Washington University Financial Aid

<p>Well, I certainly didn't read the FAFSA results wrong when they said that my EFC was $27,888. I could understand WashU going a bit over, but $13,000+ over is a bit off, wouldn't you say?</p>

<p>WashU's "offer" left me about $20,000 short of my EFC.... I don't think it was a mistake. However, I'm still planning on talking with them further about finances...just to see.</p>

<p>iVinshe, you do need to change the card to washu to get that money.</p>

<p>I thought WashU was supposed to have incredible financial aid. Why does it seem that so many people are receiving packages far less than what they shoulg be getting?</p>

<p>
[quote]
Why does it seem that so many people are receiving packages far less than what they shoulg be getting?

[/quote]
Because people who are receiving great packages aren't coming to CC to complain...</p>

<p>
[quote]
Because people who are receiving great packages aren't coming to CC to complain...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>People use CC just as much to brag as they do to complain...just a thought.</p>

<p>For example...I got a GREAT package. Basically i only have to pay a couple thousand dollars a year</p>

<p>For those of you with substantial gaps between FAFSA EFC and WashU aid, were your other offers with better aid from state schools or Fafsa only schools? That can make a big difference because PROFILE schools take into account home equity, etc which fafsa does not. So, your fafsa EFC will usually, but not always, be smaller than your PROFILE EFC.</p>

<p>keepmesane, in our case, we filed both FAFSA and the CSS Profile at all of the schools.</p>

<p>Man it makes me sick to my stomach seeing kids go to school like wash U for only a couple thousand a year. I couldn't even consider it because I would be paying full tuition. How is that fair? The people who are poor can aford a university like wash u and the people who are rich can't. Giving people nearly full rides because of their parents income in my mind should be a sin. Why don't they just give out scholarships based on a person's skin color, oh wait they do that too. AAAAAAAAAAAA</p>

<p>^ jclay...i completely agree</p>

<p>it's understandable that the poor have to pay less than the rich do, but it does seem that process is not balanced at all.</p>

<p>i really commend schools like harvard and princeton who are giving better packages to middle class families who are between 100K-180K...i wish more colleges, and especially wash u, would do the same. A full fifty thousand dollars for an education nowadays is absolutely ridiculous.</p>

<p>Jclay2-</p>

<p>I also have to end up paying full tuition to attend WashU...but if you're unhappy with your financial package, you CAN contact the financial aid department. There's no need to go accusing those that have less resources of being favored over simply because they can't afford it.</p>

<p>I believe that everyone should be held to similar standards, but I also believe that everyone should have a chance in attaining their goals. If tuition were the same for everyone, no matter income or background, so many potential students would be automatically excluded from this opportunity.</p>

<p>Even though my son's financial aid package was horrid and he probably won't be able to go to Wash U as a result, I absolutely do not begrudge the fact that "poor" people get all but a few thousand paid for. It would be a sad, sad day if only the rich could get a good education.</p>

<p>I agree with the notion that middle class families that make 100k-200k a year should receive a lot more fin. aid than they do. I was offered basically nothing so far and I am already appealing it at WashU...hopefully it works out better!</p>

<p>So, why would poor people not want to go to college if financial aid didn't exist and was instead used to lower the cost of college? Guess what, unless you are an absolute moron of a poor person, you would still go to college becuase the benefits far outweigh the cost. Also, poor people take out loans for houses and cars so why not education. The benefits definately outweigh the costs even if they didn't have the current financial aid that they do now. So, all of the talk about "only the rich going to college" is a bunch of nonsense, because frankly if you have a brain and went to high school, you know the benefits are to good not to go to college no matter what the cost.</p>

<p>I don't care if you are a millionaire. You don't deserve to be penalized by higher education costs at the reward of someone else(aka someone on financial aid).</p>

<p>
[quote]
I don't care if you are a millionaire. You don't deserve to be penalized by higher education costs at the reward of someone else(aka someone on financial aid).

[/quote]
Typical rich, stuck up bull if you ask me... If you claim to be "rich", then you should be able to afford Wash U. Does that potentially involve loans? Yes. Should you be able to get a good enough job out of a top notch school to help pay off the loans? Yes. Quit complaining and realize that this is life. Maybe you've been too sheltered all these years, but you have to learn to deal with potential hardships.</p>

<p>I don't understand how someone can consider themselves "rich", and then complain about not affording school. I'm from a family that's upper middle class, has 2 students in college at once, and can afford 2 top notch schools with partial scholarships. Were there some loans involved on the part of the family? Yes. Was the carefully planned out college savings account used? Yes. Did we have to sacrifice some small luxuries over the years in order to do this? Maybe so. If you really consider your family to be rich, then ask yourself, what's preventing you (or your parents) from affording college - Not willing to give up a lifestyle that you can't afford if a child is at a private school?</p>

<p>Maybe buying a $70,000 car, and then complaining how you can't afford private university tuition is a bit backwards when a $25,000 car would have served just as well, but I've seen that first hand...</p>

<p>*a note...I just talked to a friend today who was admitted to WashU earlier this month as well. He said that he was dissatisfied with his financial aid package (he comes from a standard middle to upper-middle class family). He just happened to be in St. Louis this past weekend and so he thought he'd go to campus and talk to the financial aid office about it. He said the people there were all extremely helpful and he got to talk to the director of the office without even having an appointment. Apparently, they had him sorted out in a matter of minutes, and he's now more than satisfied with his financial aid package. WashU is his new top choice.</p>

<p>I'm not saying this can or will be the case for everyone, but his story did encourage me to pursue financial aid possibilities further with WashU.</p>

<p>"Typical rich, stuck up bull if you ask me... If you claim to be "rich", then you should be able to afford Wash U. Does that potentially involve loans? Yes. Should you be able to get a good enough job out of a top notch school to help pay off the loans? Yes. Quit complaining and realize that this is life. Maybe you've been too sheltered all these years, but you have to learn to deal with potential hardships."</p>

<p>You don't understand the problem do you. Since when should college cost a % of your parents income. This isn't taxes for goodness sakes. Why the heck should I pay $200,000 for a 4 year education at Wash U and another kid only pays $50,000. How can you not have a problem with that. Both students will have the same opportunities, so why give one a huge break and screw the other one. Of course I am sure you think a 40% income tax on the rich is ok because the rich guy can afford it.</p>

<p>"Maybe buying a $70,000 car, and then complaining how you can't afford private university tuition is a bit backwards when a $25,000 car would have served just as well, but I've seen that first hand..."</p>

<p>Just for your knowledge, my family has never bought a car for $70,000 or even close. Like I said before, it is not right to give someone a reward at the expense of someone else. But I guess that is why I am one of the few true capitalists on this board.</p>

<p>I see your point. But, keep in mind that some of the poorest kids aren't getting into WashU anyway on the basis of their family's income (WashU is NOT need blind- I think that's the real problem). Also, I believe a lot of the financial aid washu gives out is from donations from individuals who wished to give away scholarship money. so that really isn't giving a reward at someone else's expene if that was the intent of the donation. </p>

<p>MCT</a> News Service Preview</p>

<p>Of course sparkle28swim, there is nothing wrong with people wanting to give money away to certain people of their own criteria. I think though all of the institutional need based aid that is not connected to individual criteria should be given to everyone.</p>