UVA Class of 2014 Forum

[arism87]

I don't completely understand. UVA has refused to negotiate with any merit aid with me. I sent Trujillo an e-mail with my scholarship award from Chicago attached, and I got an email back telling me UVA won't match it because its cheaper to live in C'ville and travel is less costly. But the 70K packet is on par with Chicago's. Should I stop any discussion of merit aid with UVA at this point or keep trying? I'm not going to UVA if they can't at least match Chicago and I feel like I made that clear in my email

I was really kinda hoping that they would match my Michigan offer. They don't have the excuse of cost of living difference between Charlottesville and Ann Arbor.

Its not even that they won't match, its just that I've sent 2 emails about aid - both of them polite - to UVA and each answer has been flippant and condescending. This is a 200K decision and they aren't giving me any useful information in order to make it. Its completely turned me off the school, and UVA was my top choice

Honestly, I'm as big of a UVA fan as they come, but when I contacted them about scholarships I felt the same way. They actually DID raise my scholarship, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth

Oh well, I'll still likely go.

[r6_philly]

Still considering. I laid out my offers from multiple schools on spreadsheet and they all have PV within 20k of each other (still waiting on Boalt). So basically seeing the financials has been no help! I will visit and regroup. Maybe whoever wants to up the aid will get my deposit? lol They are all quality schools, I am sure I can get a wonderful education no matter which I choose, so maybe cost is back as a #1 factor.

Not a bad spot to be in for sure. Cal has a Wine Law focus, if that helps at all.

No it is not. However if I can trick someone into giving me a fully scholly it would even be better

It absolutely does. After living in a state where you have to pay a premium to only buy limited selection of wine from state-owned Wine and Spirit Shoppes, it is a big selling point. I have transitioned to more of a wine drinker as I aged

[Stringer Bell]

Its not even that they won't match, its just that I've sent 2 emails about aid - both of them polite - to UVA and each answer has been flippant and condescending. This is a 200K decision and they aren't giving me any useful information in order to make it. Its completely turned me off the school, and UVA was my top choice

I got what I felt was a pretty condescending email from Chicago when asking for a fee waiver, so it can happen with other offices.

Without seeing the actual correspondence it's tough to gauge for sure what's going on. I'm guessing he was just trying to say "No, we won't match" but spin it in a different manner and wound up getting his message across in a way that you didn't think was appropriate.

[Stringer Bell]

If one requests less then the total amount available, will it be possible to later get the rest if needed? Or is it one disbursement and done?

I'm pretty sure you can take out more if you need it.

[OrdinarilySkilled]

;

[pjo]

FWIW, several UVA students in this forum at various times have said they didn't even come close to needing the amount of money in the budget.

Js got my package . I'm sure we don't need the whole $70K. I'm going to try and cut it down to $60K. Hopefully $58K. As little loans as possible.

I'm trying to do the same. I think 70k is really too much but good luck trying to make it on 58k. My parents are covering my car & health insurance, I'll be living with a roomate and basically cutting everything I can and my projections still come out to 61k. I would bet tuition for a our class will be about $49,500. Add another $1,200 for loan fees and that alone makes it almost 51k before living expenses.

[esq]

No it is not. However if I can trick someone into giving me a fully scholly it would even be better

It absolutely does. After living in a state where you have to pay a premium to only buy limited selection of wine from state-owned Wine and Spirit Shoppes, it is a big selling point. I have transitioned to more of a wine drinker as I aged

I'll raise my glass to that.

[R.R. Raskolnikov]

Financial aid awards are out.. no second round $$$ for me. Anyone else do better?

No.

I plan on visiting ASW, but boy looking at that aid package has scared the heck out of me.

+1

+1

I wrote to them about my scholly offer from Michigan and they chose not to match. Really disappointing... I'm still looking forward to visiting C'ville, but I feel like i'm just going through the motions at this point. I don't want to pay 210k for law school when I have a discount to a peer school.

[quetzal_bird]

Its not even that they won't match, its just that I've sent 2 emails about aid - both of them polite - to UVA and each answer has been flippant and condescending. This is a 200K decision and they aren't giving me any useful information in order to make it. Its completely turned me off the school, and UVA was my top choice

I got what I felt was a pretty condescending email from Chicago when asking for a fee waiver, so it can happen with other offices.

Without seeing the actual correspondence it's tough to gauge for sure what's going on. I'm guessing he was just trying to say "No, we won't match" but spin it in a different manner and wound up getting his message across in a way that you didn't think was appropriate.

I don't think that Trujillo meant to be rude, the problem is that each of my emails I've sent has gotten me non-answers from UVA's staff. I just feel helpless and frustrated because instead of telling me there will be no aid from UVA, I've just gotten a lot of stalling. The email where I requested aid directly, Trujillo answered by explaining to me that COL and tuition at Chicago are higher than at UVA, but if sticker at UVA is $70K, that simply isn't true, particularly when I do factor in my offer from UChi

[kelc213]

I wrote to them about my scholly offer from Michigan and they chose not to match. Really disappointing... I'm still looking forward to visiting C'ville, but I feel like i'm just going through the motions at this point. I don't want to pay 210k for law school when I have a discount to a peer school.

Thats rough they won't match for you... I don't blame you for feeling like 210K is silly when UM is offering you a better deal. I think if I were you I'd take UM.

