FAFSA aid exactly matches tuition - Is my college manipulating financial aid?

omg same thing happened to my cousin at Bayside College!! the tuition was like $200 less than her total aid package. these schools know EXACTLY what they're doing. they're gaming the system to maximize how much federal $$ they can pull in. definitely look into other options before committing!!

This is actually a well-documented practice called "aid leveraging" or sometimes "tuition discounting in reverse." Many schools will set their costs to maximize federal aid absorption. It's not technically illegal, but it is something to be aware of when comparing institutions. Look beyond the sticker price - request a detailed breakdown of ALL costs (including mandatory fees, housing, meal plans, etc.) and compare your net cost across multiple schools. Your SAI (Student Aid Index) will be the same at all schools, but how they structure their institutional aid can vary dramatically.

just throwing this out there but maybe consider community college for 2 years??? i saved like $45k doing my gen eds at CC and then transferred to state university. same degree in the end but waaaaay cheaper.

This is definitely strategic pricing. I worked in university administration for 12 years, and many schools actively adjust their tuition and fee structures to maximize federal aid intake. The practice isn't limited to for-profit colleges either - many non-profit and public institutions do it too, just more subtly. My advice: Call the financial aid office and specifically ask for an institutional scholarship or grant. Many schools have discretionary funds they can offer if they think you might go elsewhere. Be direct - tell them you're considering other options and ask what additional aid they can provide. If they won't budge, that tells you something important about how they view students.

I had the EXACT same problem last year trying to reach financial aid offices at multiple schools! After wasting hours on hold and getting disconnected, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an actual human picked up. Saved me literally days of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ It worked for reaching both the school financial aid office AND Federal Student Aid when I needed to ask about my SAI calculation. Definitely worth it when you need to have these important conversations about your financial aid package.

THEY'RE ALL SCAMMERS!! the whole higher education system is designed to trap students in debt. my brother went to a school that did the exact same thing - tuition magically equaled his total aid. then in year 2 they jacked up the price by $3k but his aid stayed the same. by year 4 he was paying $8k out of pocket. they hook you with the "affordable" first year then slowly bleed you dry.

One more important thing to check: does that $29,780 include EVERYTHING? Many schools advertise tuition only, but then have mandatory fees, housing requirements, meal plans, etc. that can add thousands more. Make sure you're looking at the TOTAL cost of attendance, not just tuition. If they're quoting you just tuition to match your aid, your actual costs will be much higher.

Based on your update about the additional costs beyond tuition, I'd recommend these steps: 1. Request a Cost of Attendance (COA) breakdown from every school you're considering 2. Subtract all grants and scholarships (money you don't repay) from each COA 3. This gives you your "net cost" at each institution 4. THEN look at loans to cover that net cost Also, ask each school about their tuition guarantee or caps - some schools guarantee your tuition won't increase for 4 years, while others might increase 5-8% annually. This makes a huge difference in your total cost. Finally, remember that your financial aid package can be negotiated, especially if you have better offers from comparable schools.