<p>I've already enrolled at a different university, but at this point I'm still flummoxed by the fin aid decision I received from Boston University, and was hoping someone could help me decipher it. I received NO financial aid, have an EFC of 0. Now I was under the impression that NEED-based aid had nothing to do with merit, but even if that was not the case, I have an SAT composite of 1990, was in top 10% of class (21 out of 230), 29 ACT. I submitted a host of extra-curricular activities, including extensive volunteering, student government office, debate and speech, some sports but not at varsity level. I just don't understand why this happened, I never appealed the decision because I know whatever the appealed decision could have been wouldn't have beat my full-ride at the University of Massachusetts at amherst. It just seems illogical that I received absolutely nothing.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your full ride at UMass. I’m sure you will find it to be a terrific university.</p>
<p>Boston University does NOT guarantee to meet the full need of all accepted students. They are very clear on their website that they leverage need based aid with merit to attract top students. While your SAT/ACT/GPA are good, they likely were not in the top of the applicant pool at BU this year. Your application for admission was good enough to get you an acceptance to Boston University but not a financial aid award of significance.</p>
<p>With an EFC of $0, however, you should have received a Pell Grant of $5500, the maximum Stafford loan of $5500. You would have been eligible for these by completing the FAFSA. Are you saying that you didn’t even get the Pell and the Stafford loan? </p>
<p>Did you complete the FAFSA and Profile on time and have them submitted to BU?</p>
<p>At a minimum, you should have been given a Pell Grant of $5500. Did you list BU on your FAFSA?</p>
<p>Were you Pell eligible? If so, you should have gotten at least Pell from BU. Did you receive any kind of finaid letter or electronic notification from BU? Were the necessary financial aid forms (FAFSA and Profile and any verification requests) submitted on time?</p>
<p>One other thing…if your FAFSA EFC was $0 you should have gotten the Pell and Stafford loans. BUT Boston University is a CSS Profile school. They require this as well. Sometimes there are financial items reported on the Profile that are not on the FAFSA that affect the need the school computes for awarding of institutional money (the Pell and Stafford are federally funded aid…institutional funding would have been grants from BU itself). </p>
<p>Another thought…were you selected for verification…and if so, did you send all of the necessary documentation to BU? If not, your aid package would have at least been held up and this would include any federally funded aid.</p>
<p>Are you an incoming frosh? If so, why did you just find out that you got no aid? And, how were you notified that you weren’t given any aid?</p>
<p>I did get Pell grants and federal loans, but I mean I received 0 in institutional grants for need aid, which was confusing. and I didn’t just find this out, I am just thinking about it… :)</p>
<p>Paarka…as I stated in my earlier post… Your stats were not likely in the top of the applicant pool this year at BU. The school is very clear that they do preferential packaging and that academic merit IS considered when they determine need based awards. </p>
<p>You have a terrific offer from UMass. Congratulations!!</p>
<p>Most schools do not meet financial need. BU is one of them. They will do admissions on a need blind basis, but not everyone gets their need met, and some students will get nothing from the college at all. I know a number of kids accepted to NYU and Fordham who are in the same situation you are.</p>
<p>Schools don’t owe any student financial aid (other than forwarding federal aid). They offer money to students they want to attract. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, they wanted other people more than they wanted you - think of it as their loss, and have a great time at UMass, and make the most of your opportunity.</p>
<p>OP I would not dwell on this at all. You’ve have the brass ring from UMass so immerse yourself and enjoy.</p>
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Wow, I never heard of anyone who got a full ride from UMass. Congrats!</p>
<p>DS will be a senior there next year, he loves it there.</p>
<p>UMass is a great school that unfortunately doesn’t get its fair share of mindset in MA because it is 100 miles from Boston, and there are so many top-whatever schools in the area. You will get an excellent education and come out with no loans, that is nothing to feel regrets about.</p>
<p>[This</a> chart](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/][b]This”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/) should help you understand BU’s financial aid system. It’s a combination of need & merit. How much aid they give you depends on how much they want you. Simply put, they might want you enough to admit you, but not enough to give you money.</p>
<p>It sucks, and you’re not the only one who was disappointed by BU this year. Here’s [one</a> recent thread about BU](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1344409-boston-u-financial-aid.html]one”>Boston U Financial Aid - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums) and here’s [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1341302-accepted-but-zero-financial-aid.html]another[/url”>Accepted but ZERO financial aid - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums]another[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and appealing wouldn’t have helped.</p>