BU isn’t going to fit for long if you can’t pay to attend. The school does NOT guarantee to meet full need…they don’t. And they didn’t for you.
Being the niece of an alum doesn’t matter one bit when it comes to financial aid (not sure it would matter for admissions either).
You certainly can contact BU financial aid and ask them to review your application for accuracy. And you should do the same…making sure what you put on the fafsa and Profile is accurate.
Does your family own a business, or are your parents self employed? One of your posts above implies that. If so, the net price calculator is not going to be accurate…period. There are business deductions allowed for IRS purposes that are not allowed for financial aid calculation purposes…and are added back in as income.
You applied to BU and NYU…two very expensive private universities in expensive cities. Neither school promises to meet full need.
I hate to say it, but in less you come up with a plan to pay the almost $60,000 a year to attend BU, you should be contacting your former school to,see if they would consider allowing you to return to finish your degree. Then do so.
At this point, BU is not affordable for you.
And if you decide to take a year off, work and reapply, please do so in a timely fashion.
In addition, I. Not sure who was advising you, and it’s too late now for you…but for others reading…NEVER send in an enrollment deposit and withdraw from a previous college until you have your financial aid package at the new school and KNOW you will be able to attend your new school.
" I know BU is the right fit for me and that I am meant to be there, I just need to find a way to get there."
OP- I’m going to try again. How much can your family afford to help with next year?
BU is the wrong fit for you if you can’t afford the tuition. For sure go ahead and contact financial aid and ask them to review your application, and make sure that the information is accurate (i.e. you don’t have a zero in the wrong place). But you need to be formulating plan B. BU is not a school which meets full need (strike one); BU is less generous with transfers than with Freshman and you are not a Freshman (strike two); your parents are not straight up salaried workers with a simple W2 which shows their annual income, and so their finances are complicated (strike three).
My guess is that even if you get an increase in aid, it isn’t going to bridge the gap between what you need and what they are prepared to give you.
So start moving on by coming up with Plan B. We all want to help- but you need a reality check. You have sent a deposit to a college which is both very expensive, and does not meet full need. And it sounds as though your parents have severe limitations on how much they can stretch to help you. So we can help you figure out an affordable way to finish out your degree. But it won’t be at BU most likely.
"BU is really the only option for me, and the only school I would want to attend. "
“There is no reason why I shouldn’t have gotten at least 35-40k in grant money.”
I think this is a very common mistake and misunderstanding. BU doesn’t meet full need. In fact relatively few schools meet full need and most of these are very elite institutions.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound as if you can afford BU. Plenty of people can’t afford BU or similar schools, I wish you had understood the reality of financial aid.
Try to focus on your goals and how to reach them.
What is your intended major?
What is your career plan?
Trust me, I know BU does not meet full aid, but they did not meet any aid. I received no grant money at all. However based on my income, it should have been at least half of the aid I needed.
I’m guessing they ran out of all the funding they had, but I know many students turn down what they are offered in grant money, so wouldn’t that mean they could give that to me?
BU employs people who develop statistical models showing how many students will attend, how many will accept their aid package, how many will put down a deposit but end up not enrolling.
Someone turns down their aid package does not free up a single dollar for you. That dollar was already spent according to the model.
You need to stop using “should have been” kind of language. Your aid is what they sent you. Get them to review it, make sure there are no errors in calculation or transcription, and start dealing with reality- which is that you are likely not going to be able to afford BU. Transfers do not get the “should have been” packages from the git-go.
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You need to stop using “should have been” kind of language. Your aid is what they sent you. Get them to review it, make sure there are no errors in calculation or transcription, and start dealing with reality- which is that you are likely not going to be able to afford BU. Transfers do not get the “should have been” packages from the git-go.
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Exactly!
And stop referring to your FAFSA EFC. Your dad makes a lot more than what’s he’s claiming after all of his deductions…and BU likely knows that.
And again. If your parent is self employed or owns a business, all bets are off in terms of aid.
What is the value of the business?
What was your family gross income? What was their adjusted gross income?