Well I got my financial aid....not too happy

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I was accepted EA and got my finaid today. I am not too happy. Out of the 44,000 (Room, Board, Tuition Expenses), ND awarded me a Scholarship/Aid package of $13,400 which means I have to pay about $31,000 a year from only a single parent income because my mother is not working. My sister graduated last year from college which means I am now the only child attending college. Since I attended boarding high school and my sister attended college, trust me that was also a lot of money to spend on both kids. Now, my sister is working to pay off her college debts this year and I am currently serving my gap year which is costing me around 15,000 dollars. My sister also has plans on attending medical school in another country beginning Fall 2007. I mean affording the tuition is a problem but not to the extent that I am going to make any major sacrifices such as sell the family car or take up a job at ND. I was honestly expecting $20,000 of aid which would have really fulfilled my true financial aid need. </p>

<p>Now, the only other colleges I have applied to are Vandy and NWestern for RD. I am not sure if I will get accepted and I really would definetely choose ND over Vandy (if they both give me same financial package) and I will have to really think hard between ND and NWestern. I mean I have fallen in love with ND over the past few months and I plan on definetely attending but I will be in so much financial constraint and debt by the end of my 4 years.</p>

<p>Thus, my goal is to write a letter to the financial aid office describing my whole predicament and I really hope they understand my situation. Given such circumstances, </p>

<p>1.) Do you think ND, being a huge endowment university, provides additional financial aid to the max of $5,000?</p>

<p>2.) How have you current students dealt with the burden of afforiding an ND education?</p>

<p>3.) By the way, does Room and Board expenses of $8300 include food expenses?</p>

<p>4.) My friend was describing several positions in college where you dont really have to do such manual labor and you get exempt from expenses. Now this pertains with my sophmore and beyond. For example, could I be an RA in the dorm soph year and get exempt from paying my room charges? Or if I was a researcher (since I plan on doing premed) doing a project with a professor, could I get paid for this? What I am really trying to get at is that I do not wish to have a job because I want to use my time towards academic pursuit so I am thinking of alternatives where my time wont be at stake.</p>

<p>Other than that I really appreciate you for reading this. I am proud to hopefully attend ND and be apart of the Class of '10 but I am just making it as easy of a transition to afford college and I hope you guys can give me that input.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I received my letter as well, and I simply have an opportunity for student employment for a couple of thousand. My parents are opposed, as they want me concentrating on academics first year. We are a one income family as well. What worries them, though, is that my sister who is a junior will probably want to go to Notre Dame next year. When I take a look at the expenses, it's really overwhelming. With travel and possible increases, we're talking abopout a sum close to 200,000K! I can't imagine how great it would be to get just a few thousand. I guess ND doesn't think we need it. Funny, my dad makes what is equal to about two veteran teacher salaries -- we ain't rollin' in it.
Does anyone know, if my sister attends next year, would they be more apt to consider some assistance then?
I guess it just bothers me with the financial burden. I have a part time job and try to help, but I hate to burden my parents.
One more question, are all students who are awarded finanial aide expected to receive part of that aide through student employment?
One more question, honest, ....what percentage of students receive financial aide?</p>

3

<p>fightingirish, i can answer one of your questions and give you some additional advice.</p>

<p>first, the meal plan is included in the room and board cost. check it out at <a href="http://food.nd.edu/mealplans/undergrad_meals.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://food.nd.edu/mealplans/undergrad_meals.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>second, if you do get into northwestern or vandy and they offer you more money, take the advice that my georgetown interviewer gave me--it might work. call notre dame and tell them that you really want to go there, but x college is offering you more. if they really want you, they'll try to work something out. if they refuse, you haven't lost anything. (edit: oops, didn't read the part about the letter. sorry. so it sounds like you are on the right track already. but you can call too!) all the same, it would probably be good to find out about nw and vandy and then have some "leverage" to use.</p>

<p>hopefully that would work--i don't know. but it seems like nd has plenty of money for both you and 3175reg. my cousin and some of other relatives from single-income, 10-kid families have gone there for very little, i believe. so ask! you might get something, and it can't hurt.</p>

<p>best of luck to both of you--hope i'll be seeing you in the class of 2010, if i'm admitted and can work some stuff out (and get enough fin aid myself). but the first part is a big if.</p>

4

<p>Answer to 3).</p>

<p>Yes, I think the Board in "Room and Board" means food. This is usually a meal plan of some sort (14 meals a week? I'm not sure)</p>

<p>:)</p>

5

<p>Thanks, Eruanneth! I will check into it. I was offered great scholarships at a couple of good schools. I LOVE ND and it's always been my dream school, but once again, I worry about my parents. This is almost an ethics dilemma for me.</p>

6

<p>Well, I appreciate your advice guys. 2nd thing, what about if I dont get into Vandy or NWestern and I end up having to only go to ND. Being my only college choice, do writing letters of interest and providing my situation help in receiving more aid. I mean, these universities tend to have huge endowments. If you have ever read several Ivy League acceptance letters before, they signify that they will provide the money and help you as much as possible to make college affordable. Unfortunately, I didn't feel so comforting based on my ND finaid package. Thus, do you think letters/calls in most situation help in getting say an amount of $5000 or do you think they usually perhaps give only an additional $1000?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

7

<p>Fighting, what is your EFC?</p>

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<p>My EFC or expected financial contribution was $20,000-$24,000. I was willing to pay around $20-24,000 for ND but now I am in the burden of paying $31,000. I am in the process of writing my letter to ND. Do you think that I should send this letter now while they are still in the process of distributing their finances for RD students, etc...? Or should I wait for my Vanderbilt and Northwestern letters?</p>

<p>Thanks. I would like to hear about what the best path is for this...</p>