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I just got my aid package from Columbia- very impressed.

I received between 60k and 70k in grants.

I was also ED with a GPA below the 25%tile so I think this is a strong indication that need-based aid does exist outside of HYS.

I thought I would start a thread if anyone else wants to share their finaid details. If not, then /thread and fail.

My situation is very similar to yours. LSAT 25%ile and my parents and I made barely anything in 2009, and I got about that much too. Very, very impressed that Columbia doesn't hold back for those who need it (unlike another C school). Really awesome that you were ED and got all that aid!

protokurios wrote:My situation is very similar to yours. LSAT 25%ile and my parents and I made barely anything in 2009, and I got about that much too. Very, very impressed that Columbia doesn't hold back for those who need it (unlike another C school). Really awesome that you were ED and got all that aid!

Thank you and congratulations on your award.

Also, for anyone who is still waiting for their award letter, call the office and ask them to email it to you. The woman who answered this afternoon email mine within a few minutes (beats stalking the mailcarrier).

swc65 wrote:I just got my aid package from Columbia- very impressed.

I received between 60k and 70k in grants.

I was also ED with a GPA below the 25%tile so I think this is a strong indication that need-based aid does exist outside of HYS.

I thought I would start a thread if anyone else wants to share their finaid details. If not, then /thread and fail.

Wow, that's really impressive and awesome! I'm glad to see at least one school gives their ED students aid and that need-based aid actually exists. I got $32.5k in grants, applied RD with 3.7/175. I'm very content, as they nearly matched my NYU offer of $37.5k and Chicago gave me nothing. It made filling out all that annoying Columbia financial aid paperwork actually worth it!

^^ Grats on that grant!

I am very please with the aid, but it is still disheartening to add up all that debt- which is more than I expected since tuition increased five percent.

Also, is tuition charged by class? As in, will the C/O 2013 pay the same tuition as 2Ls and 3Ls that they did as 1Ls or do they increase it for current students too?

LSAT <25% here, so didn't think I'd get really anything if their need-based aid really was as secretly merit-based as I'd heard... but they gave me $37.5k, which is a really nice gesture.

swc65 wrote: I am very please with the aid, but it is still disheartening to add up all that debt- which is more than I expected since tuition increased five percent.

I know! Now my total cost of attendance will be more like $180k instead of the original $220k or so, but... $180k is still a lot! And probably closer to a lot other schools at sticker, since Columbia tuition is on the high end combined with NYC COL.

So any idea what is next. How to apply for grad plus loans and find the MPNs for all of the different type of loans, etc...?

Dtackpat75 wrote:So any idea what is next. How to apply for grad plus loans and find the MPNs for all of the different type of loans, etc...?

I was trying to figure all this out last night, and it appears that you have to ask for a loan application (which for federal loans, sounds like the MPN) from your "lender." Apparently you can choose your own lender. I have no idea what this means. Is a lender a bank?

HOWEVER it might not even matter because Columbia is moving to direct lending starting next school year, so we ought to be able to apply directly through them. Apparently details will be "forthcoming" (by email, I think). Given that we're supposed to send them stuff by May 15, I hope that is sooner rather than later.

Wait wait so they SNAIL MAIL you your financial aid package/offer, unless you specifically call and request that they e-mail? Did you get any e-mail notification that your offer had been sent, or did you directly call and inquire, after which they informed you it had been mailed and that they would e-mail you a copy of the letter as well.

I ask, because I'm abroad.

Thanks!

iminlstrick wrote:Wait wait so they SNAIL MAIL you your financial aid package/offer, unless you specifically call and request that they e-mail? Did you get any e-mail notification that your offer had been sent, or did you directly call and inquire, after which they informed you it had been mailed and that they would e-mail you a copy of the letter as well.

I ask, because I'm abroad.

Thanks!

