MORE BAD NEWS..I got my Bu financial package today...

[hnbui]

Well it's been bad news for me lately when it comes to financial aid...

I got my bu financial aid package today in the mail and... well i was really shocked and dissapointed.....


I only got 7,675 in aid. And it only includes aid from the govt. BU did not give me anything.....

Here's a breakdown.....

Federal SEOG 500.00
Federal Perkins Loan 500.00
Federal Pell grant 4050.00
Federal Sub Loan 2,625.00

comes out to be 7,675.00

Man it's a real let down.
I didn't even get any merit or need based aid from the university...

Here's my economic info again:

efc=0

will be a First generation college student...
I live in new orleans.....

My mother made only 15 grand in 2003, and both my other brother and sister are in college.

my mother also had to take out a 80 grand loan in order to pay my dad off the house.

My dad has a new family and never contributed to the family domestically and financially.

I had to help my mother out with her tailor business since i was in the 8th grade.....

God.... not even a single dollar in need based aid from the university..... They fricken suck!!!!!!

man life sucks right now......

i forgot to mention the fact that i called and the person told me that it would be useless appealing because i would probably only receive aa additonal thousand dollar in "federal loan"

edited:
I was accepted for undergrad studies.

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[secretmiss]

where are your federal Stafford loans?

 

[LP1CW]

BU always sucks for financial aid, from what i've been told. Many of friends that have considered attending there, changed their minds because of the debt they'd have to taken on.

SO, yeah, what did they they offer you for Stafford? You should have the 38,500.

 

[hnbui]

Originally posted by LP1CW


SO, yeah, what did they they offer you for Stafford? You should have the 38,500.

i'm in the undergrad studies.... What do you mean? I'm new to most of the financial aid stuff.

 

[Mr Reddly]

Federal Pell grant 4050.00

Free money? I won't get that. Stupid me for getting a job.

efc = 20K... Should have sat on my a$$ instead.

 

[LP1CW]

oh, i totally missed this. I didn't realize that this was a financial aid package for undergraduate students.

My bad, sorry. I should have read your post closer about being first person to attend college.

I'm just so used to people posting about med. school experiences.

I know nothing about BU's undergraduate program. Well, good luck with this. Is this the bs/md program?

 

[hnbui]

Originally posted by LP1CW
oh, i totally missed this. I didn't realize that this was a financial aid package for undergraduate students.

My bad, sorry. I should have read your post closer about being first person to attend college.

I'm just so used to people posting about med. school experiences.

I know nothing about BU's undergraduate program. Well, good luck with this. Is this the bs/md program?

bs/md i wished man.....


i will probably major in neurology

 

[Mr Reddly]

So would that make this a Pre-Pre-Allopathic [BS] thread?

 

[juddson]

At a minimum, you should qualify for the maximum unsubsidized loans. You have the maximum sub and the pell grant, which means to have need. The unsub loans are not need based. At a minimu, they cannot deny you these loans.

Judd

 

[missmod]

Maybe you could try to arrange for an in person appointment with the financial aid office to talk about the package if BU is really where you want to go.

From my experiences, that sounds like a REALLY bad undergraduate package. They should at least give you more low interest loans and most schools would give you waaaay more grants given your situation.

 

[taehong81]

that is a horrible financial aid package!!! From my undergrad univ, they gave me a need based grant that almost covered all of my tuition. Have you been accepted any other colleges? If so, are their financial packages any better?

 

[LJoo83]

I checked out the BU website and they state that costs are averaged around 26 grand! Your 7.5 FAFSA offered is measly in comparison. Because you qualified for the maximum Pell Grant (4050) obviously you have a high income need so federally, you've been offered the most money that you are able to receive. I am in the same shoes you are in, but my school was good to me and offered me grants from the university directly.

The government has something called Parent Plus Loans that is based upon your parents credit rating and not yours. If either of your parents credit rating is above 630 (I think that's what they're asking for) then your parent can take out a large sum to cover your tuition expenses. What happens is, your parent will fill out an application requesting to borrow money for their child's (you) education. Your school will receive that application, go through your economic status/tuition fees/living expenses and then they will either deny or request the amount you asked for. The only downside(s) to this loan is 1)if for whatever reason you go into foreberance then your parent's credit gets ruined; 2)repayment begins within 9 months of loan usage.

I was in your shoes two years ago: I had to decide on whether I would attend my affordable state school (tuition being 4 grand) or attend a private, liberal arts university where tuition/room and board would average around 20 grand. The decision maker was when my state school offered me 5 grand more in the financial package than the private insitution did.

I remember sitting down with my mom with the budget sheet I had placed in front of me, discussing my options with her of me attending this private university. As she looked at my list of outgoing expenses, she noticed I hadn't placed a spot for routine things such as an oil change on my car. I replied to her, "Well, it's because I wouldn't have the funds for an oil change." She looked at me and said, "Ultimately the decision is yours, but think long and hard about the decision that you will be making. Is it worth it for you to work 40+ hours a week while trying to study for school and not even have money for an oil change?"

