<p><<<<
According to the FAFSA, my estimated family contribution (EFC) was about 28,000. However, the package they offered me, including work-study, would require me to pay about 38,000 a year without loans, or 34,000 with loans. </p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Since loans and WS are financial aid, then ND is only expecting your parent contribution to be 34k instead of 28k from FAFSA. that sounds about right since the split isn’t the same for CSS schools as it is for FAFSA. </p>
<p>St. Olaf likely either gave you merit or a preferential pkg.</p>
<p>Your family’s total FAFSA EFC is $84k. Unless your parents have a lot of assets, then your family income is probably around $250k per year for a family of 5. Are there any other kids in the family?</p>
<p>In response, my parent’s income isn’t all that high, the reason our EFC is so high is cuz we each have about 20k a year from our grandparents (was included in FAFSA). Also, Olaf did offer me some merit aid, but I’m talking about it as need-based because my siblings received substantially less merit aid than me, but our packages ended up the same, so I’m assuming they just took that out of my need-based aid.</p>
<p>In response, my parent’s income isn’t all that high, the reason our EFC is so high is cuz we each have about 20k a year from our grandparents (was included in FAFSA). Also, Olaf did offer me some merit aid, but I’m talking about it as need-based because my siblings received substantially less merit aid than me, but our packages ended up the same, so I’m assuming they just took that out of my need-based aid.</p>
<p><<<<
the reason our EFC is so high is cuz we each have about 20k a year from our grandparents
<<<<</p>
<p>So, your grandparents are giving $20k per year per triplet? Well that is going to cause ND to think that the family contribution per child can be high. ND is only figuring that your parents are paying about 14k for you. Right?</p>
<p>St. Olafs aid is hard to figure and you really cant compare schools because each school has its own formula. It does seem weird that St Olafs gave you merit, but each triplets’ package ended up with about the same aid. </p>
<p>Yeah, I don’t know how ND would see that my siblings have that money too though because I’m the only one who applied there. And my parents put on the CSS that they were contributing 4k a year for me, but I’m sure they go off of income rather than what they say they can afford haha</p>
<p>It would make things a bit better at these schools if grandparents just gave your parents the money. There are some perfectly legitimate ways to position some things so that the numbers are more favorable towards you. </p>
<p>small nit, thumper, but our general surgeon is a proud grad of St. Olaf College. (note, no ‘s’, which he always makes clear when I mess it up - hahaha)</p>
<p>will your siblings be going to St Olaf? If so, it will probably be much easier on the family if you all are at the same school…easier for move in/move out…same holidays…same graduation. if youre at different schools, you may all graduate on the same day…yikes for parents.</p>
<p>Good luck with ND, but honestly, unless you have some change in your financial situation, or there was a mistake, I wouldn’t get too hopeful for a change. </p>
<p>""Yeah, I don’t know how ND would see that my siblings have that money too though because I’m the only one who applied there. And my parents put on the CSS that they were contributing 4k a year for me, but I’m sure they go off of income rather than what they say they can afford haha “”</p>
<p>there may have been some assuming going on. ND probably didn’t think that you were the super-fave-triplet that is the only one getting money from the grands…lol</p>
<p>And, whatever the school determines your family contribution to be, the same number is usually applied to the other siblings in college. </p>
<p>NO, the school doesnt care what your parents say that they can pay. Everyone would put a low number if that were the case.</p>
<p>If you want ND so much, then get a job over the summer and work full time, and put that money towards ND</p>
<p>If you and your brother both applied to St Olaf, you probably got some preferential packaging so that the two of you attend.
Your best bet for ND is not to expect any more aid, but to get a job over the summer and work while at ND (even if you don’t have work study, you can still apply for jobs).</p>
<p>Contact ND and find out whether their aid package is accounting for the two siblings.</p>
<p>It is possible that they have written the package based on you alone, but will give you substantially more grant aid once they have confirmation that your siblings are enrolled in their respective colleges.</p>
<p>That is what happened with my daughter-- she was applying to school at the same time as her older brother was applying to another school as an older, transfer student. So I could fill out forms indicating that he would be in college, but I couldn’t supply the name of the college he would be attending-- because of course he hadn’t decided yet. </p>
<p>Has the financial aid office asked you to supply verification of enrollment for your siblings? If not, I think it’s a pretty good bet that the award is not yet accounting for them. In my case it was very easy – when my son enrolled in his college, I just asked him to take the form to his college financial aid office – and they did the rest. My son wasn’t even receiving aid at his school (an in state public) – but that was still something that was done for him. The form confirmed that my son was enrolled and also listed the full COA for his school.</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t get a whole lot extra because the tuition at the brother’s school was so low, but it was several thousand dollars. I think in your case with two siblings it could be substantially more – however, be aware that the school may not be able to tell you how much more it will be at this point -so you may have to go ahead and make a choice on incomplete info.</p>
<p>I’d suggest that you also call St. Olaf – you may be pleasantly surprised there as well. </p>