<p>What's the truth about tuition assistance from Ivys and DIIIs? </p>
<p>Some of the current top school choices for my DD are Ivys and DIIIs which are amongst the very best academic (and most expensive) institutions in the country. Neither offers athletic money, and now I am reading that many don't offer academic money either, but rather it is all truly financial need. Is this correct? I am in definite need of financial assistace but from the experiences of my friends who have children in college, many who truly need it do not qualify.</p>
<p>My daughter is very bright, but they all are when you get to that level of school. And she's a great athlete, but they all are when you get to that level of DI competition. She has received interest from schools that I just cannot afford.</p>
<p>We will be visiting schools at the end of summer when her AAU season wraps and the coaches are back on campus from their recruiting, but I need to know, from any of you parents out there who have been through this: Is there any scholarship money to be had -- whatever the form, and whatever the "label' it may wear. I need tuition assistance for a $60k er year college or she simply can't go. Do I cut my losses and not even take her to see these schools?</p>
<p>Take the Financial Aid Calculators at a couple of these schools for a spin, to see what they forecast for your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and resulting need-based aid awards. In my experience, they were very comparable to what we received in institutional aid.</p>
<p>If the gap between the COA and your EFC is not what you had hoped for, or require… it’s time to reassess and target another list of schools, whose policies include merit aid and/or athletic & other scholarship (leadership, alumni, religious or trade affiliations, etc).</p>
<p>The Ivys only give financial aid for financial need. No athletic or merit money. </p>
<p>If you go to their individual FA sites and plug your numbers into their FA estimate calculators, you can see what sort of money you may be eligible for.</p>
<p>The top Ivys (HYP) offer the most generous FA, and meet need with grants, not loans. If you have too many assets or income, loans are offered. </p>
<p>At Harvard, for example, families making $60,000.- or less are not expected to pay anything for tuition and room and board. As income increases (to $150,000.-) families are expected to pay more. In all cases, they look at assets as second homes, businesses, investments and savings.</p>
<p>^^yes.
Also, if your “need” does not work out at ivy or D3 there are some other very good schools that do offer athletic money: Patriot League (depending on sport), Duke, Stanford, UVA, Northwestern, Cal, UCLA, USC, UMich, Wisconsin, UNC, Wm & Mary, Davidson + a lot more.</p>
<p>Thank you both for your replies. I attempted to use the college sites net calculators but hit a dead end because unfinished personal business prevented me from being able to plug in accurate numbers (an issue that must be resolved this year).</p>
<p>fauve – your information on need based aid for Ivys corresponds with what I have been reading. I was unaware of the grants and loans, however. Do you know if these loans are private loans through the University with better terms and at better interest rates? If they decide they want you as an athlete, do they typically qualify you to receive them?</p>
<p>In schools which offer athletic schollys, remember that those are one year at a time. If the athlete decides not to continue or the coach decides that not enough was contributed (depending on conference rules) the scholly may disappear.</p>
<p>Merit money requires the maintenance of a certain GPA.</p>
<p>We got an accurate FA pre-read from our school. But, an accurate pre-read depends upon the accuracy of the numbers you provide.</p>
<p>Athletes at the Ivyies get no preferential FA - they are treated exactly the same as every other student -and in every other respect. My S would argue that athletes at the Ivyies are actually treated worse then a typical student. </p>
<p>In a recent road trip, the bus was not equipped with electrical outlets. This meant that the 7 hour bus ride rendered all but impossible the ability to write term papers, research or do any school work which required more then the brief life of a laptop battery. This was the weekend: leave campus at 1, arrive at the hotel late Friday evening, up early the next day, spend 8 hours at the field, get on the bus to head to the next place (same bus without outlets), arrive past 8, eat, head to the park the next morning, play another 8 hours, ride 5 hours back to campus (same bus) arriving past 10 in the evening.</p>
<p>All the while every other student had the luxury of doing school work on campus. No special tutors, no ability to do school work over the weekend. Such is the life of the Ivy “student-athlete.”</p>
<p>Rebound- I do not know if the loans are any better than the usual federal types. Do ask the FA office- they are very open and willing to share information.</p>
<p>As I recall, Harvard loans are easy to get if a family does not qualify for FA in grants, whether an athlete or not.</p>
<p>And yes, being an Ivy student-athlete is a sacrifice, as there are so many demands on the student’s time. Still, for many students, being a recruit is their ticket into their Ivy. And the student can choose to leave the sport with no repurcussion in FA.</p>
<p>Use your best estimate for numbers to get an idea of what these schools would cost. You also have to be realistic, is she Ivy material. Being “bright” is one thing but does she have the stats to back up admissions and is she good enough for the coach to support her through admissions? If she is at that level, there are 100+ other schools that do offer merit and athletic aid that she should be considering as well. Not sure what sport but have any schools contacted her yet? If you are looking at these top schools you need to have some financial and academic safety schools in your pocket too.</p>
<p>Thank you fauve, and sherpa, great link. I’ve bookmarked it, even if for nothing but comparison purposes as it’s a great gauge to see how these schools are differing in their funding options. Thanks.</p>
<p>SteveMA, agree 100%. Any coach from these schools who doesn’t come back to her will likely result in her crossing the school off of her list and not even applying to it for two reasons:</p>
<p>1 – Every kid who applies at this level is brilliant. So many bright kids get denied every year because there are simply too many of them to let in. If you wanna get in you need to bring something different to the table. you need to have a hook, because your admissions competition is always going to contain someone brighter, someone more involved in organizations, someone more wealthy, etc. plain and simple. Just being a realist, so if they don’t come back, she moves on to the other great schools that do.</p>
<p>2 – She wants to play in college. So, if they don’t come back, she obviously won’t be having that opportunity.</p>
<p>Despite this though, it is time to start visiting (as stated in my op), and it is time to get on this financing train which I knew would be, and which is turning out to be, a big wake up call and pretty confusing to be honest. (I have been reading a lot in the FA forum and it’s definitely helped). Thanks again to all.</p>
<p>stemit – your story is interesting because as far as the athletics go, that is my NUMBER 1 Topic of concern, and I can fully understand why you aren’t happy with that situation. I actually asked this of the one coach I spoke with on an unofficial visit earlier in the year (the only unofficial we have made to date). It will continue to be the number 1 topic of concern to any other coaches we speak with on unofficials later in the year. </p>
<p>1 - Does the college provide tutors, and if so, do they have special hours to correspond with the athlete’s schedules?<br>
2 - Does at least one tutor travel with the team?
