Appealing financial aid package?

Paying for College
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<p>LMU (Loyola Marymount University) is my first choice and I want to go there so badly but I would have to pay/get loans for 36.5k per year to go. I can't possibly do that. My EFC was only $86, i have 3 siblings, and we are supported by a single parent (divorced).</p>

<p>Is there any way to get more aid? Will an appeal work?</p>

<p>Also, I felt I deserved more merit/grant money based on my academics. I had a 100.5 gpa (weighted, dunno what that is on 4.0 scale), 2250 SAT, 710 bio satii/780 math ii and good extracurriculars. I only got 5200 LMU scholarship. I feel as if I'm qualified for more than that. is there anything i can do about that?</p>

<p>heres the package i got if it helps any: <a href="http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx62/K0U7793/lmu.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i742.photobucket.com/albums/xx62/K0U7793/lmu.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>i dont know what im going to do if cant go to lmu, if anyone knows anything i can do to get more money, please advise me. im desperate. thanks</p>

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<p>Does LMU use non-custodial parent info to determine aid?</p>

<p>It does seem odd that you weren’t given much merit. Did you apply late and/or miss scholarship deadlines? </p>

<p>I am shocked that they didn’t give you at least enough to cover tuition! </p>

<p>This school will not be affordable unless they give you more aid. You cannot borrow that much because your mom would have to co-sign and she probably couldn’t qualify. (Besides, that is too much to borrow.)</p>

<p>What are your other affordable choices? </p>

<p>Are you a NMF?</p>

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<p>You got both a 5200 scholarship and a 7900 grant - and also a 5500 Pell Grant. total 18500 in “Freebie” money that doesn’t have to be paid back. Your total package with all the loans brings it up your package award to 29300–but family expected payment is an additional 25779.</p>

<p>This figure of 25779 is very high for almost any family, but it isn’t unusual, either. LMU is a CSS Profile school, so I am going to presume your father filled out the non-custodial financial aid form. With that assumed, then LMU no longer looks at you as a student with only a single-mother supporting a family and LMU no longer looks at only your FAFSA EFC of $86. Any student who filled out a CSS Profile should <em>never</em> assume the FAFSA EFC will be taken very seriously, esp if there is other assets or a non-custodial parent’s income to also take into account.</p>

<p>The school simply now assumes that your father will contribute in some way. LMU like every college has limited funds to disperse among its students and if LMU waived non-custodial parental contributions from the equation for every student, they would quickly have their limited funds run out even quicker than they do now.</p>

<p>Unless there was a significant mistake somewhere in your paperwork, chances are you won’t get much more financial aid even if you succeed on an appeal. Most private colleges award their entire preetermined pool of financial aid for the year and at best, will come up with a few thousand more in extra-ordinary cases. Sometimes an extra loan of a few thousand might be offered. There is almost no way (short of a mistake) that your aid will be increased by more than a nominal (1 - 3K) amount.</p>

<p>Of course, you can try to appeal. But you should also take a serious look at your affordable options at this time as well.</p>

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<p>

thanks so much for the help so far. If there’s someway you could help me find a way to make LMU affordable I’d be the happiest person alive. Do you think an appeal would work? Unfortunately from what i heard most people never get much a significant increase in their aid. </p>

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thanks so much for the help. please let me know what i can do to possibly get more aid! i would appreciate the help so much! thanks again!</p>

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<p>one more thing; on my usd financial aid package, i got a fseog grant for 1k but its not on my lmu package… why? its federal thing right so i should get it for lmu too right?</p>

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<p>I just read their whole financial aid website and for THIS YEAR saw no reference to the CSS Profile as a required form. I did Google search and it appears that this WAS a requirement in past years. I’m wondering if LMU has discontinued use of the CSS Profile for this year. </p>

<p>Re: SEOG…that award, I believe, is federally funded but each school determines who will get it.</p>

<p>I’m VERY confused…Did U of San Diego give you enough money to attend? If so, you can show this award to LMU and see if they will provide an increase in your award based on this. BUT please do find out if any award LMU gives you will be guaranteed for all four years. You don’t want to get into a situation where your finaid will be OK for the upcoming school year but not in the future.</p>

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<p>Was this your FAFSA EFC? If so, since both USD and LMU are FAFSA schools only, your family WILL most likely be asked to pay this amount.</p>

<p>DD got accepted to USD also. She got a better award from them than from her top choice…another similar school in CA (not LMU). She did appeal the award based on her USD award. HER school added a Perkins Loan and Work Study to her package. She did NOT get any additional “free money” (grants/scholarships). So be prepared for that to happen.</p>

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thanks for all the help, really appreciate it! let me know if there’s anything else i should include in my appeal</p>

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<p>Snorlaz…good luck. At least you have an excellent option in U of San Diego…a fine school that DID give you enough money to attend.</p>

<p>Our DD is fine…she graduated from Santa Clara University in June 2010.</p>

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<p>The only thing I can add is that neither USD nor LMU guarantee to meet full need. It is a little odd to me that you didn’t get a better merit package from LMU but you did get a great one from USD, but things like that happen sometimes. When was your total application to LMU complete? </p>

<p>Since both are FAFSA only schools AND both do not meet full need, you might not see an increase in your aid package from LMU…they might have just given you what they gave you.</p>

<p>In your letter, I would be point blank (what do you have to lose?). Tell them that LMU is your top choice. You received a merit award of $XXX from U of San Diego. This makes it possible for your to attend U of San Diego, but LMU is really your top choice. Ask if there is any possibility of an increased award.</p>

<p>BUT really you need to be prepared that their answer might very well be no. At least you HAVE a good school with sufficient aid if LMU doesn’t work out. I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but try to look at the bright side.</p>

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<p>My familys’s CSS profile amount came out lower than the FAFSA amount is this right?</p>

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<p>It could, Catlover. Depends on the situation. It is unusual, though. Profile schools sometimes take into account tuition and/or other expenses for other kids in the family. That’s the only thing I can think of that could make Profile lower unless the particular school is more generous than FAFSA in formula.</p>

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thanks thumper, USD is certainly a good option if LMU doesn’t work out. thanks for all the help. oh and im glad that everything worked out for your daughter! (haha i got confused)</p>

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thanks for all the advice and help, i will definitely use it. and if they do say no, then that’s that. im sure i’d be fine at USD too its just that i prefer lmu.</p>

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<p>What was the outcome? Attending LMU or USD? </p>

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<p>Oh for heavens sake…this student would be completing their JUNIOR year and has had NO activity on this site since January 2012.</p>