Meet Gabriella, a passionate dancer who has always kept her finances front and center. She told the College Raptor team that she first learned the power of saving through her summer job. “After the summer ended and I finished my job, I would always allocate at least half of my money to a savings account,” she said.
When it came time for her college search, finding the right school wasn’t always a graceful leap. Just like in dance, it took some trial and error before Gabriella found her rhythm. She started with 50 schools, and College Raptor helped her narrow it down to one. She credits College Raptor’s financial aid tools with helping her navigate her options and ultimately land at Emory University.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) calculator was especially useful, giving her a clear picture of how much financial aid she could expect. The SAI is the number colleges use to determine aid eligibility, based on FAFSA data and a family’s estimated ability to contribute toward college costs. Combined with College Raptor’s side-by-side financial aid comparisons, this insight guided Gabriella toward her best-fit school.
Now, as a first-year student at Emory University, Gabriella is carrying forward the budgeting skills she developed in high school. Her newfound insight into finances has helped her twirl into the perfect campus, and she is currently gaining experience through a federal work-study position, another step in her ongoing financial journey.
