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Making the Case for Private Universities:Keep in Mind “Best Fit”Senior AVID
September 9, 2015
Systems of Higher Eduacation
Community College California State University University of California Private/Independent Colleges &
Universities Out-of-State Colleges & Universities
With tuition increases, reduced classes and budget cuts, California’s public universities (UCs and CSUs) may not be the most cost-effective choice.
Private Schools are emphasizing their lack of enrollment cuts and boosts in financial aid packages.
The Current Reality in California
A Comparison of UC Graduation Rates
The data presented here is from the National Center for Educational Statistics.
A Comparison of the UC Campuses
Campus Undergrad Enrollment
Acceptance Rate Financial Aid Recipients
4-Year Graduation Rate
6-Year Graduation Rate
Berkeley 25,530 22% 66% 66% 90%
Davis 24,626 47% 70% 50% 80%
Irvine 22,226 44% 62% 58% 82%
Los Angeles 26,687 22% 67% 67% 89%
Merced 3,190 91% 83% - -
Riverside 16,996 84% 78% 39% 65%
San Diego 23,143 36% 68% 56% 84%
San Francisco Graduate Study Only
Santa Barbara 19,796 48% 64% 53% 80%
Santa Cruz 15,259 64% 61% 49% 73%
Questions to Explore
If a student can’t graduate “on time” in the public school system, how much does it cost them in tuition and lost income?
Is the public school system the “best deal” in all cases?
Benefits of a Private Colleges and Universities• Affordable High Quality Education
Most small liberal arts colleges make very attractive financial aid and grant offers to all types of students regardless of financial means
• Smaller Class Sizes
Private Colleges typically have a smaller student body than Public Universities; this means smaller class sizes
• Greater Class Participation
Smaller classrooms and smaller professor-to-student ratios mean much more opportunity for engaged student participation
• Skills Development
Most private colleges tend to emphasize the development of practical skills that can be applied in the workplace.
• Responsive to Change
Because private colleges function more along the lines of a business model, private colleges are to quickly adapt their curricula to the rapidly changing demands of the job market.
• Teaching rather than Research
In private colleges, the primary role of a faculty member is to teach classes and to help students acquire the skills they need to become successful in their chosen fields.
Benefits of a Private Colleges and Universities
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
1. What percent of my need do you meet?
The EFC, or Expected Family Contribution, determined by the FAFSA, is the same regardless of the cost of the college or university.
Some colleges will meet 100% of your need. (Need is defined as the cost of the college minus your EFC.)
Financial Aid Award/Need
Let’s see an example of a financial aid award from a college that provides 100% of need with a student who has an EFC of $5,000
Total Cost of College $40,000
Family’s Expected Contribution (EFC)
$5,000
Need $35,000
Work Study $2,000
Loans $4,000
Grants $29,000
Financial Aid Award:
At a college that pays 100% of your need you pay $5,000.
Financial Aid Award/Need
If a Private School only provides 90% of need:
Total Cost of College $40,000
Family’s Expected Contribution (EFC)
$5,000
Need $35,000
Work Study $2,000
Loans $4,000
Grants $25,500
Unmet Need + EFC $8,500
Until you know what percent of need the college meets, don’t eliminate a college from consideration just because it is expensive.
2. Do you have merit based aid?
Many colleges that don’t meet 100% of a students need do offer scholarships for some students.
Questions to ask if the college provides merit aid:
How many merit awards are available?
What is the value of the merit awards available?
What are the qualifications to receive one of these merit awards?
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
3. How is financial aid determined after the first year?
Some colleges have a policy of providing good financial aid for the first year and then substantially reducing the grant aid in the following years while increasing the loans.
Ask the college how they determine financial aid after the first year and what the average loan is after the first year.
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
4. What is the average loan amount at graduation of those students who have loans?
This question will give you an indication of the amount of loans that this college requires compared to other colleges that you’re considering.
Although most students will have some loans when they graduate, you don’t want this amount to be any more than necessary.
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
5. What is the school’s policy regarding outside scholarships?
Most colleges will subtract money earned from outside scholarships from your financial aid package.
Some colleges will reduce the loan burden by the amount of the scholarship, but other colleges will reduce your grant money.
If the college reduces the amount of loans you have to take out that is a benefit to you. There is no benefit to you if the college reduces the grant aid.
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
6. What is your packaging policy?
Most colleges give a financial aid package that includes grant money, loans, and work study.
But each college combines this money differently.
What percentage of an aid package from your college is grant vs. self-help (loans, work study)?
The greater amount of grants versus loans and work study the better for the student.
Do you have a preferential packaging policy?Preferential packaging occurs when a college gives a better
financial aid package to a student with a stronger academic background than to another student with the same financial need but with a weaker academic background.
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
7. What is your four year graduation rate?8. Also, What is your job placement rate (for
my major)?
If the college has a high four year graduation rate, you will most likely only have to pay for four years of college.
However, if the college graduates most students in six years then you can plan on paying for six years of college, not four.
A private school with a low four year graduation rate may not be the “best deal” for prospective college students.
Questions to Ask the Financial Aid Office
What is the CSS Profile
College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile
• Determines eligibility for Non-Federal student aid funds
• Helps families make competitive financial aid decisions
• Calculates Institutional Methodology & Federal Methodology
• Customized to each school
The Benefits of the CSS Profile
• CSS Data enables colleges and programs to identify lower income applicants which determines fee waiver qualifications.
• The calculation of the Institutional Methodology helps colleges award institution financial aid.
CSS Profile Application
• Any student applying to a private college that accepts the CSS profile should apply(Not all institutions participate in the CSS profile)
• Students should register as soon as they’re sure about where they’ll be applying
• Must apply at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship priority filing date that needs to be met (Individually set by each school)
Cost$9 Application Fee plus $16 for each college the information
will be sent to.
A very limited number of fee waivers are offered based on the info provided on the Profile.
