<p>I asked for RESULTS from students (or parents of students) who have an EFC of 0 or VERY CLOSE to it, who have received ACTUAL financial aid packages from schools.</p>
<p>What possessed a bunch of parents to argue over the University of Michigan's FinAid policies? If you don't fit the above description, please don't post in this thread. You are just watering down the information.</p>
<p>Bait,</p>
<p>I don't think the parents were "watering down the information". You posted that you got admitted to the univerity of colorado @ boulder and a you received 15K and some work study and a ton of loans. </p>
<p>From what I read in the posts, that parents were just confirming that it is extremely difficult to get full aid at public univeristy as an out of state student and giving examples of how this scenario held true as it pertained to their experiences.</p>
<p>Since you are waiting on stanford (and the chances are very slim to them accepting students off the wait list) or considering the possiblity of taking a gap year it is in your best interest to be well informed because the liklihood of you being accepted at a school that is a non-elite will be greater than being admitted to an elite school with deep pockets.</p>
<p>First, even should you decide to take a gap year and apply only to schools that meets 100% demonstrated need with large amounts of grant aid and little loans, it pays to know that your chances of actually getting this is few and far between and for most families (especially those with "0" EFCs) the free ride is rare.</p>
<p>the overwhelming majority of schools no not meet 100% of demonstrated need (they gap). This means you have to fill the gap the best way you can (this will be more difficult for the family who has a "0" EFC).</p>
<p>There are only a hand full of schools that are need blind and meet 100% demonstrated need and those are amongst the most competitive as far as being admitted.</p>
<p>For the family with a low EFC, I think that you have to be extra vigilant (and well informed) in looking at schools are most schools are need aware/ need sensitive and the amount of money you need to attend is a factor in the admissions process. It is not unusual for schools to give low income students and admit-deny (they will grant you admission but give you a financial aid package so onerous, that you cannot attend).</p>
<p>As far as the college is concerned giving you loans is still considered meeting your need.</p>
<p>If you are a viable candidate for the ivies and similar schools, then you should also be looking at schools where you stand a chance of getting a great deal of merit money or merit + need based aid.</p>
<p>List revised - Updated Summer 2007 from Fall 2004</p>
<p>Colleges That Meet Full Demonstrated Need Colleges that profess to meet full-demonstrated financial need are schools that will close the tuition gap between what you can afford and what the Government and the particular college says you can afford. If the math is correct looks like there are 48 schools, which meet 100% of demonstrated financial need:
% = The average amount of demonstrated need met by the college with grants, loans and work-study. This information is from the College Board website unless otherwise noted.</p>
<ol>
<li> Albertson 95%</li>
<li> Macalester 100%</li>
<li> Albion 95% </li>
<li> Marlboro 100% (from college’s website)</li>
<li> Amherst 100% </li>
<li> M.I.T. 100%</li>
<li> Arizona State 65% </li>
<li> Michigan State 82%</li>
<li> University of Arkansas 70%</li>
<li>University of Michigan 90%</li>
<li>College of the Atlantic 96%</li>
<li>Middlebury College 100%</li>
<li>Bates 100%</li>
<li>University of Missouri (Columbia) 89%</li>
<li>Beloit 100%</li>
<li>Montana Tech. ?</li>
<li>Bowdoin 100% </li>
<li>Mt. Holyoke 100%</li>
<li>Brown 100% (not confirmed)</li>
<li>Northwestern 100%</li>
<li>Bryn Mawr 100%</li>
<li>Oberlin 100%</li>
<li>Bucknell 100%</li>
<li>Occidental 100%</li>
<li>Cal Tech 100%</li>
<li>Ohio University 72%</li>
<li>Carleton 100%</li>
<li>University of Pennsylvania 100%</li>
<li>Case Western 92</li>
<li>Princeton University 100%</li>
<li>Centre 91%</li>
<li>Rice 100%</li>
<li>University of Chicago 100%</li>
<li>Ripon 94%</li>
<li>Claremont McKenna 100%</li>
<li>University of Rochester 100%</li>
<li>Harvey Mudd 100%</li>
<li>St. Mary's (MD) 59%</li>
<li>Pitzer 100%</li>
<li>St. Olaf 100%</li>
<li>Pomona 100%</li>
<li>Smith (MA) 100%</li>
<li>Scripps 100%</li>
<li>University of Southern California [USC] 99%</li>
<li>Colby 100%</li>
<li>Stanford 100%</li>
<li>University Colorado School of Mines 93%</li>
<li>Swarthmore 100%</li>
<li>Barnard 100%</li>
<li>Trinity (CT) 100%</li>
<li>Connecticut College 100%</li>
<li>Trinity (TX) 90%</li>
<li>Cooper Union (Free Tuition for all admitted) 91% for Room & Board</li>
<li>Tufts 100%</li>
<li>Dartmouth 100%</li>
<li>Union College 74%</li>
<li>DePauw 98%</li>
<li>Wabash 100%</li>
<li>Dickinson 97%</li>
<li>Wake Forest 87%</li>
<li>Duke 100%</li>
<li>Wellesley 100%</li>
<li>Florida State 62%</li>
<li>Williams 100%</li>
<li>Gordon 67%</li>
<li>Grinnell 100%</li>
<li>Yale 100%</li>
<li>Goucher 82%</li>
<li>Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (MA) Free Tuition for all admitted! 100%(% not confirmed) (Room & Board)</li>
<li>Berea College (sliding fee scale) 94%</li>
<li>Guilford 76%</li>
<li>Harvard 100%</li>
<li>Haverford College 100%</li>
<li>University of Hawaii 67%</li>
<li>Illinois Institute of Technology 87%</li>
<li>University of Illinois 90%</li>
<li>Knox College 94%</li>
<li>Lawrence College 95%</li>
</ol>
<p>The top 30 LACs are good for need-based aid, and great for students with low EFCs. In fact, in your situation you can expect minimal loans, or even full rides, especially at places like Davidson.</p>
<p>Consider it!</p>