Who got shafted by CMU fin.aid?

<p>U can check ur aid package online at cmu.edu. My family's total EFC is very low. Out of the total $43,370 cost of attendance, I'm expected to pay $12,000 (Workstudy, Loans, and another $5000 that wasnt even in their package).</p>

<p>At another equally if not more prestigious university, my total cost of attendance is $1500. </p>

<p>Sounds pretty rediculous how stingy CMU is. To those on the waiting list, congradulations. A spot just opened.</p>

<p>Yeah I know right, me too. I got like nothing from them. I got only $5,000 in grants. I got much more from Princeton.</p>

<p>i got a very crappy financial aid package... but it's ok cuz im most likely not going there. the other schools I got into (Duke, Columbia, Cornell) gave me a TON more money than Carnegie Mellon... luckily another spot open for u waitlisters!</p>

<p>on my cmu site, it doesn't say anything about fin aid. it says that it will be posted three days after my letter has been sent. so obviously, it must have not been sent yet. but my admissions letter was sent with the first batch (march 21 i think). why is my fin aid taking so long to come?</p>

<p>I got $2,500</p>

<p>FAFSA said that my family's EFC is 6,500, but CMU expects us to pay 13k... 21k grants, 6k loans, etc. My father told me that the most he could pay is 8K. It would have been better if CMU was a little bit more generous:) but overall, I'm satisfied CMU's finaid after receiving JHU's finaid package. (For JHU, my family's EFC is 20k)</p>

<p>For those of you that really want to go to CMU and have good offers from other schools you can ask CMU to review your finaid package against your other offers. Sometimes that yields more finaid in your package. You just have to make the effort to have it looked at. There is a 48 hour turn around once you have made a written appeal.</p>

<p>I sure hope that the appeal process works for us, because we just simply cannot afford that much. Does anybody know if they compare other offers based on need or merit or both?</p>

<p>are people appealing by fax...or mail, or what?</p>

<p>lkf725-</p>

<p>I don't know for sure but I think they compare merit offers. If you have special circumstances in regards to need you can write a letter regarding that. I have read that several students have had luck with the appeal process. Good luck!!!</p>

<p>bballman27-</p>

<p>I think you can appeal by fax or mail. I think you need an appeal form or something like that. Anyone know that for sure?</p>

<p>is there really an appeal form?</p>

<p>Yes, there is an appeal form. It the second page in the financial aid award mailing. They must be used to alot of people appealing!</p>

<p>yea, I just appealed after seeing my package online...and i hadn't got the mailing yet...so i guess i'm sorta screwed...</p>

<p>Well, I don't know about that. We just got the letter, and it's really our first chance to appeal formally. We appealed by email and USPS before we got the finaid letter after seeing the online info. Now, seeing that you must include copies of other finaid offers and request specific types of aid, I guess we'll be doing it over. I don't think the original correspondence could hurt, though.</p>

<p>good. I'm hoping I get my letter tomorrow so that I can start the "official" process. Does it really take only 48 hours for them to review the financial aid decision?</p>

<p>I don't know. We originally used email, but later got a return email that said they would not open attachments. Then I sent again by cutting and pasting in the body of the email and send a hard copy. By then it was Friday, so I can't say for sure how long the process takes (I hope wct is correct about the 48 hours!!!) I'll let you know when I hear from them. Good luck to you also!</p>

<p>We appealed 4 years ago, S is graduating next month. I think we faxed them their form, a letter of explanation, and 2 packages from other schools (BU and JHU). I don't know what they look for specifically, but they offered S $2500 extra, called it Carnegie Mellon scholarship. It has been offered each of his years at CMU. I don't think they are trying to "outbid" other schools, rather match them.</p>

<p>I didn't get an appeal for in my mailing...</p>

<p>It's an 8X14 (approx) paper entitled in green "Request a Review of Your Financial Aid Package", in case you want to call and ask for one. Maybe the green ink is a good omen?</p>

<p>i know this tread is old.. but you all scare the crap out of me. i want to go to cmu but the money is the issue.. :(</p>