<p>Northeastmom - thank you for the research....so helful and you are not alone!</p>
<p>It is interesting that you really can't tell what number the FA office is using as your S's unmet need (COA - EFC). If you look at what you're given, one would have to presume your EFC was $28K...why else would the offer have been an Unsubsidized loan instead of subsidized?</p>
<p>This example is especially helpful because it is not complicated by other scholarships, grants, work study etc. </p>
<p>If this had been your only FA offer you might never have wondered. If you are like my D - it wan't until I compared the stingy offer with the FA awards from half-dozen same/similar COA schools that I would say "why didn't they AT LEAST offer her a Stafford loan...the other four-five schools did?" Even the school that offered the largest merit scholarship topped off the offer with an Unsubsidized Stafford, a Perkins, and Work Study until they closed up the "unmet need gap" to near $0.... Very much like the methodology that NikkilL defined where the federal loans are added last and only if/when there is still unmet need.</p>
<p>But if the student with a really low $EFC gets a FA award like the one you cited...from an expensive school... you can only ask yourself "what are they thinking?...what number or methodology can they possible be using?" </p>
<p>You can imagine how we reacted when a school that cost almost $10K more, offered only a $3500 Subsidized loan. (as a sophmore).</p>
<p>You can also understand why I originally assumed that Federal loans were just another part of the recruiter's ** AWARD ** system....meaning, if you were a top student and they really wanted you....then you would be awarded the federal loans on top of the scholarhips and grants until they closed the "need gap" right up to $0. </p>
<p>And if you were a normal average student in the admission pool...then you got just the government loans.</p>
<p>But if you were so-so, good enough to get into the top $ private LAC, but they didn't especially want you for anything...then you get no financial aid awarded ..or a small partial Stafford/Perkins or only the Pell grant. Maybe even $0. No incentives, you can attend if you can pay.</p>
<p>However, all the posters above who seem to know what they are talking about say IT ISN"T SO.....that schools will ALWAYS give the student the maximum federal loans that they are eligible for. If you get a unexplainably low FA award, there must be some kind of mistake.</p>
<p>But the inconsistencies don't make sense because it is no skin-off-the schools-back to offer the federal loans to anyone and everyone who is eligible. Unless the school knows you can't possibly afford the school even with federal aid and so they just don't bother...but that wouldn't be ethical I suspect.</p>