<p>And that is what you have to tell them. It is the bottom line that counts. Also loans vs grants. </p>
<p>My son was accepted to in state Cornell some years ago. He used those costs to parlay some more merit money from his first choice school.</p>
<p>USC typically offers nice fat financial aid packages for students in need. Some of it will be loans of course, but those are the federal stafford loans that they give everyone. Being rich does have its advantages, one of them being that they can afford to give this money so that great students can come to this school without worrying so much about money.</p>
<p>I first have to get into USC which probably NOT going to happen. Lol. I’m talking to Chapman tomorrow, I didn’t get a chance to call them today. </p>
<p>I DID get my financial aid from Florida State… it sucks… I only got $1,800… HORRAY! That’ll do WONDERS! … Well time to cross that one off my list.</p>
<p>*Chapman gave me:</p>
<p>$23,000 of Grant
$3,000 Federal Work Study
$5,550 Loans (mixture of Stafford loans)
$4,000 Parent PLUS loan
TOTAL AID= $35,500 but a HUGE portion of that is LOANS. Total COA is $51,000</p>
<p>What should I say when I call them? *</p>
<p>You should ask them how they decided your package since your EFC is lowish, and they claim to “meet need”…yet they didn’t. Isn’t Chapman a FAFSA-only school?</p>
<p>I beleive that Chapman did meet 100% of their demonstrated need (after you factor back in the EFC).</p>
<p>I think a FAFSA EFC of 9000 on an 80k income is kind of low.</p>
<p>What did Chapman state would be your family contribution from you and your parents?</p>
<p>if you subtrack the cost of attendance of 51,000 the FA package of 35,500 it equals $15,500</p>
<p>I think the EFC of 15,500 sounds about right for their income unless OP has other siblings currently attending college.</p>
<p>I personally feel the loan total of $32,000 should be manageable with some planning and expectations of getting a serious job. You WILL have to get a job “right out of the gate,” and commit to that notion. Others may disagree with me.</p>
<p>Absolutely do not disregard other posters’ advice about negotiating with your schools to try to get more aid (not more loans).</p>
<p>UWisconsin-Madison MFA Creative Writing program in one of the best in the country - top 20. Why are you turning up your nose at the most obvious choice? You could in theory save tons of money by going in-state, get an amazing education, and spend the rest of your life traveling and “getting away” after college graduation. It is a big, warm, fuzzy school with athletics. Don’t let one tiny bug you have rattling in your head ruin what is an amazing opportunity in your backyard.</p>