<p>College</a> Search - Princeton University - Cost & Financial Aid</p>
<p>On that site, it says:</p>
<p>"Average percent of need met: 100%"</p>
<p>Does this mean that all students who go to Princeton have their entire tuition, etc. covered?</p>
<p>no… it means that after the fafsa and everything (tax returns, w2’s, etc…) are taken into account, Princeton covers 100% of what is deemed as “need”.</p>
<p>The Cost of Attendance (COA) is tuition, room & board, other fees, books, etc. There is a process where a college will determine how much you and your family can be expected to contribute; the higher your income and assets, the higher your expected contribution.</p>
<p>The difference between the COA and your expected contribution is your “need.” You and your family don’t get to define the amount of need. Like binks09 said, your need will be determined by the information you provide on your income and assets, based on tax returns, and various other forms and documents. Private colleges will have their own policies on how they treat families’ financial circumstances and how they allocate financial aid.</p>
<p>Some schools meet 100% of calculated need, but most do not promise that. Even among those that do promise to meet 100% of need, many meet that need by packaging student and parent loans in the financial aid award. Some are very loan-heavy, and that really isn’t financial aid exactly, it’s just postponing when you have to pay up, and then with interest to boot.</p>
<p>Princeton does not package loans, so all of their aid is in the form of grants and work-study. There are a few schools that don’t package loans, but they tend to be the very hardest schools in the country to get into.</p>
<p>Ah, so Princeton covers 100% of what <em>they</em> determine a student’s need is (also without loans, by the way)?</p>
<p>Does anyone know if their determination is actually accurate? Or could any Princeton University students tell me how much their family had to contribute and how much they were in need, according to Princeton’s determination?</p>
<p>I’m just trying to put things into perspective.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>When you apply to the university, they will ask you to offer the income certificate and the tax certificate to verify the total annual income of your family.And they will ask you to fill the available amount of money your family could distribute to your education. The total cost of your university fee minus your family’s contribution is the “need”. But I think the amout of money they will provide to you is determined by how excellent you are and to what extent you fit the taste of their university.</p>
<p>
As one of the Ivy League, Princeton, like the other 7, do not give merit aid. They give need-based aid, which is otherwise described accurately.</p>
<p>princeton has a pretty accurate calculator on their website. i would suggest running your numbers through to see how much they think your family will have to contribute (remember it willonly be as good as the information that you put in. IF you put in inaccurate information, you will not get a correct answer).</p>
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<p>Yes, and keep in mind that Princeton’s determination can be very different from an individual applicant’s reality.</p>
<p>For example, an applicant whose parents make $350,000 will get nothing from Princeton. In reality, that family may be up to their ears in debt, with no savings to pay for college, so they <em>really</em> need $50K, but won’t get anything from Princeton.</p>
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The EFC is based on an expectation of past savings and current earnings. If people can earn $350k and can’t put anything toward college (unless there’s like some crazy extenuating circumstances like debilitating disease), that’s just irresponsible.</p>
<p>Yes, it may be very irresponsible, and the student probably had absolutely nothing to do with it. S/he still will not get any of his/her “need” met by Princeton, though.</p>