Question about OOS Fin Aid

<p>Hey everyone! I'm a rising sophomore at UChicago, but I wanted to ask a few questions on behalf of my younger sister. Should she get in, her attendance at UNC is completely dependent on the amount of financial aid she receives. What are the financial aid packages like for out of state students? I get full tuition at my school because it's required to meet 100% of demonstrated need. I don't believe UNC is on that system, so does anybody have any insight as to what financial aid packages look like for out of staters?</p>

<p>They generally have good financially aid packages. My financial need was met about 100% with the vast majority coming in grants (I’m OOS). I think they try to meet 100% of demonstrated need.</p>

<p>UNC is 100% need-blind and promises to meet %100 of demonstrated need</p>

<p>[Chart:</a> Generous Colleges That Claim to Admit Only on Merit - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/03/22/chart-generous-colleges-that-claim-to-admit-only-on-merit]Chart:”>http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/03/22/chart-generous-colleges-that-claim-to-admit-only-on-merit)</p>

<p>I’m an out of state transfer student and I didn’t get much. At all!</p>

<p>If you are a 0 efc, which I’m assuming your family is because of your UChicago fin aid package, then UNC will give you full financial aid, no loan, with a work study(easily covered by outside scholarship if you really dont want to work). This is the package I received as an oos-er with a 0 efc( I’ll be attending in the fall). What you need to do is look at this page for the Carolina Covenant, which is what they call their program for low income students. Not only do they provide financial aid, but they also provide advising, networking events, peer and faculty mentor, etc. It’s a very nice program.</p>

<p>[The</a> Carolina Covenant ~ The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/]The”>http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/)</p>

<p>A couple of things though:

  1. UNC is tough to get into OOS because of the cap set by the North Carolina state govt. So make sure she also applies to other schools that promise to cover full finaid with no/or minimum loans like: Brown, Wellelsley, Univesity of Virginia Northwestern, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, Bryn Mawr and a few other LAC I forgot, and whatever state school(that you live in) that might over a good deal to in-state student. And obviously she’ll only apply to a few not all of those, unless she wants. My twin sister is going to Brown this fall and only has a contribution of 2450 and even had the university waive her work study through the Sidney Frank scholars program.</p>

<p>2) Also because of the North Carolina state govt, UNC is facing budget cuts the next few years. I’m not trying to discourage your sister from applying, I would just say to double check their financial aid policy closer to when she applies in case it changes.</p>

<p>3) If she is accepted, it is possible that financial aid will take forever to get her a package. They were the last school I heard from ( mid-April) for finaid, but just be patient! don’t freak out about it. As I said, at 0 efc you should be covered( if they dont change anything)</p>

<p>Really hope I helped, and if she has anymore questions pm me and I’ll try to answer the best I can. I’ll be a first year this fall, so I haven’t learned everything yet.</p>

<p>What I also meant to add, is because UNC is selective even if your sister has perfect SAT scores or whatever, doesnt mean she’s an automatic in. Try to highlight something unique about yourself in your application. I was a first generation student from a low income background( not a minority though), but had a reccommendation from a UNC professor I had met during a weeklong summer program thereand who really liked the skills I could bring to his dept. .</p>

<p>I would like to add that you shouldn’t have to worry about the financial-aid policies changing anytime soon. Not to sound like a spoke-person for UNC, but if the university has to, it will dip into its reserves to maintain need-based funding.</p>

<p>[The</a> Daily Tar Heel :: UNC will dip into reserve scholarship fund to preserve aid](<a href=“http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2011/06/unc_will_dip_into_reserve_scholarship_fund_to_preserve_aid]The”>http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2011/06/unc_will_dip_into_reserve_scholarship_fund_to_preserve_aid)</p>

<p>good to hear. I’ve also read that the University would consider turning to more private funding( like the University of Michigan does) in the event the state cuts too much funding for the University to absorb the budget cuts.</p>

<p>I know I’m a few days late, and I was going to transfer from UNC back to my state because of the stress I had that probably comes with any incoming out-of-state freshman.</p>

<p>I realized I haven’t even filled out the CSS Profile with my FAFSA for UNC, so I said “what the hell” and applied for it and sent it off the UNC expecting not to get anything, since I was THREE MONTHS after the deadline. And they said, that waiting after the deadline will not get you grants.</p>

<p>But I decided UNC was the BEST college because not only did they give me my financial package within TWO DAYS, and they gave me MORE than I expected, making it cheaper than MY in-state tuition.</p>

<p>So I say, have them apply to UNC. UNC really does respect their students, and prizes them all. It’s a great academic experience and in my experience, all the faculty members will make sure that you have a great year, each year and if you are in financial need, they will help you 100%.</p>

<p>I’m an OOS and my going to UNC was dependent on financial aid. I got 100% met but some was in loans. I got an $11000 grant and about $3000 in loans.</p>

<p>Does this only apply for freshman?</p>

<p>should stay consistent over four years</p>