<p>Does anyone know if Williams is flexible on their financial aid? I filled out the calculator on their website and got an estimate that my parents feel is not very close to what they think they can afford. The problem is that we are a low income family with a high home equity, and since Williams takes that into account they believe we have more than we really do. Has anyone had experience with the financial flexibility of Williams under such circumstances? Or in general?</p>
<p>They use the same basic formula as the 30 other members of the Consortium on the Financing of Higher Education (COFHE - which includes all the Ivies, and all the major northeatern LACs, and some outside the northeast as well.) The flexibility tends to be in what is given in loans versus grants, but the overall calculation of "need" is supposed to be pretty standard. (in our experience it wasn't, but you can't predict it.)</p>
<p>In your case did you get more or less than expected?</p>
<p>It wasn't a matter of more or less. Of the schools to which my d. applied and was accepted at, W. was in the middle of the pile - neither the best nor the worst. Had she decided it was her first choice, we would have appealed the award, had them compare it with other schools, and it is likely (I'm told - we didn't do it) they would have found us "needier", in order to increase yield.</p>
<p>By the way, I'm originally from Bellerose.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Hmm that's like 20 miles or less away from me I think :)</p>