Financial Fit meets Dream School

1. Ivy League Aid in One Sentence

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Ivies are need-blind for U.S. applicants, offer zero merit scholarships, and promise to cover 100 % of demonstrated need.

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2. Key Terms, No Fluff

3. The Ivy League Funding Formula

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Cost of Attendance – SAI (via FAFSA/CSS) = Demonstrated Need
Ivies commit to meet that number with grants, campus jobs, and capped loans (or loan-free at some schools).

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4. Four Parent Moves to Maximize Aid

1. Run Net Price Calculators (NPC)—one per Ivy on your list—before junior-year course selection.
2. Shift Savings Strategy—3–4 years out, move student-held assets to parent accounts; FAFSA assesses them at 20 % vs. 5.6 %.
3. Time One-Off Income—bonus or stock sale? Push it outside the “base year” (January 1 of sophomore spring to December 31 of junior fall).
4. Stack Outside Scholarships Early—Ivies may reduce institutional grants dollar-for-dollar; aim to win funds for “unmet need” items (travel, books) before aid packages finalize.

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5. Merit-Aid Work-around

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Target “Ivy-adjacent” schools—Duke, Vanderbilt, USC, Northeastern, etc.—that do court high-achievers with $20 k–$50 k annual awards. Apply early, leverage offers as financial safety nets.

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6. Quick “Aid Readiness” Checklist

• Completed FAFSA & CSS on Oct 1 launch day (earlier = bigger state aid pool)
• Pulled prior-prior tax returns + W-2s in PDF form
• Listed at least one financial safety school with automatic merit awards
• Scheduled appeal window (April) to compare and negotiate packages

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Bottom line:

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Ivies reward need, not numbers. Know the formulas, prep finances early, and you can let your student chase the dream school—without blind-siding the family budget.