How should I compare Emory and Harvard financial aid packages?

Compare the two offers by identifying the amount your family must actually cover each year after only grants and scholarships are applied. Do not treat work-study as guaranteed bill reduction: it is money you earn over time, usually for personal and incidental expenses.

Start with each school’s full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, food, required fees, books, travel, health insurance if applicable, and personal expenses. Subtract institutional grants, federal or state grants, and outside scholarships that will renew. The result is the true annual net cost before loans and work earnings. A lower “expected contribution” is helpful only if it reflects costs you can realistically pay from income and savings without unsustainable borrowing.

Then separate loans by type and borrower. Federal student loans have more favorable protections than private loans or Parent PLUS loans, but any loan still raises the four-year cost.

Check whether each grant is guaranteed to renew, what academic or enrollment conditions apply, and how aid could change if a parent’s income, assets, or sibling enrollment changes. Also compare the billed amount due each semester, since a manageable annual figure can still create a difficult upfront payment.

If either package leaves a gap your family cannot cover, ask that financial aid office for a reconsideration using the other school’s award and documentation of special circumstances such as medical costs, reduced income, or unavoidable family obligations. Focus the request on the specific remaining amount and why it is unaffordable, rather than simply asking one school to match the other.