<p>So, I plugged in my financial situation into several financial aid calculators, here's what I'm finding:</p>
<p>$4,600 - Harvard
$5,500 - Stanford
$3,830 - Princeton
$5000 - MIT</p>
<p>$18,000 - Carnegie Mellon
$37,958 - UC Berkeley (out of state)</p>
<p>What in the world went wrong with the last two? Are private colleges in general much cheaper? UC Berkeley would be far more than I would like to pay if this is in reality how much would be required.</p>
<p>Those first four universities are well known for offering “super aid”. Basically if you get in, they will make it possible for you to attend. However, as you have seen from other NPCs, other institutions are not nearly as generous - in large part because the others aren’t remotely as rich.</p>
<p>Public universities are cheap(er) for in state students because those students are the children of the tax payees in that state. Out of state students are considered a source of revenue.</p>
<p>Talk with your family. Find out what they can pay. Then use the NPCs to help find places that are affordable for you. And do remember that while Harvard would be affordable, your chance of admission is probably very slim. Make sure to find some affirdable places where you are sure of admission.</p>
<p>Think about it. Why would you think a public univ, that is funded by the state of Calif, would give an OOS student a bunch of Calif tax-payer money?</p>
<p>My suggestions:</p>
<p>(1) Go to the Princeton Review site and look at the financial aid rating for each school you’re considering. The better the rating, the better the aid. Princeton Review also tells you whether the school meets 100% of need, or less.</p>
<p>(2) Go to [this</a> site](<a href=“http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php]this”>http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php) to find out which colleges don’t include loans in their aid packages.</p>
<p>If you’re low income, you want to apply to schools with the highest financial aid rating possible and, if you can, focus on the schools that won’t expect you to take out loans. For the most part, out-of-state public universities are NOT an option . . . they’ll just be way too expensive. And keep in mind that the schools with the best aid packages are also the hardest to get into . . . so make sure your college list includes at least one school that you know you can get into and will also be able to afford.</p>
<p>And don’t forget about schools that don’t have great need-based aid, but where you might qualify for good merit awards. No matter what your GPA and test scores, it’s usually possible to find a college where you’d qualify for merit aid. Look for schools where your stat’s put you at the very tippy-top of the applicant pool.</p>