In the end, I realized my education is truly what I personally make of it and how much time I personally invest into it, and it was not whether I attended a Tier 1 school or a public school. It would be foolish of me to place myself in a position where everday I would constantly worry about making tuition when my other option gave me the freedom to not have to worry at all. It doesn't matter of my location or place, it's what I do with the resources I have in my hands. At times I do regret my decision and have those 'what if's' plague me... what if my parents had an American college degree, or what if they been professionals, or what if I did more in high school so I could get a full ride?

Life is unfair. My life is unfair; your life is unfair. It isn't right you have a deadbeat father who doesn't contribute or that your single mom is a struggling tailor whom you had to help out since you were 13. It isn't fair that you've had to taken on adult responsiblities when other kids your age were worrying about trivial matters such as pimples, the opposite sex, and sports practice. But life certainly never asked us what it could do to accomodate our preferences but that's okay because those adversities that tear us down will consequently build us up.

I made a wise decision of staying in town and going to my state school...check out your options carefully and make the right decision. The pathway to your dreams will never be a one way road but rather a digressive path that will still lead you to your dreams.

 

[hnbui]

to everyone:

I called BU today and talked to another person. During the whole conversation, the person sounded very fishy. I asked her why i was not offered any need based aid and she could not answer it..... I waited so long that i had to ask another question just to interrupt the silence.... This cycle went on for a long time.... When i told her i didn't have the greatest standardised test scores ( i know i shouldn't have) she told me that need based aid was also based on merit and need.... What the hell? That was just her way of trying to get out of the conversation.....I could tell it in her voice.

Even when i told her about my friend receiving 30 grand in federal and university grants.,(My friend's family makes more then me and is on the same par as me academically, excempt she is homeschooled... while i am in a poor public school. I'm ranked 5/178.),..she simply dismissed that and kept on telling me that need based aid was awarded on the basis of need and merit....

What a stupid person..... there's something fishy going on....I am going to keep calling until they tell me why.....Plus i'm quite mad right now......



----------------

I also have some good news........

i got my tulane package

It's great...
Scholarship 19,200.00
Pell grant 4,050.00
Perkins Loans 3,000.00
Supplement Educ Opp Grant 2,000.00
Stafford Sub/Unsub Elig 2,507.00
Federal Work study Award 2,200.00
Assumed Louisiana Tops 2,510.00

Total is 35,467.00

I'm so freaking happy...... I mean doesn't it only cost 27 grand to go? And i won't be needing housing because i live in new orleans....

I'm really considering staying for 1st and 2nd undergrad year in Louisiana even though i hate this state....

Does anyone know how hard it is to transfer into nyu for the junior year?

 

[mlw03]

to the original poster: what's wrong with your state (read: cheaper) schools?

 

[acretinmelon]

Use your Tulane package to bargain.

 

[kingcer0x]

hmm... I really don't think that your single case warrants throwing the book at BU's financial aid office. Almost everyone I know who went to BU got some need/merit based aid. If it wasn't for getting half my tuition paid for I would have never been able to afford BU, but again my aid was merit based. The ones who really needed it, got it... i know this for a fact. The only people that didnt get any undergrad aid as far as i can tellwere the students in the CGS program. This is a big school and the schools endowment isn't that high, so although alot of people receive some aid, i'm sure its hard to match financial packages for EVERYONE with a smaller, better endowed school.

I sympathize with your situation but just remember, when you're applying for admission to a school, noone OWES you anything. make the best with what is OFFERED to you.

 

[kash_711]

WHICH BU - BAYLOR U OR BOSTON U

 

[hnbui]

Originally posted by kash_711
WHICH BU - BAYLOR U OR BOSTON U

boston university CAS

 

[tugbug]

Scholarships, Grants, School Aid... you call this bad news? I had good standardized test scores etc., no money, got nothing more than a co-sign from my parents - and I recieved exactly squat as an undergrad. So, I graduated from a no-name state school with big debt - You can go to Tulane with ?no? debt. Thats bad news?

 

[hnbui]

Originally posted by tugbug
Scholarships, Grants, School Aid... you call this bad news? I had good standardized test scores etc., no money, got nothing more than a co-sign from my parents - and I recieved exactly squat as an undergrad. So, I graduated from a no-name state school with big debt - You can go to Tulane with ?no? debt. Thats bad news?

why are you getting offensive. Tulane was not my bad news. I posted already that i received good news from tulane. The bad news was referring to BU. I just received my tulane package in the mail today while i received my Bu package the other day. So this thread was made before i received my tulane package. No need to attack me....

BTw. I feel for you..... man that sucks like hell, to get accept to your dream school and then not being able to attend because you can't pay the tuition.

 

[Mr Reddly]

Originally posted by hnbui
BTw. I feel for you..... man that sucks like hell, to get accept to your dream school and then not being able to attend because you can't pay the tuition.

I attended a dream school... then left due to finance. Now, that looks like a failure to medschools and is a BIG part of why I'm not currently a med-student. The kicker is that I'm still paying off the loans from that stupid dream school.

 

[BigBopper]

Is there a point to this thread?

Everybody post what their financial aid packages are and how much they suck or do not suck because everybody really wants to know about you.