<p>Will they have it in the FA information? or will we still be dealing with 2012-2013 figures? </p>
<p>Also wish schools would up dates NPCs. We are looking at UConn and they still have 2009-10 figures in the NPC. Frustrating!!</p>
<p>Some schools, especially publics, don’t know next fall’s prices until quite late…sometimes in the summer. You just have to figure about a 5-10% increase in tuition, room, and board. Sometimes aid is adjusted (if the school meets need), and sometimes it is not. </p>
<p>You’re right about the NPCs info being outdated on many schools’ websites. Odd that they don’t update the numbers.</p>
<p>Public universities usually post the estimated fees during the spring term. However, many don’t have the final figures until late summer because the state legislatures are still tinkering with the budget.</p>
<p>In the case of UConn and the old numbers in the NPC, you should email or call the Fin Aid office to get mire up to date information.</p>
<p>That was the case at my kids’ State Us. It was usually June or July before they told us.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. Very frustrating!</p>
<p>Yes, many times the estimated cost of attendance for the next year on the financial aid website turns out to be the best guess. It is irritating that some colleges do not announce next year’s costs until after the May 1 decision date.</p>
<p>I don’t have 13-14 tuition/fees for my school yet. I have to wait until the budget is set and the board of governors approves the tuition/fees. I am putting out all of my info using 12-13 numbers, with the explanation that we expect a modest increase in tuition/fees. As soon as the numbers are approved, I will send an updated award letter. Grants, merit, and work study are not going to change … only loan amounts. It would be the same at any school. Tuition and fees will probably go up a bit - institutional aid, Pell, SEOG, and work study will not change - loan amounts may be adjusted upward (more sub, maybe - but you can’t go over the maximum sub/unsub mix for year in school, anyway, so the loans may well stay the same) - Parent PLUS or Grad PLUS eligibility will increase.</p>
<p>I know this is old hat for a lot of you, but we just got our first aid offer yesterday and all I can say is ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!</p>
<p>An estimated cost of over $40k, if I bother to find that buried in the package. You can’t tell me what your actual charges are going to be?!</p>
<p>I’m sorry, we’re talking about spending more on a college education than we did on our house. Can you go into settlement and be told, oh, by the way, we don’t know exactly how much that house will run you? Better factor in an extra 5-10%?</p>
<p>UNBELIEVABLE!</p>
<p>You have to decide on the product before you know the cost. Good grief, it’s the same situation as health care! Anyone try finding out the cost of a procedure before it’s done? </p>
<p>And it makes it much easier to understand how people are running up so much debt on college. How many people look at their FA offer and think, oh, that’s just a conservative estimate and actually will cost much more?</p>
<p>This is right in line with what I’ve been seeing others write out here. We’re going to change our approach. I think we would’ve fallen prey to the temptation of ‘stretching’ for that ‘best’ school. That strategy is off the table!</p>
<p>But one last moment of ranting: why isn’t this criminal, or at least immoral, behavior? Classic bait and switch! I don’t get it.</p>
<p>I do not understand what is criminal or immoral. Current year actual costs are available on the college’s website, as well as on the award letter (or in the information provided with the award letter). Schools cannot set tuition and fee rates any earlier than the budget process allows - and once set, the Board must approve. Believe me, aid offices push the powers that be to go as quickly as they can, but anyone who works in business knows that these processes are complicated.</p>
<p>Excuse me for my rashness, kelsmom, but you really don’t see anything wrong with buying a product with a variable price tag attached?</p>
<p>Would you buy a prom dress for your child with a tag of approximately $450 and then be happy being told at checkout that really it’s $550?</p>
<p>I’ve really lost all patience with this process. I see nothing in this FA award that tells me what the cost will be. It doesn’t tell me if the increase could be 1,2,5 or 10%, nor is there any cap on what the increase will be from what’s printed on the page. That is wrong as far as I’m concerned.</p>
<p>The price tag is going to be variable all four (or more) years. Your awards will be the same regardless of any increase in tuition/fees/room/board for 13-14. What you have to do is determine if you can afford what you would have to pay as it is … and if that is too much, you don’t even need to know what the increase will be. You need to say no. If you would be stretched to breaking as is, you probably need to say no, because even a small increase will be too much. If you could handle a small increase, you may be okay … but may need to turn them down if it goes up too much.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that schools aren’t doing things this way to bait and switch. They are doing the best they can, and parents have to figure out whether or not they can live with it. If they cannot, then they need to say thanks-but-no-thanks.</p>
<p>A private university my son’s been accepted to already has this on its website:</p>
<p>A traditional undergraduate student living on campus and taking a full load (12-18 credits) of classes during the fall, winter and spring quarters of the 2013-14 school year will be assigned the following cost of attendance:</p>
<p>Direct Costs:</p>
<p>Tuition</p>
<p>and then lists the various costs.</p>
<p>When we log into the web portal for admitted students in the financial aid section it lists costs for 2013-14.</p>
<p>We’re waiting on financial aid.</p>