Appealing Aid

<p>I am hoping to appeal my finaid award from Arcadia, as soon as it is finalized. It is 6k short of meeting my EFC "need". I am curious of the best way to approach this. I know to not use the word negotiate. But should I call them, send an email, or a letter? I should send this directly to the financial aid office, correct? And not to the financial aid officer I was assigned. I hoping to get the cost down to something reasonable and would appreciate any advice.</p>

<p>My parents have a second mortgage on their house. I don't remember if there is a spot for that on the FASFA. That is the only thing I can think of for the need-based aid. I don't believe I can change my merit-based aid, but I did win 1st place in Serious Prose in a speech conference, if that is relevant info. I did a search but I read posts of people saying that calling got them more aid, and that letters got them more aid and emails got more aid. I just want to make the best impression to them as possible to help my chances because I really want to go there (but have sadly accepted my State Uni, for at least the first year).</p>

<p>any info on which way is the best way to communicate an appeal for aid woul dbe greatly appreciated</p>

<p>Your “need” is the cost of attendance MINUS your Expected Family Contribution. Are you saying your family cannot pay their expected family contribution? If your family cannot pay its Expected Family Contribution, you may need to look at less costly alternatives.</p>

<p>Yes I know that. I am still 6k short of the college meeting my need. The 6k that my family has to come up with will be figured out later. I will take out loans for that, if I need to. If that is all that I need to pay for, that would be great. I am asking what the best way to approach the financial aid office about an appeal of my aid to try and get more aid that will make the gap lower than the 6k it already is. (So i have to pay 12k, 6k of that is EFC, the other 6k is a gap.) Would it be best to call, email, or write a letter to the financial aid office? How should I word that, without sounding like I am negotiating, are there any factors (my 1st place medal in my speech competetion, or my family’s second mortage) that I should mention to try and help this?</p>

<p>I would call the FA office and tell them that you reaaly would like to attend there and would there be a way to increase aid so that it is more attainable for you to attend. if you have circumstances that make paying all of your EFC a financial hardship then I would explain that. All you can do is ask.</p>

<p><a href=“So%20i%20have%20to%20pay%2012k,%206k%20of%20that%20is%20EFC,%20the%20other%206k%20is%20a%20gap.”>I</a>*</p>

<p>What I find odd is that your FA package includes a Stafford loan of less than $5500, and it includes a gap. Why wouldn’t the FA package include a full Stafford to at least lessen the gap. Anyone know?</p>

<p>mom2collegekids, i actually kept looking at the per semester thing. i am getting the full stafford loan. I am sorry for the confusion, I don’t know why I didn’t do the math right. But my question is still the same on calling, emailing or writing a letter, which is best? Also, what would help me get more aid from them. My parents do have the second mortage, would that be something I should mention? Or are there any other financial circumstances (that doesn’t come up on the FAFSA) that might be relevant (if my parents have it, I don’t know).</p>

<p>I am sorry for all of the questions. I just want to be as sure as possible. Oh and my mom wants to call to talk to the person assigned as my financial aid advisor, should I ask her to call before I do, or after? I really want to be the one to ask for more aid myself, but whatever has the best chances to increase my aid is my goal.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much for the help. I really appreciate it. ^_^</p>

<p>I would tell them that you’re having to pay all of your college yourself, including your EFC. I would ask if they could increase a scholarship or grant in your FA package, so that you could take a Stafford loan to cover your EFC. </p>

<p>Were you given any work-study? Can you list what your FA package included (including COA)?</p>

<p>It isn’t finalized yet, but they sent me an estimate. (So, I am waiting for the finalized one, and I’m hoping they’ll give me a bigger grant.)</p>

<p>University Grant: 3800
Scholarship: 22000
Work Study: 1525
Stafford Loans: 5500</p>

<p>43290 for tuition, room & board. (32140 tuition, and 11150 for room & board) It is the room and board that is killing me. The problem with increasing the scholarship, is I got the distinguished and 22000 is the maximium they give out for that one, and I don’t know if they will reconsider me for the President’s one or not, which is full tuition.</p>

<p>You have a 30 ACT, their mid50s is </p>

<p>SAT Critical Reading: 510 - 610 94%
SAT Math: 500 - 600 94%
SAT Writing: 500 - 600 94%
ACT Composite: 21 - 27 14%</p>

<p>So, you are well within their upper 25%…you might be in their upper 5%, since an ACT 30 is in the 96 percentile, so you should have a bit of leverage. Are you in the upper 10% of your graduating class? I’ve forgotten what your GPA is.</p>

<p>I would NOT wait until you get the finalized version to politely contact them for some additional consideration. At that point, they may be out of money. </p>

<p>Was the Presidential scholarship something that needed a separate app or were all students considered? </p>

