<p>Hi, I was just wondering how much Columbia students whose family income is roughly 160~200K pay for tuition? I posted this in the financial aid & scholarship section but I felt that I would get more accurate info if I posted in the Columbia University thread.</p>
<p>My family sits right at the very bottom of that range so I guess I’ll chime in. Actually Columbia was by far my best option financially (aside from state schools of course…). I think the final offer was about 20k in need-based (all they offer) grants so we’ll end up paying somewhere around 35k. My parents have a negligible amount of assets so I’m not sure how that all factored in, but I was unexpectedly ‘okay’ with Columbia’s offer - which is why I’ll be in NYC come August =D. Its still a pretty big sacrifice for my family though.</p>
<p>Thanks! Do you have any siblings?</p>
<p>Just one younger sister who won’t be in college until my senior year so that shouldn’t have affected the aid package.</p>
<p>Did you get scholarships and grants that aren’t need based?</p>
<p>Nope that was just my need-based grant plus a work study component of about 2.5k (Columbia does not offer loans, which was realllly nice), and the work study seemed pretty standard. I believe the scholars are exempt from work study though, so if you get one of those then your package would just be a need-based grant from Columbia.</p>
<p>How much financial aid would one get with income of less than 100K? Approx, of course…</p>
<p>I would hope for a FC of around $10K-$12K given a 100K income. Depending on other factors (siblings, multiple households, etc) it could be better.</p>
<p>I’m from two person household with a single income a little over 90k.
Columbia gave me 42K including work study… leaving me with an EFC of about 13K</p>
<p>Columbia gave us exactly enough so that we would pay the amount FAFSA said was our EFC (roughly the amount, give or take a hundred or so). -.- </p>
<p>EFC for a 100K income will be significantly more than 10K-12K, I believe; probably at least 25K… we’re under 100K in income and our EFC was 30k.</p>
<p>has anyone seen this?:
<a href=“http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/ay0910/Estimated_Expenses_2009-2010.pdf[/url]”>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/isso/ay0910/Estimated_Expenses_2009-2010.pdf</a></p>
<p>that really scared me. it was on the site for applying for a visa. it says total expenses for Columbia undergrad is 70k, but I find that hard to believe (and shocked my parents)</p>
<p>please tell me somehow that document is wrong.</p>
<p>I saw that ealier and called the office. It is indeed a mistake. Go with the figures in your financial aid package.</p>
<p>If my parents make around 200K, do you think I would get any aid at all? My parents are horrified at the thought of 50K a year, so if I don’t get aid it will be almost impossible for me to go. I’m the oldest child, and our house is modest, not super big or small, if that helps.</p>
<p>asha: yeah I think I’m in around the same boat. My parents make a little less but they definitely can’t afford 50K. I want to go so bad though!! Do you have any siblings?</p>
<p>Yeah both younger though, 7th and 9th grades this year. I want to go super bad too! But worrying about money issues on top of trying to get in is practically impossible, you know?</p>
<p>Yeah i have two younger; 9th and 4th. It sucks knowing that your parents also have to save enough $$ for their colleges. I would die to go there. It’s in NYC. It’s perfect!! Money sucks … I mean if we’re qualified enough to get in, I don’t see why money has to stop us from going</p>
<p>That’s exactly how I feel! If you work your butt off and Columbia decides you deserve to go there, then nothing should stop you, because you did everything that you could and are considered “good enough”. I hate the thought of giving up on elite schools because of their costs.</p>
<p>^not true at all, financial aid is decided independent of the admissions process. So you can be absolutely amazing, but if you are upper middle class you might not be able to afford your family contribution.</p>
<p>But that’s what I mean. I just think it’s depressing for the people who are able to get into an amazing school like Columbia, but their EFC is too high or something and they can’t pay for it. I wish money wasn’t such a huge factor, is what I guess I’m trying to say. It’s idealistic, but that’s how I feel.</p>
<p>^no that isn’t idealistic, it’s actually a real concern and a real constraint for a lot of people. That’s why I keep wishing our endowment investments grow. Harvard (and probably a couple of others) offers better FA than Columbia for upper middle class families [say $120,000-$180,000]. But Columbia is still one of the best schools for FA in the country, it’s just not H and even H isn’t where it needs to be.</p>