Your question isn't directed at me, but: I'm also abroad, and I had emailed them last week about emailing me my letter. They never responded, but then emailed me my letter. So -- they are definitely receptive to emailing! Just call.

iminlstrick wrote:Wait wait so they SNAIL MAIL you your financial aid package/offer, unless you specifically call and request that they e-mail? Did you get any e-mail notification that your offer had been sent, or did you directly call and inquire, after which they informed you it had been mailed and that they would e-mail you a copy of the letter as well.

I ask, because I'm abroad.

Thanks!

No email to let me know a decision had been made. I called just to check up and they said they had not reviewed my file and they offered to email me once it had been reviewed. Somehow I got an email less than an hours later. maybe by calling to check caused the,k to get a moveon. If you're abroad I would definitely call and ask them to email it when it's available.

parker09 wrote:

Dtackpat75 wrote:So any idea what is next. How to apply for grad plus loans and find the MPNs for all of the different type of loans, etc...?

I was trying to figure all this out last night, and it appears that you have to ask for a loan application (which for federal loans, sounds like the MPN) from your "lender." Apparently you can choose your own lender. I have no idea what this means. Is a lender a bank?

HOWEVER it might not even matter because Columbia is moving to direct lending starting next school year, so we ought to be able to apply directly through them. Apparently details will be "forthcoming" (by email, I think). Given that we're supposed to send them stuff by May 15, I hope that is sooner rather than later.

Er, follow-up to my own post: Just called the fin-aid office. They said they are sending out (via email, I assume) info on how to apply for Perkins, Stafford, and GRAD Plus loans. Info should be out by the end of April; if you haven't gotten it by the first week of May, give them a call. Also, though the lady wasn't 100% certain, she said everything should be do-able electronically (so we shouldn't have to snail mail anything, which is nice if you're abroad like me).

swc65 wrote:

iminlstrick wrote:Wait wait so they SNAIL MAIL you your financial aid package/offer, unless you specifically call and request that they e-mail? Did you get any e-mail notification that your offer had been sent, or did you directly call and inquire, after which they informed you it had been mailed and that they would e-mail you a copy of the letter as well.

I ask, because I'm abroad.

Thanks!

No email to let me know a decision had been made. I called just to check up and they said they had not reviewed my file and they offered to email me once it had been reviewed. Somehow I got an email less than an hours later. maybe by calling to check caused the,k to get a moveon. If you're abroad I would definitely call and ask them to email it when it's available.

fyi, this doesn't work for everyone i called two weeks ago asking for my finaid, they said my file was under review, and they took my name down and said they'd send me an email after review. i still have gotten nothing!

parker09 wrote:

parker09 wrote:

Dtackpat75 wrote:So any idea what is next. How to apply for grad plus loans and find the MPNs for all of the different type of loans, etc...?

I was trying to figure all this out last night, and it appears that you have to ask for a loan application (which for federal loans, sounds like the MPN) from your "lender." Apparently you can choose your own lender. I have no idea what this means. Is a lender a bank?

HOWEVER it might not even matter because Columbia is moving to direct lending starting next school year, so we ought to be able to apply directly through them. Apparently details will be "forthcoming" (by email, I think). Given that we're supposed to send them stuff by May 15, I hope that is sooner rather than later.

Er, follow-up to my own post: Just called the fin-aid office. They said they are sending out (via email, I assume) info on how to apply for Perkins, Stafford, and GRAD Plus loans. Info should be out by the end of April; if you haven't gotten it by the first week of May, give them a call. Also, though the lady wasn't 100% certain, she said everything should be do-able electronically (so we shouldn't have to snail mail anything, which is nice if you're abroad like me).

CLS moving into the digital age? That might be a first.

When I was there for ASW, my financial aid person had boxes stacked floor to ceiling full of the paper files she had to review. I was really surprised because at both of my UG schools everything was done digitally. Docs were faxed to a central number and scanned in automatically and sent to finaid. CLS seems to prefer all paper! I was even more surprised when the receptionist told me she would have to print out my finaid letter, scan it, then email it to me. I didn't have the heart to tell her there were several ways to skip two steps.


