<p>Which schools ranked in the top 80 or so of the USNWR give out the most need/merit based aid?</p>
<p>What does "most" mean? What is "need/merit" aid?</p>
<p>In the parents forum at the top is a thread about schools that give good merit aid. Check it out.</p>
<p>By most I mean amount of money. I meant need and merit not a combo(sorry if I worded that horribly).</p>
<p>"Most" money as a sum of all students, or average per student, or as a percentage of cost? Don't say all three. You'll never get an answer.</p>
<p>You want "most" (whatever that means) for need and merit, both, separately?</p>
<p>Most per student, both merit and need based. Sorry I've been so vague with my posts, I am a complete moron when it comes to financial aid, how it works, its jargon, etc.</p>
<p>I think a good idea is to use the CB website. Here is an example of aid at NYU as listed there. It tells you need and non-need aid average, and breaks down how need was met (loans:grants):</p>
<p>Full-time freshman enrollment: 4,707
Number who applied for need-based aid: 3,094
Number who were judged to have need: 2,471
Number who were offered aid: 2,463
Number who had full need met: Not reported
Average percent of need met: 65%
Average financial aid package: $20,643
Average need-based loan: $4,449
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $14,374
Average non-need based aid: $6,930
Average indebtedness at graduation: $34,417 </p>
<p>Financial Aid Distribution
Percent of total undergraduate aid awarded as:
Scholarships / grants: 59%
Loans / jobs: 41% </p>
<p>It will also tell you the cost of attendance.</p>
<p>UNC hands down</p>
<p>If you spend $15 to purchase USNWR premium you can get these data quite easily as well as a number of lists they have compiled. </p>
<p>Also, this report lists schools with high cost and low debt (see p.3) <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/pdf/Student_Debt_Report_0806.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.pewtrusts.org/pdf/Student_Debt_Report_0806.pdf</a> (which should be helpful to you) and the organization has also posted a map with a pull down menu where you can look up schools by state and see the schools
average debt <a href="http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org/state_by_state-data.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org/state_by_state-data.php</a></p>
<p>So, from what I understand, the best eay to evaluate how much financial aid a school gives is according to the average student debt? So basically, every school is crazy amounts of money except for in-state schools, am I correct?Thanks for the links momfromme.</p>
<p>You're welcome. However, I don't think the best way to evaluate financial aid is with average debt, since you may not be the average case. However, it's useful data nonetheless and certainly should be part of your strategy.</p>
<p>Other pieces: If you're looking at a school that meets full need, look at what your need is, according to the financial aid calculators. Then keep in mind that some schools meet need with a big chunk of "self-help" - loans and work-study. You can see that with the USNWR Premium data, as it will show the average amount of the package in grants, loans, and work-study. (You can subscribe here <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/store/products/prod_bestcollegepoe2007.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/store/products/prod_bestcollegepoe2007.htm</a>)</p>
<p>Also, some schools will give merit aid along with or rather than need-based aid. Depending on your stats and accomplishments, state schools and some private schools can give you very nice packages of merit money (or merit plus need based). Some folks get free rides -- tuition and room and board. I haven't found a good database on merit funding (but see <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=211927)%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=211927)</a>. Often you can locate this sort of information by looking closely at financial aid sections of the schools' websites. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>