats shouldn’t go to CCs first if money is an issue.</p>
<p>By any chance are you a NMF?</p>
<p>MindySue…while it may seem like $20k isn’t much, it may as well be $200k if the person doesn’t have the money and parents won’t pay. I know that some amounts “sound inexpensive,” but it’s all relative.</p>
<p>I wonder if OP had attempted to reduce college costs by attending a CC for first two years, whether her parents would then be more amenable to helping with colleges.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine the list of schools that will cover tuition plus rm & board, and only require a Stafford loan with small student contribution is very long.</p>
<p>I have known a student who received merit aid from University of Chicago after transferring from Seattle Central CC & one who received merit from Oberlin after her two years at a CC. Those schools might be worth looking at if you decide to take a gap year.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine the list of schools that will cover tuition plus rm & board, and only require a Stafford loan with small student contribution is very long.</p>
<p>===========</p>
<p>The list isn’t “very long”, but it does exist with several schools names. With the OPs scores, there are a number of schools that would have given her an assured Full Tuition scholarship (maybe more). If she had gone with that option, she would only have R&B and books to cover. She says that her family will contribute a few thousand, so with that, a 5500 loan and some summer work money, she could have her school costs covered. That could have been assured financial safeties for her…no guesswork, no wondering what she’s going to get. </p>
<p>=============</p>
<h1>I have known a student who received merit aid from University of Chicago after transferring from Seattle Central CC & one who received merit from Oberlin after her two years at a CC. </h1>
<p>Those situations are rare, not assured, and unless the merit is super-huge (must need an amazing hook for that), then the merit would just go towards need, and student would still be needing to cover EFC.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>really?..$31k and $38k in grants is “hardly giving me money”?</p>
<p>Those are fairly generous grants, it looks like the EFC may be around $20,000.</p>
<p>But… those are quotes from the NPC, not actual offers if I understand the OP correctly.</p>
<p>^^^ Yes, NPC figures are very rough estimates. You really need to wait for the actual offers. I wonder how many of these schools, if any, practice preferential packaging?</p>
<p>EK4, I know that Seattle Central Community College no longer participates in the Stafford loan program, but South and North might. There are other CCs in the greater Seattle area such as Bellevue and Highline which I know give Stafford loans. Commuting from home to one of these schools and later UW might well be the most affordable option. Although with a $20K EFC the loans would be unsubsidized.</p>
<p>The OP’s 8 APs can knock off about a year too if they result in “useful” credits.</p>
<p>While going to a CC first can sound like the cheaper route, it may just result in the student not having the funds for those last 2 years …if she can’t commute to a state university.</p>
<p>How is she supposed to pay the $25k+ to go instate to UWash or WSU (in 2014) if all she can get at that point is a 7500 loan and a small amount from parents? </p>
<p>I really think this student should take a gap year and work/save…If she can save $8-10k in the next year, that should provide the pad that along with a full tuition scholarship, small parent contribution, student loan, and future summer work to make a 4 year school affordable from Day One.</p>
<p>Besides, a student who has been considering MIT and other 4 year univs isn’t going to easily switch her mind to a CC.</p>
<p>Where is she going to get a full tuition scholarship if her dad makes 6 figures?</p>
<p>The OP should consider taking a gap year and applying to some schools where the merit aid may cover full tuition. For example the OP would qualify for a full tuition scholarship to UAB.</p>