<p>Okay… to answer all of the questions. First mom2collegekids I would like to say I’m a girl, not a guy. </p>
<p>“Any travel in that COA?”</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>“I think the OP is referring to Vanderbilt.”</p>
<p>No - Rochester. </p>
<p>“They will provide you with work study opportunities to help you meet it.”</p>
<p>Work study wasn’t included in my scholarship package after receiving the scholarship.</p>
<p>“You say that this is a school that meets 100% of demonstrated need. Well, what did they determine to be your “need”?”</p>
<p>50,000</p>
<p>So back to the OP. I wasn’t trying to whine, or complain or anything of that sort. I realize that I’m very fortunate, and everything I have worked for is paying off. I just believe that students need to be aware of this minimum contribution because I never was. If there are students that are out there like me, (who don’t have help from their parents in the whole college process) they might miss this - like I did.</p>
<p>shay_888: Congrats on getting such great FA from Rochester. According to their web site the middle 50% of admitted students have ACT Composite scores of 28-33 yet they were very generous with your 27.</p>
<p>Even the Ivies and tippy-top tier schools that don’t include loans and that really give fabulous FA packages require students to contribute from summer earnings or jobs. That is completely fine and really to be expected. Students should take some responsibility for their education. Parents struggle enough. You seem to be whining a bit! :)</p>
<p>Direct Cost (Tuition and Fees) $40,282
Room and Board $11,640
Indirect Costs (Books, Supplies, & Misc.) $1,250
Transportation $500
Other expenses $1,058
Total $54,730</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is what they say on their website. It seems like they are very clear that work and loans are part of “meeting need”. You’re eligible for a $3500 subsidized Stafford loan your first year if you need it.</p>
<p>Since they determined your need to be $50k, what is the complete breakdown of your FA package? </p>
<p>I know that you got $40k in a UR grant; What are the exact amounts of the other grants, etc.</p>
<p>The school costs $54,740. They’ve determined that about $3,000 is for books, transportation, and personal expenses. It sounds like most of the $4k that you and your family are supposed to contribute is for that.</p>
<p>So, for $16k total (for 4 years), you are going to get a URochester education. You are VERY lucky.</p>
<p>BTW…if you live out of state for URochester, I would ask them to increase your travel allowance significantly for your COA, and then ask for Work-study to cover that cost. I think you can also ask for a “technology allowance,” which might further increase your work-study request.</p>
<p>As someone who has experienced financial aid with Rochester, I must say that if you feel there is a problem with your financial aid package you should call them.</p>
<p>The Cost of Attendance minus my Financial Aid Package comes to a difference of
$3,030</p>
<p>My FAFSA EFC = 1281
Therefore, the PROFILE apparently found that I have 1800 available in additional resources. I’m sorta confused, if my family is supposed to contribute 4k, then how was my Financial Aid Package about $51,000?</p>
<p>I’m not going to Rochester because I’ve been accepted to USC with a comparable FA package. Both schools guarantee to meet 100% of aid, both cost around the same, and both packages were about the same. Schools don’t get numbers just out nowhere, but they DO make mistakes and overlook things sometimes.</p>
<p>The Financial Aid people at Rochester are very friendly, don’t be afraid to make that call., and there is a Rochester college representative on College Confidential actually.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if there’s actually a minimum that students HAVE to pay… this needs clarification and with my financial aid package it doesn’t make sense.</p>
<p>By the way, did your package include the standard loans? (3500 subsidized, 2000 unsubsidized) If not, take the loans to make up the COA and run with it! Rochester is a great school.</p>
<p>Okay, for the LAST TIME, I’m not sure if some people are ignorant to reading, but I’m not whining. I’m actually satisfied. Like I said before, I just think young students should be aware of this because it’s not clearly stated. Also, I was told by my financial aid rep that it goes toward books and “other expenses.” So, the COA covers tuition and the basic fees, but the $4,000 is for travel and etc. </p>
<p>Also, what is a “technology expense?” </p>
<p>Even if I were to ask them to raise my travel expenses, it wouldn’t matter because they only meet COA which is the $50,000. My financial need was $54k. So, my financial need would increase but the financial aid package wouldn’t. I would like to note, that once again, I am satisfied with my package, and I don’t even know if I will attend this school. I just hope other students are aware of this when they’re going through the college process.</p>
<p>*Also, I was told by my financial aid rep that it goes toward books and “other expenses.” So, the COA covers tuition and the basic fees, but the $4,000 is for travel and etc.</p>
<p>Even if I were to ask them to raise my travel expenses, it wouldn’t matter because they only meet COA which is the $50,000. My financial need was $54k. So, my financial need would increase but the financial aid package wouldn’t.*</p>
<p>NO…if you ask them to increase your travel allowance, then your COA does increase and you then can ask for work/study to cover that. </p>
<p>The COA is not a figure “set in stone”. The school can increase your COA based on travel, technology needs, etc. </p>
<p>Also, what is a “technology expense?”</p>
<p>That’s an allowance to purchase a laptop. So, again, they would increase your COA to a larger number. Again, that would increase your “determined need,” and they can add some work-study to cover that.</p>
<p>The point is to create a larger COA in order to increase your “need”. Then that “need” gets covered with work-study.</p>
<p>Not certain to your point, Shay. You keep reiterating you are satisfied, but students should be aware. You mean, seriously, you thought you would not have to pay a dime for your education? My children have known they would need to work summers to cover costs. No financial aide counselor, any where, ever today them it would be covered. Even with and EFC of 0, we were told the parent’s portion may be dropped but student’s would be expected to cover some costs.</p>