They can use stone tablets for all I care, especially after that nice aid package.

just got my award via snail mail (it was dated 4/16). how negotiable is this? im not sure CLS received my update on grants from other schools before sending out my award notice, and i'd like to try and get more.

Came back home and found the award letter in the mail. $15K over 3 years! Very disappointing

Edit: I am also interested in negotiation tactics. Anyone has had experience with that?

Warning to others who might be in a similar situation: I told them I'd be abroad through June, but they sent my stuff to my permanent address.

Hattori Hanzo wrote:Came back home and found the award letter in the mail. $15K over 3 years! Very disappointing

Edit: I am also interested in negotiation tactics. Anyone has had experience with that?

Same boat as Hanzo, my numbers and cycle twin! Anyone have success in negotiating more aid?

Hattori Hanzo wrote:Came back home and found the award letter in the mail. $15K over 3 years! Very disappointing

Edit: I am also interested in negotiation tactics. Anyone has had experience with that?

You've withdrawn from every school except Berkeley and UCLA, so you basically have no leverage for negotiation. Besides which, you didn't get into HYS, so I'm not sure why $15k over 3 years is so disappointing. Most people with your numbers are going to pay sticker.

parker09 wrote:

parker09 wrote:

Dtackpat75 wrote:So any idea what is next. How to apply for grad plus loans and find the MPNs for all of the different type of loans, etc...?

I was trying to figure all this out last night, and it appears that you have to ask for a loan application (which for federal loans, sounds like the MPN) from your "lender." Apparently you can choose your own lender. I have no idea what this means. Is a lender a bank?

HOWEVER it might not even matter because Columbia is moving to direct lending starting next school year, so we ought to be able to apply directly through them. Apparently details will be "forthcoming" (by email, I think). Given that we're supposed to send them stuff by May 15, I hope that is sooner rather than later.

Er, follow-up to my own post: Just called the fin-aid office. They said they are sending out (via email, I assume) info on how to apply for Perkins, Stafford, and GRAD Plus loans. Info should be out by the end of April; if you haven't gotten it by the first week of May, give them a call. Also, though the lady wasn't 100% certain, she said everything should be do-able electronically (so we shouldn't have to snail mail anything, which is nice if you're abroad like me).

Sorry to ask if this is obvious, but I am not sure how to apply for loans? Parker09 mentioned that CLS would be emailing us soon about the procedure for Perkins/Stafford/GradPlus loans and that this could all be handled electronically, but has anyone gotten the email yet or know what the process entails? I am concerned as the deadline is May 15, which is fast approaching... Specifically, what other paperwork would I need to have ready?

Thanks

^^

No email yet. I would not be concerned. They are having to change over to a whole new system which will likely take some time. The bill just passed a couple of months ago so they didnt have that long of a notice.

Can I still apply for finaid this late in the game? I totally missed the March 1 deadline

yunanyuan wrote:Can I still apply for finaid this late in the game? I totally missed the March 1 deadline

The deadlines are soft deadlines, so you can always apply, but post-deadline, grant awards are first come first serve (as are some of the better loans), so you may end up getting all loans, and end up with loans that have worse terms than you might have otherwise had.

Still wondering about this whole loan process. Is columbia going to be a direct lender only for Perkins/Stafford loans or for Grad Plus loans as well? If anybody can shed some light it would be appreciated. If not, it may be time to give the financial aid office a call.

Dtackpat75 wrote:Still wondering about this whole loan process. Is columbia going to be a direct lender only for Perkins/Stafford loans or for Grad Plus loans as well? If anybody can shed some light it would be appreciated. If not, it may be time to give the financial aid office a call.

It will be direct lender for all federal student loans including the GradPlus loans. You will still be able to get private loans, but they will not be federally backed.