[joemoviebuff]

I wrote to them about my scholly offer from Michigan and they chose not to match. Really disappointing... I'm still looking forward to visiting C'ville, but I feel like i'm just going through the motions at this point. I don't want to pay 210k for law school when I have a discount to a peer school.

Thats rough they won't match for you... I don't blame you for feeling like 210K is silly when UM is offering you a better deal. I think if I were you I'd take UM.

How much did Michigan offer?

[WVUCelticFan]

When I met with the head of financial aid, I was told to expect tuition to increase 4-7% each year for the foreseeable future.

Also, to the people wondering how low you can cut it down, I have a pretty in depth predicted budget of a little under 62K for next year. Could probably get a little less if you cut out some of my optional stuff (drinking, driving range, 1-2 concerts a year).

[R.R. Raskolnikov]

I wrote to them about my scholly offer from Michigan and they chose not to match. Really disappointing... I'm still looking forward to visiting C'ville, but I feel like i'm just going through the motions at this point. I don't want to pay 210k for law school when I have a discount to a peer school.

Thats rough they won't match for you... I don't blame you for feeling like 210K is silly when UM is offering you a better deal. I think if I were you I'd take UM.

How much did Michigan offer?

Not much. 10k per year. But it's still $30,000 plus the interest I would have paid on that money.

But if anything, I figured the fact that it was a pretty modest scholarship would give me decent odds of them matching. Oh well.

[LLB2JD]

Hmm..I don't see anything

[kelc213]

When I met with the head of financial aid, I was told to expect tuition to increase 4-7% each year for the foreseeable future.

Also, to the people wondering how low you can cut it down, I have a pretty in depth predicted budget of a little under 62K for next year. Could probably get a little less if you cut out some of my optional stuff (drinking, driving range, 1-2 concerts a year).

How much do you usually spend on books? I'm trying to figure out what would be school-related money (and therefore absolutely necessary): so like books, parking permits, car insurance, rent and then i'm going to look at non-essentials...

[joemoviebuff]

How much did Michigan offer?

Not much. 10k per year. But it's still $30,000 plus the interest I would have paid on that money.

But if anything, I figured the fact that it was a pretty modest scholarship would give me decent odds of them matching. Oh well.

I hear ya. I'd probably have to go Michigan just because of that if I was in your shoes.

When I met with the head of financial aid, I was told to expect tuition to increase 4-7% each year for the foreseeable future.

Makes me want to puke. My neighbor graduated from UVA Law in '01. He paid something like 24,000 tuition/yr.

[WVUCelticFan]

When I met with the head of financial aid, I was told to expect tuition to increase 4-7% each year for the foreseeable future.

Also, to the people wondering how low you can cut it down, I have a pretty in depth predicted budget of a little under 62K for next year. Could probably get a little less if you cut out some of my optional stuff (drinking, driving range, 1-2 concerts a year).

How much do you usually spend on books? I'm trying to figure out what would be school-related money (and therefore absolutely necessary): so like books, parking permits, car insurance, rent and then i'm going to look at non-essentials...

I budgeted 600 a semester, based on the COA estimates from the different schools I applied to. Hoping that ends up being high, but no idea what kind of supplements I would buy.

[LLB2JD]

Does anybody know whether or not they are doing this in batches?

[pjo]

Has anyone else besides joemoviebuff heard anything from the jeffersonian? I'm 18th and I'm still waiting.

[r6_philly]

Does anybody know whether or not they are doing this in batches?

I presume they are, based on when you submitted the financial aid application and/or FAFSA. I got on it right away late Jan.

I wonder if you are going to be flooded with questions Friday. I think some people are already ready to commit!

[Stringer Bell]

Has anyone else besides joemoviebuff heard anything from the jeffersonian? I'm 18th and I'm still waiting.

I'm a few spots ahead of you and still waiting.

[pjo]

Has anyone else besides joemoviebuff heard anything from the jeffersonian? I'm 18th and I'm still waiting.

I'm a few spots ahead of you and still waiting.

At this point if I don't get into the Jeffersonian I'm considering just living out of my car. Or in a tent at a campground. Basically anything to bring down that 70k COA.

[LLB2JD]

Has anyone else besides joemoviebuff heard anything from the jeffersonian? I'm 18th and I'm still waiting.

I'm a few spots ahead of you and still waiting.

At this point if I don't get into the Jeffersonian I'm considering just living out of my car. Or in a tent at a campground. Basically anything to bring down that 70k COA.

[kelc213]

Has anyone else besides joemoviebuff heard anything from the jeffersonian? I'm 18th and I'm still waiting.

I'm a few spots ahead of you and still waiting.

At this point if I don't get into the Jeffersonian I'm considering just living out of my car. Or in a tent at a campground. Basically anything to bring down that 70k COA.

I hear that. I was totally ready to splurge on some of the nicer complexes farther away from school but now that 70 number is looming in my future, I'm ready to sign my life away to Ivy...

[Stringer Bell]

At this point if I don't get into the Jeffersonian I'm considering just living out of my car. Or in a tent at a campground. Basically anything to bring down that 70k COA.

My folks seriously made an offer to fix up and lend their camper/trailer to live in and were perplexed when I said "Naw I'm good."