<p>I'm OOS... but the UVA Fin Aid package that I received today doesn't seem to cover nearly enough of COA!? UVA is my dream school, but I have a full ride (FULL RIDE!) to Ohio State & my parents don't want to pay anything :/</p>
<p>Cost of Attendance (OOS): $49,770.00</p>
<p>Offer:
Accesses UVA scholarship: $15,957.00
Federal Perkins Loan: $3,500.00
Direct Subsidized Loan 1: $3,500.00
Direct Unsubsidized Loan 1: $2,000.00
Total offered: $28,957.00 </p>
<p>Which leaves... $20,813 per year??!? (plus the loans?!?!?)</p>
<p>Basically, I'm trying to choose between going to UVA, my dream school, and graduating with $100,000+ debt or going to Ohio State for FREE. What about the loan cap?? Is there any way that I could possibly negotiate with the UVA Fin Aid office? (would they even consider giving me more money if I mention Ohio State's offer?)</p>
<p>Any advice would definitely be appreciated!</p>
<p>That’s less than in-state. Sorry, but I think your OP comes across with a strong air of entitlement. You are extremely lucky that ANY school is willing to pay your full cost of attendance.</p>
<p>Read this article as it really speaks to students about taking on a lot of debt for their education. </p>
<p>[Student</a> loans not always wise - Family & Life Events - Education - Blog Articles](<a href=“http://www.lifetuner.org/article/916-student_loans_not_always_wise]Student”>http://www.lifetuner.org/article/916-student_loans_not_always_wise)</p>
<p>If your parents are not able to contribute enough to go to UVA without putting an extreme hardship on your family, causing you to have a lot of debt at graduation, you would be very unwise to make that choice. Dream school or not, it isn’t worth putting yourself in that type of financial situation upon graduation. </p>
<p>Ohio State is a fine school and to be able to go there with your total education costs covered is amazing! If your parents don’t want to pay anything, how are you planning on making that first 20K year of tuition, less the accessUVA $ and loans? Take that FA package/scholarship from Ohio State and run with it. Then you will be able to pay for other dreams…like a house, or a car, or grad school.</p>
<p>Since UVa meets 100% of demonstrated need, and since they don’t have a large pot of merit aid, and since there are thousands of high quality students on the wait list, I doubt if you will get UVa to increase their offer – unless you prove to them that your financial situation has worsened or that inaccurate information was provided to them.</p>
<p>Based on those figures, it appears as if your family has a relatively high EFC. That is what Fin Aid must go off of, and NOT what a parent “wants” to pay…I mean, what parent “wants” to shell out thousands of dollars for college for their kid if they can have someone else pay for it? I don’t think UVA will negotiate a better offer, because it sounds like Ohio State gave you merit aid and not need-based aid. To get a better package from UVA, you’d have to demonstrate an error had been made or there had been a major change in financial situation.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this leaves you in the difficult position of deciding whether taking out the loans to cover what your parents will not agree to pay. If I was in your position, I would seriously consider what 50k+++ debt will mean for you in terms of repayment and how that will affect your options upon graduation.</p>