3 - How is the faculty with student-athletes – do they cooperate for make up tests, missing class, assignment due dates, etc.<br>
3 - Coaches/Professors policy on class/test conflicts with regular practices.
4 - Fee for tutoring services?
5 - Are student-athletes required to attend tutoring and are their grades monitored?</p>
<p>Every school will be different. And as a parent, I don’t like your story :(</p>
<p>Second big issue relating to athletics:</p>
<p>Whose the roommate? Another athlete or a party animal, “first time away from home” gotta go crazy freshman, who is on a completely different schedule than you and who may have people in the room all night when you have to get up for a game or when you come home late from a practice and have a ton of work to do.</p>
<p>Edit: the more i think about your post, the more i can see this being an issue with the Ivys. Unlike other programs, they don’t have scholarships at risk. In other programs, if you can’t make it in the classroom you’re no good to them and they’ve wasted a scholarship. They have a vested interest in ensuring you do well. Something to think about, and something I may not ave thght about if not for your post. Thanks</p>
<p>Rebound, D’s Ivy athletic experience mirrors stemit’s. No hand-holding to make sure you are performing in the classroom. You’re graded on the same curve, same classes, as your non-athlete peers who didn’t spend the entire weekend travelling and competing, not to mention spending 3-4 hours daily at practice. It’s not for everyone.</p>
<p>As for a vested interest in making sure you excel in the classroom - Ivy schools are very interested in keeping their graduation rates high for all students - so there are a lot of resources available to all students, not just athletes.</p>
<p>Rebound, is your daughter looking at Cornell by any chance? I remember they have an excellent tutoring and study-session program for its athletes.</p>
<p>As for rommates, I would not be too worried about that. All the freshmen have huge academic pressures and the signifying phrase of Harvard "Work hard, party tentatively " seems to be apt. Freshman dorms are proctored carefully for alcohol infractions, so intense partying is usually concentrated at the final clubs, Cambridge bars, and the occasional House dance where students are carded and braceleted for of-age access to alcohol.</p>
<p>If my son (and the parents) had a crystal ball which would have laid out his life as a “student/athlete”, he would not have changed a thing! Learning to juggle the multiple priorities is one of the most important lessons he will learn when it comes time to enter the real world. We well knew that a D1 athlete has three things to do in college: party, academics, and athletics. It is hard to do all three at a high level; and it took a concerted effort to do the middle one well!</p>
<p>Go in with eyes open. Let them grow up; learn their limits and limitations; with support from home (e.g., we pick up the work study portion of his FA and let him pursue his sport during the summer).</p>
<p>As for alcohol use, I have this philosophy: I’m not there. Where do I want him to learn his limits, at school or at his first office holiday party? Learning limits requires lots of trial and error; just don’t drive or get into a car with a drinking driver and try to be reasonably smart about the situations he can get into. So far it’s worked and gotten “better” (more controlled) the older he’s gotten- but I consider it more lucky then good.</p>
<p>As for roommates. He put it this way: only in prison and your freshman year do you not choose a roommate. In his school the athletes are totally mixed with the student population. He loves that and has continued to live with non-athletes; but some of his teammates, after freshman year choose to room with athletes. One size does not fit all!</p>
<p>I presume your questions about tutors are addresses to non-ivy schools. At his school he has the same access to additional help as every other student.</p>
<p>varska, if you’re not going to have the cooperation of professors in scheduling conflicts that’s an issue. period. not a matter of "hand holding’ it’s a matter of reality. they aren’t going to be there (in class) at times. assignments are going to be due when you are on the road. it’s just a given. If there is no academic support with respect to that, it’s an issue.</p>
<p>fauve – ironically, she received a request for a questionnaire from them only a week ago. she still hasn’t completed it. :(</p>
<p>Rebound in post 14 I believe Varska is talking about a different situation than you are talking about in post 17. Varska statement means that athletes are evaluated on the same curve and expected to do the same work as non athletes. For most D1 colleges professors will allow assignments to be turned in late and tests to be rescheduled if there is a conflict with games and travel. School policy may differ on this and I would ask each coach how his school handles these conflicts.</p>
<p>Sorry for the confusion, rebound - swimkidsdad is right. When we were evaluating D1 scholarship schools (Pac-12, ACC) the teams had mandatory study sessions and a dedicated academic liaison for the team to ensure each kid was keeping up on assignments. That’s what I meant by ‘hand-holding.’</p>
<p>As for professors accommodating time missed for competition travel - there have not been any issues.</p>