Hey there. I’ve been accepted to Vassar and would like to appeal for more financial aid, yet I don’t know how reasonable/ likely that is to help or follow through.
In the award letter, my family contribution to tuition/room and board is $3,800 (so they are giving me $59,980 a year). I also get a work study job for $2,160, along with a remaining pell grant of $1,190 that brings down the cost of books/travel. It’s a really great package, but I still don’t think I can make it work. My mother is single and my brother is also going to college next year - we just don’t have the money for incidentals/ traveling back and forth yearly.
With everything I’ve read for the appeal, it seems that something “new” that financially hurts my family must happen for me to get more financial aid. Do you think if I wrote a letter I could get more financial aid? If anyone here has done this for Vassar, how did it work out for you?
If I don’t get the appeal accepted, should I take out student loans?
What would your appeal be based on? You admit that it’s a great package (it’s probably one of the best packages I’ve seen or heard of here since it covers nearly all of your costs and doesn’t even require you to take out any loans which is one of the great things about Vassar). If nothing has changed since you filled out the application, they might not understand why you can’t pay.
How much more money do you need? It will be easier to work out something with Vassar if you had an idea of how much more you would need to make the school affordable. It sounds like you are fine as far as tuition, room and board, and books and you just need money for living expenses and travel. I would try to estimate how much that stuff would cost you and try to think of a reason why you can’t get a job during the summer to help pay for it or use some of your work-study earnings during the semester to pay for it.
In order for them to grant additional help, they want to know what they didn’t consider from your original package. Was there an extra large heating bill this winter? Damage to a car or home? An emergency? A week when your mother didn’t earn her full paycheck?
Honestly, is there a better offer? I don’t think you can do better. A small loan to cover any travel might be worth it, or you could take a second job this summer. A Vassar education for $3800 per year seems like a very good opportunity.
I would want the full cost of tuition covered, so basically the remaining $3,800, or at least closer to covering tuition. My mom - who, admittedly, isn’t very familiar with this process/ doesn’t seem to understand how good the package is - is still VERY hesitant about me attending the school.
I don’t have the opportunity to work during the summer because I have to take care of a younger cousin of mine (unless something changes with that). My family earns 50k a year and my brother is also a dependent, my non-custodial is out of the picture.
Should I even appeal in the first place? Would it be more advisable to take out student loans?
I don’t know about my package from Bryn Mawr or Haverford yet, but they are also really good schools for financial aid. So, no, there isn’t a better offer (at least yet).
Tuition or cost of attendance? I think you’re trying to say that you basically want to go to this school for free, as in you want grant aid to cover things like toothpaste, snacks, travel, and other incidental living expenses. I’m not sure that’s really realistic.
Again, try to think of a reason why you shouldn’t have to borrow even a small amount of money to help cover these costs, or why you shouldn’t get a summer job or contribute anything personally. Are there any family circumstances that could justify that? The reason I’m pressing on this point is that it’s hard to get a school like this to reduce the family contribution to 0.
Aside from a few unexpected car costs/low medical expenses, I don’t see anything that would really justify more funds from the school. Trust me, I am really very grateful for how much money they are giving me (I didn’t expect anything near this amount! In fact, they were so nice as to reduce the deposit fund to $100…) but the major obstacle is convincing my mom that it’s financially viable.
I guess going to appeal route wouldn’t really do that much, so I will follow the advice and speak to her about getting a job/ assuming some student loan debt (which, honestly, $3,800 is NOT a lot for every year).
Vassar direct costs for 2015-2016 are $63,280. They estimate indirect costs (books, supplies, personal expenses, travel) at $2,250 per year. You are being offered $61,170 in free money (Vassar aid + Pell grant) and $2,160 in work study. This leaves you with $2,110 remaining in direct costs and $90 remaining in indirect costs. And you want to ask for more? Like I said before: get a summer job. Who’s going to look after your younger cousin while you’re away at school? And why is this/will it still be your responsibility, seemingly without compensation? And you’re expected to do it 24/7 over the summer? Take some responsibility for financing your own education, if even just a little. Sorry to sound so harsh, but you’ve been offered a tremendous gift, and then to ask for the last little bit of your costs to also be paid by someone else just rubs me the wrong way.
You and everyone else want that. Get a night job stocking shelves in the supermarket over the summer and you will be all set. You really are expected to contribute to your education, whether you want to or not.
You need to earn that $2200 or so. Sorry…get a job. You got a terrific financial aid package. Do you really expect the college to pay for your shampoo, toothpaste, cell phone, clothing, and the occasional pizza out? Who pays for those things NOW?
Your financial aid package is extremely generous. Even the most generous schools exoect a student contribution towards college. $2200 a year for a $63,000 college education is really quite the bargain.
So…start looking now.
The reality is…you will only need a little more than half of that for the fall term. The other half will be due for your spring payment.
And also, if anyone is planning to give you birthday or graduation gifts, ask for money and bank that too.
Mow lawns, baby or pet sit, house sit. Get your life guarding certification and become a guard (which is usually a good paying job on college campuses too).
I’ll gladly do a night job - rereading what I said, I understand it sounds like I’m entitled/ unrealistic. Really, I just want to give my mom every reason to say yes this college.
What does she expect, that someone is going to pay you to go to school? It sounds like maybe you already know this, but your mother has very unrealistic expectations. To be blunt: who cares if she says no? She’s not paying any of the bill, and now it’s your turn to make an adult decision.
I have a “better” deal at the in-state school, but they aren’t offering to cover room and board/ mandatory fees like Vassar is so in terms of bang-for-your-buck Vassar is the “best” deal.
I don’t yet know about financial deals from Bryn Mawr or Haverford yet.
If the in-state school is not offering to cover room and board and fees, I can’t see how that’s a better deal than getting EVERYTHING at Vassar for $2,200. Room/board/fees at the in-state would be at least three times that.
Is there a counselor or someone who could talk to your mom and explain that this is as good as it gets and she should be outside dancing in the street, because it really is. Tell her to come on here and we will tell her for you.