How should I compare financial aid offers from Brown and NYU?

Compare the net price you would actually need to cover each year, not the headline scholarship or grant total. Start with each school’s official cost of attendance, subtract only gift aid that does not have to be repaid, and then identify how much of the remaining amount would come from family payment, student earnings, and borrowing.

Make a side-by-side list using the same categories for both schools: tuition and required fees; housing and food; health insurance if you cannot waive it; books and personal expenses; travel home; and estimated transportation. NYU’s New York City setting can make local transportation, food outside the meal plan, and personal spending more consequential, while Brown’s Providence budget may have different travel and off-campus costs. Use your own realistic spending estimates rather than assuming the published allowance is exactly what your family will spend.

Then separate true grants and scholarships from loans and Federal Work-Study. A work-study award is an opportunity to earn wages through a job; it is not money automatically applied to your bill. Loans lower the amount due now but create repayment obligations, so compare the four-year borrowing total, not just the first-year gap. Also check whether any scholarship is renewable for four years, whether it has GPA, enrollment, or housing requirements, and whether either package assumes a parent loan or an unstated family contribution.

For both Brown and NYU, ask the financial-aid office for clarification on any item that is unclear: whether aid is need-based or merit-based, what is guaranteed versus reviewed annually. If your family has had a recent income loss, unusual medical costs, reduced assets, or another material change not reflected on the FAFSA or CSS Profile, request an aid review with documentation.