How should I compare Northwestern and Amherst financial aid offers?

The biggest practical tradeoff is the amount your family must actually pay each year, not whether one offer labels more aid as a “grant.” Amherst’s package may be more predictable if it replaces more need with institutional grant aid, while Northwestern’s offer may be attractive if its total billed cost and required borrowing are lower after every component is counted. Because Amherst is in rural Massachusetts and Northwestern is in Evanston near Chicago, travel and personal expenses can also differ meaningfully.

Put both offers into the same one-year worksheet. Start with tuition, housing, food, mandatory fees, health insurance if applicable, books, travel, and a realistic personal-expense estimate. Subtract only grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid. Keep work-study separate: it is an opportunity to earn wages during the year, not money automatically available for the first tuition bill.

Then identify every loan by type and amount. Federal student loans are usually more manageable than private loans, but they still raise the long-term cost; parent loans and private loans deserve especially careful scrutiny.

Ask each financial-aid office to explain any unexplained difference, especially if the FAFSA or CSS Profile does not reflect a recent job loss, medical expense, change in household size, or one-time income. Request a reconsideration using the other college’s net price only as supporting context, while focusing on your documented financial circumstances.

Choose Amherst if its four-year projected net cost requires substantially less borrowing or family sacrifice, even if Northwestern initially feels more appealing in other ways. Choose Northwestern only if its revised or current package brings its real four-year cost close enough that your family can cover it without unsustainable loans.