<p>Being as I can’t afford Brandeis without going unfathomably deep into debt, I’ve been toying with the possibility of taking a year off and working. Doing some preliminary number-crunching, if I worked two full-time jobs I could earn about 28,000 in a year after taxes. Brandeis did give me a generous need-based grant, and I’m wondering if I defer to work for a year my grant will go down when I reapply for aid. The other school I’m considering that is slightly more expensive will most likely reduce my grant in light of new income, even though I can’t afford the school with the grant they gave me. I’m wondering if Brandeis has this same practice, or if they will still use my parent’s income to calculate need and not reduce my grant because of my extra income.</p>
<p>You raise good questions and I would call the financial aid office to get answers.</p>
<p>this is way too important an issue for you to be seeking advise on a forum such as this. contact brandeis' financial aid office - they are the only ones who can give you an answer that you can rely on.</p>