<p>Remember some of the expenses that are mentioned in the COA depends on your expenses. Personal expenses, transportation, books etc. depend on your control of expenses. You have received a very good package, meaning that your parents do not have much assets or income. So you need to be frugal and you may be able to reduce the amount your parents need to contribute. Similarly, the COA is based on an average housing and food options. You can choose an appropriate option. If you choose a high cost option, then your COA will be higher. The EFC is estimated, and you have the ability to make it a little lower.</p>
<p>Alamemom- Thanks for that. It just seems that two and a half weeks isn’t very long if one appeals the financial aid. We’d have to wait for USC to respond initially, appeal, wait again and then make a decision to commit by May 1st. I’m not in front of my paperwork at the moment, but I think maybe I recall that as a spring admit, we might have until June to commit. Does that sound right?</p>
<p>Yes, I am pretty sure Sring admits have until June. (Everyone check your paerwork to be sure - don’t take my word for it!) Having asked for small adjustments in the past, we have found their response to be VERY prompt - within 2 - 3 days. To answer your next question: We have had one of our requests for a small adjustment granted, and one politely refused with a sensible explanation as to why they refused.</p>
<p>Well, all my FA awards for each school has been very consistent so far-$0 in FA. I will have to pay full sticker price for the UCs, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get cut some slack (financially) at USC. I’m hoping USC comes up with an EFC lower than that of the one FAFSA calculated.</p>
<p>shinywing" OMG! What a fabulous package. I only wish that we only had to pay $5K per year. I haven’t gotten my FA award, but my mom will be workin a long, long time to help me pay for this education. Congrats!</p>
<p>what is the basis of an appeal unless you filled out paperwork incorrectly or since filling out paperwork, there has been a drastic change (i.e., parent laid off etc)?</p>
<p>I will apply as a transfer for Fall 2011, so I know I’m a little bit early, but what kind of financial aid would I get if my FAFSA EFC is 21211? I did an online financial aid calculator using the institutional method, and roughly my EFC was calculated to be 25000-26000.</p>
<p>My parents are willing to pay around as much as the calculated EFC for tuition, but it seems as if the financial aid office will only award me loans. Does anyone have any idea?</p>
<p>Alamemon: I called FA last week. They told me that they “had everything” and did not need tax returns. I was surprised. I asked them twice and she insisted they had everything. Not sure what that means-If they do not award anything, maybe they don’t need anything? Still no info online yet.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I came along that thread which provided a lot of information. But one of my friends went to USC and said they didn’t offer her much in University grants, and she is about 100k in debt for USC. But the posts on that thread seems as if I would get still quite an amount in grants.</p>
<p>Does the “100% need-based aid” include awards in Parent PLUS Loans? If it does include that, then THAT’S when it seems as if the FA office would only award loans.</p>
<p>Otherwise, if they offer me the Stafford loans, then I’d only pull out the maximum $7,500 in loans (as a junior transfer) and work-study. Then the rest would be covered by University grants?</p>
<p>mike, the Parent PLUS loans are **not **offered as part of your need-based award. They are offered to help cover the family’s excpected contribution.</p>
<p>The IMPORTANT thing to remember is that USC uses the CSS/Profile to distribute USC grants, NOT the FAFSA EFC. So your expected contribution at USC may be more than your FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>If you go to the CollegeBoard website and do the financial aid calculators using the institutional methodology, that will give you a better idea of what your expected contribution will be at a school that uses the CSS/Profile (most private universities use the CSS/Profile).</p>
<p>USC uses the CSS/Profile for their own funds to prevent a situation where someone who passed the “simplified needs test,” on the FAFSA and has an EFC of “0” - and yet has hundreds and hundreds (and hundreds) of thousands of dollars in protected assets because of the simplified needs test - from receiving university grants that should go to students that actually need them.</p>