Every family situation is different. We found the aid at UNC to be better than the higher ranked schools.
So all the merit scholarship decisions are out?
@VeloxS uf is a great public university and it’s definitely not worth paying multiple times what you would have to pay at unc
I’m still waiting for my FA as I just completed the Profile. Should I expect my aid package to be equal to my EFC? And if I get the 10k/year for CSS, will that be included in my package or taken off of our EFC? Thank you to anybody who can help!
Have the pogue scholarship decisions gone out yet?
They will calculate your need by using the COA (cost of attendance) and subtracting your family’s EFC. The difference is your demonstrated need. They will then meet that demonstrated need through either scholarships, grants, or loans. If you have a FA package that includes all three and then get the CSS scholarship, it is my understanding that they usually reduce loans first before reducing any institutional grants. However, your family’s EFC is not considered part of demonstrated need so it does not reduce since the feds have determined that is what your family can afford to pay. Hope that helps.
@Ceciliaagnes The EFC is a calculation that assumes your family contribution to the cost of college will be comprised of past (savings), current (cash)) and future (loans) income. Your aid package will equal COA (total cost) minus your EFC, and will likely include more loans. Did anyone use the NPC (net price calculator) on the UNC website before applying for aid? Were the results mostly accurate? The NPC is there so that there aren’t any surprises later.
Yes, we did the NPC, which came in at about 24k, but our EFC is 19k. That’s what I thought, @heelsmom and @snorkelmom, but I was curious as to how they would treat the 10k from CSS. I guess I’ll wait and see what they come up with.
For all who almost lost hope for merit scholarships, I just called the admissions office and was told they were not done handing out scholarships yet. So keep the hope alive!
Just checked my DDs financial aide and it has not been completed …I sent in FAFSA and CSS months ago. Any thoughts?
Are Honors Carolina invites still going out? I understood invite emails will continue over the next few days. My son received the follow up ExcelCarolina email a week or so ago asking for additional input which led us to believe that he would: (1) be accepted to UNC (OOS) and(2) be invited into the honors program. He was accepted, but we’re now hoping that he will get into Honors.
@VeloxS - I have one at UNC OOS and one at UF instate. They both are equally happy. UF is a terrific option. Message me if I can help.
@phokie I also received the ExcelCarolina email but no honors invitation. Maybe we will get a different excel opportunity?
What you need to understand is that the FAFSA EFC is only used to determine your eligibility for federal aid (federal loans, SEOG grants, work study, Pell grants). Since UNC-CH uses the CSS Profile, the FAFSA EFC has no meaning for institution aid. UNC-CH will use the information on the CSS Profile to determine what they feel your EFC is. They use their formula to determine this. The EFC will likely be higher than the FAFSA EFC. Need based aid will not lower your EFC. Merit aid will reduce the EFC only if the merit award is greater than your need (COA-EFC as determine by the school).
The reality is UNC-CH focuses on need based aid. Their primary goal is to make education affordable for all students. For this reason there is very LITTLE merit based aid. I know it is fistrating but that seems to be their goal.
A friend of mine did not indicate interest in any Excel@Carolina programs and did not get the survey questions regarding the Honors College. Does that mean that she will not be given admission into the Honors College? I thought everyone gets considered no matter what. Her grades are way better than mine and I got offered Honors so I’m curious.
Sorry if this has been answered already, but I am confused. If a student applied to the business school and did not receive any excel or special emails up until now, does that mean they will not get the assured admission to the business school?
@collegemomjam BUMP
where is everyone seeing their financial aid? a packet? online?
@Cubanmom3 my financial aid package is not uploaded yet either. I submitted CSS and FASFA in October
You can see it on the Connect Carolina portal under financial aid. However, it is possible to see numbers in there that are not finalized. Earlier yesterday my DS’s financial aid was partially complete. Around midnight last night, he received an email from FA office saying his package was complete. Now, the portal shows his complete FA package. It appears the FA office is emailing the student when packages are complete.