<p>i guess i've just never been clear on this topic. how exactly does financial aid work? do they send you a check every semester? how exactly do you buy things such as airplane tickets, etc.? any help would be appreciated =D</p>
<p>Well....unless you end up having aid that goes OVER the cost of room+board, it will simply apply to your bill.</p>
<p>At the school I'm transferring from - my aid/scholarships went over the cost each semester, so I got to go pick up a nice fat check from the bursar office every semester...but Cornell has some sort of like...required contribution for students - no matter how poor (I think..). Also, since they use the CSS Profile, which takes more into account, it's hard to owe nothing at all unless your practically living in a box.</p>
<p>Actually, I'd like to ask about that. Does that "Minimum Student Contribution" apply to EVERY student - like even the poorer than poor?</p>
<p>Of course. Every student should be able to secure summer employment of some sort.</p>
<p>It's actually one of the foundations upon which Ezra built his University. When the school opened, poor farm boys where showing up, asking to be educated, and Ezra offered them a "work-study" scheme whereby they helped to build the University's first buildings.</p>
<p>I'm getting 40k+ a year so I'd say it works darn well lol</p>
<p>It's simple.</p>
<p>I believe tuition is billed in July. So you will see the $40,000+ charges and any pending financial aid (if you were eligible for aid). If not, you either pay the bill in full or through the tuition payment plan.</p>
<p>I believe Cornell grant money is distributed in July, so you will see this deduction. Any federal or private loans and outside scholarship you received will be credited to your account on the August or September bill. If you have more aid than your actual charges, Cornell will refund your money to an account specified by you. This refunded money is yours to spend...some, like myself, spent half of it on necessities and saved the other half to apply toward loan repayment.</p>
<p>You do not have to pay a dime until you see that your bursar charges exceed your pending credits.</p>
<p>Cayuga - but what if they already have to work summer to help pay the family bills?</p>
<p>You can apply for a loan to cover your expected summer savings. I had to do it every year because even though I worked two jobs, between helping pay for food, my credit card bills, gas, medications I didn't have enough money. </p>
<p>It may not seem fair, but it is. Students should be expected to contribute something toward their education whether it be through summer or academic year employment, regardless of family financial situation. I have a friend whose family is way below the poverty line and she still manages to contribute $2,000 a year. </p>
<p>Personally...I enjoyed working on campus. For what I did, the pay was great, my boss was awesome and it helped me establish a schedule so I could do well with my course work.</p>
<p>Then you talk to the financial aid office and accommodations can be made. The requirement is that a student should work to support their education if they are able to do so.</p>
<p>I know it may seem frustrating as a student, but looking back, it's very rewarding to know that you helped to pay your way through school. My family doesn't exactly come from modest means (my mother is a children's librarian and my father is an electrician), but we still had to stretch a bit to get me through college. Half way through my senior year, my father lost his job, and it was very rewarding, personally, to know that I could pay for my rent and food all by myself, without having to put even more duress on the family.</p>
<p>It just gives you one more thing to scream at Harvard for when they show up on campus to play hockey against you. Harvard has recently adopted a policy requiring no summer savings element to financial aid. Rich Boston Bastards.</p>
<p>And dewdrop is right, it's pretty easy to find a rewarding and high-paying job on campus. By my senior year, I was "working" 25 hours a week and making over $250 a week. It's just enough to get by frugally as long as you aren't buying new shoes every week or purchasing $10 well drinks at Stellas. Now I make over that much in a day, and I have had job offers for much more.</p>
<p>Also, be sure to apply for the Cornell Tradition if you are not already in the program.</p>
<p>I don't mind working while on campus, I'm just talking about summer. There aren't even jobs here...</p>
<p>...and our credit is so bad we can't get a loan..and I just got my aid package and I'm expected to pay $6,000 dollars.</p>
<p>Then your best bet is to talk to the financial aid office. You have many options to help finance your education.</p>
<p>For instance...if that $6,000 is your family/student contribution your parents must apply for a PLUS loan. If you can show Cornell that your parents were rejected for a PLUS loan and you were rejected from 2 private loan agencies...then they will work to authorize additional means to finance the cost. I had to deal with this process for my final 2 years.</p>
<p>^Okay thanks, I'll do that. I'm having my parents call the aid office now.</p>
<p>I received my FA package yesterday and was not given any grant money whatsoever. I was approved, however, for a $5,500 subsidized loan. Ugh...there's no way my parents nor myself can meet the $30,000 contribution. I'm definitely going to appeal. Does anyone have suggestions for writing such a letter?</p>
<p>You have to be able to physically demonstrate that the $30,000 contribution will cause undue financial hardship on your family.</p>
<p>My family's household income is sub 25k, and I can only afford Cornell with a nice grant. I get a pell grant, and have florida prepaid college plan which will go towards cornell, but those come nowhere close to covering the cost. Should I expect a good package if accepted as a transfer?</p>
<p>You'll probably have a small student and parent contribution, under the new FA plan the remainder of the cost should be covered by grant money</p>
<p>That is great since I will get something around 15-20k from the grant and prepaid combined per year. Also, I am going to be working 30+ hours a week from now until I leave for school in january so I should be in good shape. Does needing a lot of aid hurt your acceptance chances at all though?</p>
<p>no...admissions is need blind</p>
<p>I'm still confused at how they can say my Student + Parent Contribution equals $7,000 when we had NO income at all.</p>
<p>Then they expect you to take out a loan or work with them to come up with the money.</p>
<p>If you have a car and own a home...those are assets and will factor in to your contribution.</p>
<p>Unless your parents are disabled and are unable to work (in which case even then they would have income in the form of SSI), the University assumes that they <em>should</em> be able to work. </p>
<p>And if there are no jobs in the area where your family lives, I would actually just recommend you stay on campus and try to find a job in Ithaca. You would be amazed at the amount of temps that certain places on campus, like the library and the admissions office, hire.</p>
<p>The other option would be to see if you can declare financial independence from your parents. This isn't the easiest thing to do, and not necessarily recommended in all instances, but in the case where your parents are providing you with no support (e.g. no food or shelter), that would be the route to go.</p>
<p>But even then the student would have a summer self-help component and work study contributions.</p>
<p>It sounds like your family is in a tough situation. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your education.</p>