<p>shay, I think UofR is making it clear on their website…see the quote posted above. Students need to realize that “meeting demonstrated need” DOES NOT mean without loans or workstudy. And they need to carefully read what the school says about how they meet need. There are very, very few school that meet need without student loans, mainly ivies, and I believe they have an expected student contribution.</p>
<p>As you said originally, they gave you a full tuition scholarship, then you got federal and state grants and thought you were given a “full ride”. They didn’t tell you that, but came awfully close giving you one!</p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptance and great package!</p>
<p>“shay_888: Congrats on getting such great FA from Rochester. According to their web site the middle 50% of admitted students have ACT Composite scores of 28-33 yet they were very generous with your 27.”</p>
<p>This sounds so very *****y to me. Ah, probably not meant that way…</p>
<p>Ah, yeah, I know. It’s odd eh? But I’m hearing about 3G from CMU and they don’t even promise to meet all need so it’s really good. I know MIT requires 0 EFC kids to pay a few grand of it no matter what, through workstudy or something. I’m gonna do work study myself, get rid of those loans.</p>
<p>Also, I was never told. Applying I though schools would have to meet it, at the very least in loans. I was never told much otherwise. As it turns out, shockingly, kids with 0 EFCs don’t usually have very good counselors. Go figure. I didn’t think I wouldn’t pay anything, didn’t know so many schools gave such cruddy aid. I got really lucky in the end.</p>
<p>Also, to add this in, I didn’t get a 27 on my ACT, AND I worked hard for that scholarship. Less than 1% of applicants are picked to interview for the full tuition scholarship and less than one third of those people are chosen. So, once again, an arrogant, idiotic student that doesn’t realize life is more than standardized test scores and colleges look beyond that. </p>
<p>So, for many of the rude parents that think they know everything on CC, this thread wasn’t mean for you because you are PARENTS, not students. So, I was only trying to inform others of what happened to me because I know many times students are misled into thinking they’ll receive a full ride, but they don’t.</p>
<p>Did I type 27…sorry…I meant a 28 ACT. Still quite an accomplishment for someone whose standardized test score is at the bottom of the middle 50% of admitted students and no AP classes. Congrats!</p>
<p>Even if the colleges aren’t telling students that, but that GC’s, parents, etc. are contributing to this myth. The old, “apply anywhere you like and you’ll get scholarships and grants to pay for it”, is still very prevalent. </p>
<p>shay, this thread does have cautionary value for future students…it’s very important to discard the old way of thinking, double (and triple) check the eligibility and details of scholarships and other FA, and always assume there will be some level of student/parent contribution expected unless told otherwise by the school.</p>
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<p>Not sure what this was a reference to, but COA is not normally defined as direct costs alone. It does include transportation, personal expenses, and books. UofR has them listed under cost of attendance on their website. If you are thinking of direct costs as those that the school bills for, then it would not include any room and board for students once the move off campus. That just wouldn’t work!</p>
<p>I also know of no college that is “free ride”. Even in my home state of Kentucky, Berea college expects students to work in exchange for “free” tuition.</p>
<p>Shay, you have been given some good advice on this thread. Please take what is useful to you, formulate a plan and move on. Rather than getting bogged down and slinging out descriptors such as “rude” “arrogant” “ignorant” etc. It is neither productive nor useful in helping to solve your dilemma.</p>
<p>The point still stands that you got a very, very good scholarship/ FA package particularly with your ACT scores. Apparently this school wants you to come very much. It is up to you to figure out how to bridge the $4,000.00 gap. You have already been given ways to do that. </p>
<p>Please realize that when you share information on a public forum, you are going to get all kinds of comments and advice. Cull what you need. I am sorry but once you put the information out there, you do not also get to choose who can respond and whether or not the response fits your immediate need.</p>
<p>Maybe as a parent, I am showing my age but honestly growing a little tired of students expressing themselves, or asking for advice/opinions and then getting upset when they get feedback. Unless I am confused, isnt that the point after all?</p>
<p>*I was told COA are direct costs. So, traveling to and from home wouldn’t be a direct cost *</p>
<p>That isn’t true. The COA includes travel, incidentals, books, supplies, etc. It can even include a technology allowance. Schools will increase COA for students who need it increased for valid reasons. UR lists $500 for travel. Obviously, a student who lives across the country or is an int’l, would need more money for that. Frankly, $500 for travel is only right for someone who lives in the close vicinity of the school.</p>
<p>Cost Breakdown: 2010-2011
Item Expected Cost
Direct Cost (Tuition and Fees) $40,282
Room and Board $11,640
Indirect Costs (Books, Supplies, & Misc.) $1,250
Transportation $500
Other expenses $1,058
Total $54,730</p>
<p>The only numbers used for their COA are direct costs and room and board. As you can see, where it says indirect costs: books, supplies, & misc. Also, transportation does not fall under that. COA of attendance for the University of Rochester is direct costs (tuition) and room and board. The amount used to determine FA eligibility is obviously much higher when you incorporate travel costs, and that is where the $4000 gap is, in my particular case -for books, travel, and anything except room and board and tuition. I talked to the financial aid advisor for the school, so if I am wrong, I was lied to. </p>
<p>Also, I do value the other things people are saying, but this isn’t really an advice thread. My intentions were to inform students of what could possibly happen to them, and I believe it is ignorance when people repeatedly refer to this as whining when I’ve clearly stated several times that I am not.</p>
<p>Call UR FA office back and ask the following…</p>
<p>Ask if you can receive some work-study by having your COA increased to reflect your indirect costs. There’s no rational reason for UR to not include indirect costs like other schools do.</p>