<p>BTW…did you now that it’s 72% women?</p>

<p>Yes I do. But they have an amazing study abroad program, and if I get accepted to the honors program I can go to London/Scotland/Spain (one of the three) for free, for a week. They also work really well to allow students to study abroad and make it affordable. (I was lucky enough to be able to go to an open house there, so I heard a lot of stuff. ^_^) It is also just outside of Philadelphia, so it is not like I will only see the kids I go to college with, I am sure.</p>

<p>Yeah, my class size is small, because of my school, but my class is almost unanimous that I will be the valedictorian, so I would be ranked first in my class. I have a 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>No, all students were considered for it that applied. But because of the deadline for the application, and when my speech season started I was not able to include anything from that. And I got 1st place in my event at my Speech conferance. I wish my FBLA SLC was closer, because last year I got honorable mention for 2 events, but that isn’t until April.</p>

<p>Work study will be paid to you, so for my kids, I subtract work/study when trying to figure out what tuition/room and board will cost and count work/study toward walking around money/books/transportation, etc. So basically I create 2 budgets - one is the checks I have to write to the college for tuition/fees/room and board and a second budget for the “kids” books/transportation/walking around money. I agree with mom2college that you would be considered “a desireable” candidate relative to their statistics. I would call them and start “talking” now before you receive the “final letter.” You have your EFC covered – is that accurate - either you or your parents can pay your EFC? If so, then is the difference $6000 for tuition/room/board, etc? What about books, transportation, walking around money? Are you set for that or is that part of the $6000 you are gapped?</p>

<p>I don’t think she has her EFC covered. Her parents aren’t paying. Since her FA package includes a full Stafford, she can’t take a Stafford to cover her EFC…hence the need to get her non-loan aid increased.</p>

<p>As for the Study Abroad…it is a neat program…but keep in mind that you do have to pay $950 for that. It’s not completely free. </p>

<p>There is a $950 non-refundable First Year Study Abroad Experience fee. If you are admitted to FYSAE, you must submit your $400 admissions deposit plus $500 of the FYSAE fee to reserve your spot. The remaining $450 is due with your first tuition bill in late July.</p>

<p>Aaah, then I suggest the OP put pen to paper and figure out exactly what is needed, room, board, tuition, fees, transportation, books, foreign study expense, walking arouond money…and what the “real” need is before calling. I would assume that the OP will need to cover the EFC at the very least and know that money is covered and accounted for before calling finaid.</p>

<p>It isn’t the FYSAE, it is the spring break preview. I don’t think I could handle spending a semester abroad my first year. xD As an honors student it would be free (the spring break preview), otherwise it is 500 dollars for the week (airfair, hotel, some food, ect.)</p>

<p>That is what I figured too, that work study would be money I can spend around there, and I try not to include it in my budget to begin with, but I figured I should include it here. Well, I plan on taking out loans to cover my EFC (private, ugg…), but if I can get my FA to cover my full need (not counting the EFC), then graduating with only 24000 in private loans would be awesome, since I do really want to go here. </p>

<p>I am also working up until the point when I leave. So after I pay off my computer and make my car payments, and my gas, the rest I am going to save for college. So I am hoping instead of 6k in private, I will only need about 5k, or less if I can get enough hours. I know I do have about 1k coming from my parents (actually my grandparents, but they are deceased. my grandma made a savings account for me when i was born and my grandpa kept it after she passed away, and then when he died my parents found it, and are going to give it me). </p>

<p>Even better would be if I could get them to cover some of the EFC since I have to take out loans for that, like what mom2collegekids said and I could use the stafford loans to cover my EFC. I am not counting on that too much, though. But it would be amazing.</p>

<p>EDIT: From their cost, I have about 12k that I need to come up with, but 6k of that is what my EFC is supposed to be. With enough planning in advance I think my parents can swing summer orientation and sending me out there in the fall and spring.</p>

<p>The other option that might be possible is for the parents to apply for the plus loan.If they get accepted they do not have to take it, BUT if they get declined, the OP can get an additional 4000.00 unsub Stafford.</p>

<p>I am going to propose that to them, but I have tread that ground lightly. My parents refuse to cosign or take out any loan and it is a very sensitive subject in my house.</p>

<p>Your parents do not have to take the parents plus loan. But they can apply for it. Is their credit good or bad? If they get declined, you automatically get a 4000.00 increase in your Stafford loans. Many people just apply for that option. If your parents are approved, they can decline the loan. it is a win-win situation.</p>

<p>As long as it wouldn’t hurt their credit if they apply and decline the loan then. But I don’t work tonight, so I will certainly use that option. ^<em>^ I didn’t even think about that. They say they won’t get a new loan (like wouldn’t even qualify) but I don’t know. Thank you for input. ^</em>^</p>

<p>No. it wont hurt their credit. It a goverment loan and it is not a reporting agency. Did the school include that in their FA package?</p>