<p>A friend of mine is in a real bind... he got accepted into a very prestigious, well endowed private school, but he cannot afford it. FYI, if he doesn't go there, he's going to a small state school with poor programs, funny, he didn't think he had a shot in hell of getting into this school. He only got a 3000 grant and some misc. loans and work study, and is responsible for 40k, an EFC which is amazing, honestly, they live like they make half of that (an EFC of around 20k), if not less. He appealed to fin aid and got his grant raised to the current 3k from 1.5 k, nothing special... So, I have told him to write the admissions office and basically ask if they have any "leftover" and unclaimed" scholarships, the half tuition and full tuition ones. I told him a try is a try, and you would rather go down swinging than looking and wondering what could have been. Is this a feasable strategy with any meat on it's bones? Also, how could he word such a letter/appeal, I mean, how could he say that "If I get the scholarship, I attend, if not, I attend elsewhere."</p>
<p>Sounds like “accept/deny” to me. Students are accepted, but the institution clearly knows that they will not be able to afford to attend, so they break it to them gently. That sort of “threat” that you suggest in your final sentence, would probably have no effect at all. There is little to lose by appealing, graciously, but not much hope should be pinned on positive results. Still, personally I always like to know that I tried everything I could–and if it doesn’t work out,. well, then it was certainly not for not trying. But be gracious. No institution owes a student anything–even if the student thinks it would be a far better experience.</p>
<p>Schools usually save the merit aid for the kids they really want, often the ones with great stats that will help to increase the perceived selectivity of the school going forward. From what you say, your friend isn’t one of those applicants. So, it’s unlikely.</p>
<p>That said, the need-based aid is often handled by the financial aid office, while the admissions office controls the merit aid. So a letter to admissions couldn’t hurt, even at this late date (our daughter’s school just extended their acceptance deadline to May 15). Have the student write it, thank them for being accepted, explain that financially it just doesn’t look possible, ask for a review of merit aid to see if anything can be done to make the school more affordable.</p>
<p>But it’s a loooong shot.</p>
<p>Your friend’s bind sounds a lot like your own that you talk about on other threads. The problem appears to be that your dad is still working and your home equity. Unfortunately, even if you remove your dad’s work from the equasion, the equity alone would continue to give you a pretty high EFC. </p>
<p>Given the unfortunate situation in your family, it’s probably time to embrace one of the good, cheaper schools you got into. Didn’t your friend get into UCLA? It’s an equally good school at half the price.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I was in this same boat during ED season - I was accepted into an Ivy, but I couldn’t come close to affording it. The EFC was more than a third of my parents’ total income, and it would have meant about $100k in loans. I emailed, wrote a pleading letter, called several times… and all I got was a few thousand less in loans. Basically, once a college makes a fin aid offer, they’re going to stick to it.</p>
<p>But it’s not the end of the world - I’m going to a state school in the honors program for free, so who’s to say it didn’t work out for the best? Hopefully your friend will be able to find himself in a good situation even if this private school doesn’t work out.</p>
<p>hmom - this is not for me, I have settled on UCLA and then USC for MBA. </p>
<p>He is looking at Stanford, no lie, STANFORD. He had a 2100 SAT and did it for fun, just to please a teacher who was pushing him to do so. If not Stanford, he goes to UC San Diego for econ, although he wants to go into business</p>
<p>OK, but Stanford’s only merit scholarships are for athletes, other aid is only need based. And since they have very generous aid and he already appealed, he’s got the best package he’s going to get. They meet full need so the family EFC can not be $20K using their methodology. Also, doesn’t Stanford have a no loan policy?</p>
<p>Also, in no way is UCSD a poor school. Most would be very happy with that as a backup. And it would be econ or something else at Stanford too as they don’t have undergrad business.</p>
<p>There has been a lot of talk about entitlement here lately. No one is owed a private school education. Stanford has determined, with policies much more generous than 99% of colleges, that his family can afford it. If they have decided they can’t, that’s the end of the line.</p>
<p>UCSD’s Econ Department is tied with UCLA and CalTech for 14th in the country…UCSD is one of the fastest rising schools in the entire country. USC is ranked 50th, after three more UCs: UC Davis, Irvine and Santa Barbara.</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Economics - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-economics-schools/rankings/page+2]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-economics-schools/rankings/page+2)</p>
<p>I would hardly characterize UCSD as a small state school with poor programs!</p>
<p>Your friend comes from a family that probably has assets, but less income, or has an income stream from which the college is assuming that the family could have accumulated savings over the years. The university is expecting this family could leverage those assets through loans (like taking out home equity) or pay from a future income stream (by taking out PLUS loans). </p>
<p>Back in the old days, families would have no trouble doing either, but these unsettled economic times make any family leery of taking on that kind of risk.</p>
<p>Unless your friend can come up with real life circumstances to change his financial profile, his chance of shaking $20K from Stanford are nil.</p>
<p>Congrats for getting into Stanford; sorry that it won’t work it financially. Stanford is pretty generous with need-based aid.</p>