<p>Whining alert. </p>
<p>I just got my aid package. </p>
<p>[bad singing]It's starting to look a lot like UTKnoxville[/bad singing]</p>
<p>No UChicago for me. I don't know whether they expected my parents to magically gain the ability to pull money out of where the sun don't shine or what, but it was really disappointing. And student contribution 15k ***? Where did they find that number?? Did they just think that they could take my life savings, split it over four years, add 10k magic invisible money that I don't have, and plan to suck it right up in tuition? This is a terrible thought, but I almost wish my dad had fudged a bit on my FAFSA :( </p>
<p>FML </p>
<p>I now feel bad having said this because I know times are tough, I knew when I applied that Chicago wasn't famous for its aid, and I know that there were a lot of worthy applicants applying for aid at the same time as me. I hope all of you fellow CCers got a better deal than me, and that as many of you as possible have a fantastic time next year at U Chicago, because it's a friggin' awesome school. </p>
<p>Sorry for the rant :(</p>
<p>How does your package line up against your FAFSA EFC and ESC? If there are sharp discrepancies, you should at least call to understand where they got their numbers. There may have been some sort of misunderstanding. The worst thing that can happen is that they’ll say they can’t change your package.</p>
<p>I feel opposite. I just got my FA and I won’t have to encrew hardly any debt. I think that Chicago has great aid and it is one of the reasons that I applied but maybe I’m just lucky. Idk.</p>
<p>@LamiaServatrix- did you get any merit aid ? </p>
<p>Just trying to figure out how it works 
Congrats on the nice FA!</p>
<p>My son hasn’t gotten his yet, but got a good deal elsewhere and with Chicago’s reputation for poor FA and their statement that EVERY student is expected to take out loans?? Well, that’s difficult…nothing against loans but in these times it’s tough to stomach for young people…</p>
<p>Jamie, I was worried about aid from Chicago as well considering the rumors. And the package I received in Dec (I got in EA) was not the best, but the final award drastically changed. </p>
<p>And not every student is expected to take out loans. Actually, they recommend that you don’t borrow any on the actual finaid package. If Chicago is where your son wants to go, keep your hopes up! :)</p>
<p>When did everyone get their financial aid package?
I still haven’t gotten my final offer (got my decision way back after EA decisions were out)</p>
<p>I got my package today, and while it increased from the EA estimate, it’s still not enough. Chicago’s family contribution is significantly higher than expected, and even our expected value is sort of unreasonable.
I wouldn’t have automatically ruled it out if an <em>ahem</em> local rival hadn’t offered a bit more, but hey, they did. It was sort of a toss-up between the schools for me for different reasons, and that just helped make the decision, I guess.
Of course, we’re still looking at the merit offers that beat both schools, but I’m not sure how I feel about those (schools), so I’m now figuring out how much debt I’m willing to take on to convince the parents to let me go to what is currently my top choice. </p>
<p>Why does money have to be so complicated? In the beginning of the process, Mom told me I could and should aim higher than some of the schools I have as admission/financial safeties.
Now she’s trying to convince me one of those places is where I belong. Arg!</p>
<p>(I also needed to rant. Thanks.)</p>
<p>FA came through regular mail, right?? Since my son got a full ride it would be hard to beat anywhere else but he sure loves Chicago.</p>
<p>That local rival gave me more aid too, but I don’t think it’s significant enough to play a role in my decision.</p>
<p>OP, actually Chicago DOES say in their FA info that they expect all assets in the student’s name will be used over the four years. Stinks, I know. I’m glad we quit putting money in the kids’ names when we heard horror stories of kids turning 18 and buying cars with their UGMA money now that it was entirely theirs with no strings attached!</p>
<p>I can hardly wait to see what Chicago does when we have two kids in college…</p>
<p>Yeah CountingDown, I knew that my money woudn’t stand a chance in the face of university, but they seem to be asking for the money I have currently, plus whatever money I’ll make in jobs outside of my considerable work-study package, because if I quadruple the amount they’re expecting me to pay for next year, there’s $10,000 more than I have at the moment. </p>
<p>On Asiantofu’s advice, right now my dad is calling the FA office to make sure they didn’t count my savings twice, once for me and once for my parent’s contribution, since the number make it seem like they did. FAFSA put my EFC at $11,000/year, and Chicago is asking for $32,000. I qualify for Odyssey grants, so according to the maximum amount of money they say my parents might make(60k, right? and my dad doesn’t make close to that right now), they’d be taking over half, and I have a twin going to college at the same time as me, so I now I realize something’s up… </p>
<p>Thanks for all the commiserating/encouraging posts!</p>
<p>They’ll base your EFC on what your parents earned in 2008, so if your dad’s hours were reduced in 2009, so that won’t be reflected til next year’s FA. (Nevertheless, I’d let FA know your current circumstances.) However, if you think some stuff is double counted and you believe your family quaified for Odyssey based on 2008 earnings, it can do absolutely no harm to contact FA and clarify how they’ve calculated your package.</p>
<p>Best of luck and I hope you can get the FA you need!</p>
<p>[College</a> Admissions Advice - The Choice Blog - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/]College”>http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/)
This is a blog on the current situation of deciding on and choosing colleges, based on many criteria. Today’s entry is based on Financial Aid and may be worth reading.</p>
<p>My son won’t be going to Chicago but he got a good package at Chicago. In fact, after his full ride at Pitt this was the best.</p>
<p>33,200 Grant
5200 loans
2200 work study
4400 Student contribution
10330 Parent Contribution</p>
<p>Our EFC was 19k. He got a similar but slightly worse deal at Northwestern.</p>
<p>Turns out they included the value of my house, my parents’ retirement savings, and the money I could earn working 9-5 all summer into the equation, plus our other savings, plus my college fund, plus my sister’s college fund. They calculate need differently from the FAFSA. I don’t know how I’d get the money to pay the student contribution when they have me doing so much work study. </p>
<p>My dad called the FA department today and they basically said “Too bad, mortgage your house.” My dad asked them if he would have been better off buying 5 Ferraris and being in debt before he fills out the FAFSA for next year. They said “well, yeah”. I kid you not. It sucks so hard that the FA system in general (not just UChicago, I don’t really mean to pick on UChicago) punishes people so much for saving. </p>
<p>The funny thing is, they gave me an Odyssey grant. So it was like “Look, we know you’re poor, so here’s 5,000 bucks. Feel special already!” as they plan on sticking the vacuum into my dad’s bank account.</p>
<p>I thought retirement savings was not part of the equation. Do they ask for the amount of money in IRAs?</p>
<p>It’s nice how the poor kids get loads of aid, the rich kids can pay for everything, while the middle-class kids are screwed. Oh well, I’m kind of ranting. I won’t be able to go, not after getting any aid whatsoever. It might just be better to attend Bing or RPI and spend the money on grad school. My parents won’t even let me go here anymore.</p>
<p>My aid was awesome. Granted, I got both the smaller Odyssey award and a $10,000 merit scholarship, but my total contribution is less than my FAFSA EFC. The real aid package was much better than the estimate with my EA decision.</p>
<p>I’m am SO nervous about getting this package. I’m in VA and hope to get it tomorrow. </p>
<p>AHHH!</p>