<p>So, my family and I got royally shafted for financial aid and must come up with $43,000/year. Indiana University's offering me a full ride, but Tufts has been my dream for four years and it's hard to let go of something like that. Assuming some of you are middle-class and in the same position, what kinds of loans did you take out? Apparently Tufts' work-study will only give me $1000, whereas IU's work-study is dependant on the number of hours you work and has no ceiling. </p>
<p>I need something with a really really low interest rate because I plan on grad. school and, after Tufts, that wouldn't seem like a very appealing step to take.</p>
<p>ovester, I can't answer your question about low interest rate loans but as a Tufts parent who has just finished paying for son's four years there, I can tell you that I'd think long and hard about taking on that kind of debt for your undergraduate degree if you're planning to continue on to grad school. Hubby and I have been waking up at 5:00a.m. for years to bring home the kind of bacon that a Tufts education costs.</p>
<p>I agree with worrywart above.</p>
<p>You need to sit down with your family and come up with exact numbers of how much they're willing to pay. Even if your parents agree to pay a large portion of your tuition, you need to think whether you could justify putting them through all that additional hardship.</p>
<p>If I were in your position, I would not go to Tufts if I had to take out more than ~10k of loans a year.</p>
<p>FYI Tufts work study guarantees you a nice and easy job, but you could get additional non-work study hours easily from a place like the library or the dining hall.</p>
<p>Not going to lie, it's going to be extremely expensive for middle class families. I know a lot of people who are severely in debt, and one of them couldn't afford to go to the prestigious grad schools she got into. However, she wouldn't trade her experience for anything else. You have to make that choice as to whether or not you'd want to acquire the debt for the Tufts experience.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys, for being so candid with me. After careful deliberation, I've decided to turn Tufts down. My grandparents, who live back in China, want to pool all of their money into this...and I can't do that to them or let my parents forgo everything just for me. I'm sorry, but Tufts needs to figure out a way to redistribute their aid...instead of completely paying off the bottom quartile and letting the rest of us go into major debt. My parents worked to this level from complete poverty in Maoist China. They worked their asses off to pay off all their debt, including credit cards, mortgage, and cars...and in the end they're penalized for saving? I can't believe the lack of justice in the system these days. </p>
<p>I don't think I'd be able to have the "Tufts experience" if I didn't have any money to pay club dues or travel or go into Boston. This has been a real disappointment and, to be honest, I really am quite bitter about this. I hope next year's freshmen have more luck with financial aid.</p>
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I'm sorry, but Tufts needs to figure out a way to redistribute their aid...instead of completely paying off the bottom quartile and letting the rest of us go into major debt.
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I agree with you 100%. This is another reason why I hate liberals...</p>
<p>Anyways congratulations on your decision. I would have done the same thing.</p>