<p>Amen, Kat. We’re happy with the warm fuzzies we are getting from our son’s medical school as well as we were prepared for the worst in that regard, in comparison. Sadly, we’re kind of stuck here (but understand blessed as well, so not looking any gift horses in the mouths, as so many families would love to have these problems over worse financial issues).<br>
bchan, commuting is an option but, it would be complicated in that we’ve already paid a deposit, and he is hoping to study abroad in the spring, which is required for his major. Not sure how all of that would work out. It’s doubtful they would be overly helpful in trying to help us figure that out. We really need to set up a meeting. The housing is not that expensive, given the location, it’s very low by college standards, so not sure it would save too much given what is charged for parking, fees, aid changes for commuters vs resident students? We’re thinking about it though. Thank you.</p>
<p>I’m sorry you have to deal with this. You’d think you’d get a bit of a break after two application processes for undergraduate colleges and then going through the med school process, but now here you are scrambling again! My friend is going through this with her daughter that she had just figured was DONE for this year. She was accepted for transfer for the spring semester which has now brought this whole thing back up to the forefront instead fo being able to take a year break that the mom had expected.</p>
<p>I would be very careful about transfer options; I know of a student who was told all credits would transfer only to find out at the last minute that she was unable to get necessary classes to graduate on time, apparently as a transfer she was not a scheduling priority… Same student had applied to many schools as transfer and found many credits didn’t transfer at the majority of her transfer choices. Transferring isn’t as easy as it sounds.</p>
<p>I am wondering if the NPC would faithfully reveal the increase. When DS3 becomes a Junior in three years, his two older brothers will be out of college. Got to explore this some more.</p>
<p>I just tried the NPC on Duke’s admission site. It is very convenient to use. </p>
<p>Simple assumptions:</p>
<p>Five members with three kids
Income $100K (including IRA & 401 K contribution)
Non retirement Investment : $100K
House: $300K
Other minor items
COA = $57.88K</p>
<p>Results:
a) Three kids in college
Student loan: $5K
Student work: $2K
Grant: $39.78K
Family contribution: $11.1K</p>
<p>b) One kid in college (other two go to professional schools)
Student loan: $5K
Student work: $2K
Grant: $33.28K
Family contribution: $17.6K</p>
<p>Ratio: 17.6/11.1= 1.58</p>
<p>Duke is pretty generous! Kids should be able to handle the loan. This is not much more than what parents have to pay for some state colleges. Is this not even close to anyone’s experience?</p>
<p>You can see where the EFC would be different as well for a no loan policy school. The $5K would not be added in vs. a school where it is, that’s why capecodlady’s numbers were higher when oldest son at no loan school graduated.</p>
<p>Duke’s numbers aren’t bad, it didn’t double the EFC like I thought it would. Did you adjust the number of how many in the household from 5 to 3?</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Ace…did you reduce family size from 5 down to 3? If not, that may make a difference.</p>
<p>Does the NPC assume each calculation is involving an incoming frosh? If so, then who knows if Duke is more generous to incoming frosh than continuing students with status changes (less sibs in college, smaller family, etc).</p>
<p>Duke would be straightforward because the chances of getting merit money from them is very small, and they do guarantee to meet full need. They also tend to treat their need students equitably. Where it gets dicey is with those schools that do have merit awards, who do merit within need awards and practice enrollment management. Students with identical financial profiles can get drastically different awards depending on how much the school wants that student.</p>
<p>On transferring units, often they all "transfer’ but they don’t all match the degree requirements, so you get the overall units, but you don’t get them where you need them. When DD studied abroad, the school does not allow it before third year, and the school based study abroad guarantees all the units transfer, but her major only allows two classes to count. As a junior who had already completed her general ed requirements, she chose to NOT stay abroad the entire year for that reason. </p>
<p>Some people who attend expensive privates will choose a study abroad program through a less expensive option via other schools. You might check into that and see if those units would be allowed by your school.</p>
<p>When transferring, do not just ask if the units are accepted, ask if they will be used to meet all requirements.</p>
<p>On the number of students in the family or in school: Are you supporting your son in medical school? If you are, he may still be allowed to be included in your family. Will he be on your tax return for 2012? Then he should be included on the 2012 FAFSA.</p>
<p>As to whether he is a student in college for FAFSA, for some reason that is a school by school determination. When D2 got into half a dozen schools, I checked with all of them. Some schools would include, some would not. If this small school is a private, they have more latitude, can you talk with one of their most experienced people and ask if they have any latitude?</p>
<p>Can they correct for number in family?
Can they decide to count a grad student as a professional judgment?
In other words, are they willing to help keep your son there?
If it is a private school they can choose to do whatever they want within the guidelines of their program, it’s not like the are hamstrung by government rules and funds.</p>
<p>When one of my DDs attended a small LAC they bent over backwards to interpret everything in the manner most helpful to DD. It does not hurt to ask, but you could not ask until you fully understood the situation and the reasons.</p>
<p>I assumed that both older siblings went to graduate schools. The family size remained as 5. I tried 3 also, the EFC did not change much. It seems to me that there should be some consistency from year to year after the student matriculates. The new policy should only be applied to freshmen.</p>
<p>I think the OP stated that this particular college does not count graduate or professional students when calculating need. FAFSA might, but when a school uses PROFILE or its own methodology, that is what you are stuck with unless you are granted an exception.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s true, cptofthehouse. They don’t seem willing to budge at all. I didn’t get to speak with them today, but hopefully will tomorrow, or at least our designated person for more details.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice on the transfer information, too, somemom and others. Hoping things work out well.</p>
<p>I think to count a grad student on an undergrad’s FAFSA, you’d have to show that you’re providing for over 50% of their support. If the grad student is on a large fellowship or took out large student loans for med/law school, it probably would be hard to show that support.</p>