Yes, we’re from MN and it says the same. My son was also accepted to UMass-Amherst and had the same figures, but they did specify unsubsidized Stafford. Madison will probably soon update the specifics.
Our total aid says $9,000, probably $5,500 of which is Stafford Loans, although the details aren’t there yet. This doesn’t come close to our estimated need. We are in-state. Surprisingly, it’s going to be much cheaper for our child to go to a better private university. Madison is the most expensive option so far. Something is wrong about the in-state flagship costing more for a middle-class family than an elite private university will. Where are the merit scholarships, Madison, or at least committing to meet estimated need? You aren’t competing with the offers elsewhere so the brain drain continues because you are only affordable for poor kids and the rich. The middle class is ignored, so our kids go elsewhere and probably won’t look back.
@prouddad2023 - valid points, and UW-Madison seemed to be addressing the lack of merit for its best and brightest (at least I thought so). Many elite privates will have the funds, both merit and need-based, to attract the top applicants; furthermore, most of those are automatic consideration so you don’t have to apply for them. Madison - different story on the merit side.
Did your DC apply to UMN? They are usually pretty good about merit and he/she would get reciprocity.
The Accept/Decline Awards link is now available
@JBStillFlying, I understand the financial pressures Madison is under. What I’m really upset about is the lack of public investment in the UW system so that they can’t afford the scholarships necessary to compete for top students with other institutions. I had hoped the chancellor’s stated commitment to providing more merit aid would have come to fruition. DD did get into UMN and Caltech so far. We are waiting to hear from UMN about merit scholarships. All of the private universities are coming back with substantially lower net cost estimates than Madison for people in our economic situation. That’s because they commit to meeting full financial need. We would have liked her to stay closer to home, but the balance is certainly tipping toward distant private institutions, especially when they will be less expensive.
Wow, now that I can see details, it’s even worse than I thought. All the aid is self-help (loans and work study). Not a dime of scholarship money, so really the net price would be the full in-state cost of attendance. That’s $9-18K higher per year than the other high caliber places she applied. I guess that decides it, then.
@prouddad2023 Is your family eligible for Bucky’s Tuition Promise? If so, that may make UW a more reasonable option
@prouddad2023 - every family is different, but if my kid had gotten into both CalTech and Wisc, I guess I’d send them to CalTech, even if more expensive ;
Our income is higher than the eligibility for Bucky’s Tuition Promise but nowhere near enough to make $100K for four years of college affordable. Caltech is the very likely choice at the moment (possibly MIT, Stanford, or UChicago if she’s admitted RD), but as Wisconsinites, we would have liked to have Madison as a viable option. I feel a bit ashamed that my state pushes top students out if they are middle class. It’s a poorly thought out practice.
Wow.
Wisconsin - An unsubsidized loan offer for $5.5K. No thanks.
= abt $55K / yr.
Minnesota offering $40K OOS
= abt $35K /yr.
Kansas offering scholarships > 40K, acceptance to Honors program, in-state. = abt $15K / yr.
$220,000 for undergrad? Darn, we’ll have to sell the Bentley.
I don’t think so, Bucky!
^Not sure about KU but MN and Wisc. can be very similarly ranked, depending on what program you are enrolled in. With a $20,000 dif/yr. that’s real money saved for grad school.
I’m so disappointed, we only got a $5500 loan for my son. We are from MN- even the U of M is at $20k after a $7k/year merit scholarship and we don’t know yet if they will offer more aid (i’m A single parent and my EFC is $9700). Soooo very disappointed. My son really wanted to get out of MN and go to Madison. He has a 34 ACT and a 3.98 GPA unweighted. UGH!!!
Agree with many posts on here regarding the lack of consideration for Merit at UW-Madison. My DS has received generous Merit at all Universities accepted into thus far (Case Western amongst them - $25K/year) but not a cent from UW-Madison. We are in-state and would have loved to see him continue on the Bucky tradition, but it is becoming less likely each day…so incredibly disappointing!
I’m an Illinois dad – our state is in the same boat. Very little money available for merit, and as a result there’s a huge flow of students to places like Alabama. Seems like the state is now trying to address this brain drain (or at least acknowledging that it exists), but I still haven’t seen much in the way of the extent to which they will pony up funds.
UW doesn’t award merit along with the financial aid notice. It is dependent on which school you got into. My kid was direct admit to the business school and their merit awards state:
“Notifications to students selected for scholarship awards will be sent by March 1 for early action admits and by April 15 for regular decision admits.”
Her friend who was direct admit last year received $4,500/yr toward the end of February.
My son is a mathematics major and admitted into the College of L&S. Is there hope for merit aid?
@countdamoney, thanks for the clarification. They should have been more explicit in their email about financial aid that scholarships will not be announced until a later date. They have a bunch of people, including us, about to give up on Madison thinking they are getting only loans and/or workstudy.
You can accept an offer and rescind it by May 1st with full refunds of deposits (separately for UW and for Res Halls). I wonder if they are waiting with merit aid possibilities until they have all applications. I also think that if public funds are used they should only go to Wisconsin residents- there are plenty of gifted kids instate whose parents have been giving money to the state over the years.
Our son was direct admit to Engineering, declared Mechanical Engineering. In-state. 31 ACT, 3.76 GPA. Good ECs, good essay, 4 year varsity athlete, 2X captain, year-round club athlete and works part time. Lots of PLTW classes (I think 5?). 7 AP classes and 5 more honors classes.
For the people that are surprised about merit aid, why? I’m surprised your surprised. UW is very open that they do not offer merit aid directly. Did you not know this before applying? There are lots of scholarships you can apply for, but there is no real merit aid.
Did scholarships come out along with the financial aid packages or are they given at a later date?