Click the letter to decode
From the University San Diego's Director of Financial Aid Judith Lewis Logue
Lack of a Cost of Attendance figure on the award screen The school's website directs an accepted applicant "to additional information that relates to his/her offer, including information about that student's individual Cost of Attendance."
The above-average work-study award "The starting wage for students is $8.00 per hour," which means that a student working 14 hours a week for each of the 14 week semesters would earn the full award.
On including a PLUS Loan in the award package Parents "need to know how much they can borrow from the Federal PLUS program."
On renewing the grants Students must apply by the deadline, have need, and maintain at least a 2.0 grade-point average to receive that grant all four years.
Comments by graders (who did not know the name of the school when they analyzed the letter)
Clarity Lucie Lapovsky, former president of Mercy College: "Very confusing. All the grants should be listed together." Cost Joe Case, director of financial aid at Amherst College: "They are not meeting the full need." University of San Diego is offering the student very low-cost loans, but it is asking the student and parent to borrow or earn almost $18,000 for the first year.
When estimating how much it will cost to get a degree from this school, consider that 64 percent of University of San Diego students graduate in four years.