Why is my estimated need based aid $0 for UNC and $41K for UC-Boulder despite both having the same out of state tuition?
Why is my estimated need-based financial aid $0 for UNC and $41K for UC-Boulder despite both having the same out of state tuition? Does it assume I'll get more from UC-Boulder because it's less competitive? If so, I would assume that would be part of the merit-based aid calculation, not need-based. What am I missing? Thank you.
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2 answers
Thanks for reaching out with this questions! I wanted to check in and provide some insight on why this may be happening. While there are a few reasons why you might see $0 for UNC and $41K for UC Boulder, it’s likely because UNC uses the CSS profile, while UC Boulder does not. This can significantly change the expected family contribution because there are several financial variables that the CSS profile considers that the FAFSA does not.
I’ve shared a blog post on CSS vs FAFSA to help provide some context on this, but please feel free to reach out to support@collegevine.com if you have any specific questions on your profile.
Google insert school net price calculator that's a better idea to get break downs of aid.
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