<p>Hello there!
I have just finished my first year at Fordham University and wanted to ask for help for requesting financial aid. I really had no idea what I was doing last year when I was signing up for so many loans and didn't truly understand my financial aid package, which I really regret. Now, since I have so many loans piled up and my parents still have to pay, I'm appealing to the financial aid office.
I heard that if another school offers you more money, some schools are more inclined to give you greater financial aid. Sarah Lawrence offered me $47,000 in grants/scholarships but how should I tell Fordham, which only offered me $28,000, that? I really don't want to transfer but the current financial aid package I have at Fordham is really bad so I need to get more aid for them if in order to stay. How should I tell Fordham that another school with a higher tuition is offering me more aid so that I can convince them to give me more money. I also get the maximum from TAP and FAFSA. Thank you for your time!</p>
<p>Best,
Jasmine</p>
<p>
Not for second year financial aid.
You should done that on first year.
You may want to consider a school that you can afford. SUNY?</p>
<p>I applied to SUNYs but didn’t get any merit-based aid and can’t afford dorming there because it costs so much. I do regret not having tried harder getting more financial aid last year but no one in my family has ever gone to college before to offer me advice and so,I was really inexperienced and uninformed. Nevertheless, I have done pretty well at Fordham and have a 3.5 GPA and the people I’ve spoken to said that I can submit an appeal and sometimes they do offer more money for getting good grades ( I def know NYU does that). Seeing as how I’ve done pretty well and am getting a good offer from another school, I just want to see how I can explain that to them to get the maximum amount of scholarships instead of loans. </p>
<p>Have you applied as a transfer student to Sarah Lawrence and they’ve given you merit aid as a transfer student for $47k? What would be your net cost to go to Sarah Lawrence? Are you willing to go there over Fordham if Fordham won’t give you more in aid? </p>
<p>To be honest Fordham isnt going tocare what another school offered a year ago. But see what they can do about some continuing grants</p>
<p>
If you’re getting “the maximum from TAP and FAFSA”, I think you can afford SUNY with Direct Loans and some Work Study.</p>
<p>COA of a typical SUNY is around $22,700. </p>
<p>It could be covered by
Pell Grant - $5,645;
TAP - $4,900;
Direct Loans - $6,500 for second year; and
employments(work study & Summer) - $5,655</p>
<p>Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t clarify, yes, I applied to Sarah Lawrence as a transfer and got $47K in grants/scholarships and that’s not even including TAP. I’m not really sure-Sarah Lawrence is qutie far from where I live and it would be quite the commute. I’m actually attending Fordham’s manhattan campus so it’s much closer and more convenient. With all the loans I’ve already borrowed from Fordham ($13,500) I’m not looking to borrow any more loans for undergrad and I’m trying to avoid loans altogether as much as possible. </p>
<pre><code> Sarah Lawrence has a higher tuition than Fordham and still gave me more money…do you think Fordham would budge if I mention that? Also, how do I phrase that without sounding rude?
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<p>IMO, it doesn’t matter how much financial aid each school offered (because the cost of attendance is different). Bottom line, how much will it cost you, out of your own pocket, to go to each school? If it will still cost you less to attend Sarah Lawrence, then make an appointment with someone in financial aid at Fordham and explain the situation. Say you’d really like to stay at Fordham, but you can’t afford to take out any more loans - and then see what they say/do. It can’t hurt.</p>
<p>I don’t see how you will be able to finish college without any loans. You don’t have free tuition and room and board offer. You can work in summer and make 3 to 5k. More as a Jr depending on your degree. Work small job during school.</p>
<p>You need to figure the total cost to you of SLC with all the aid you have, but break the loans and work out separately. Maybe this is the best move. Didn’t you apply to SLC as a dorming student, what do you mean commuting? What is inconvenient, it isn’t like you are going across country.</p>
<p>Once you compare apples to apples between the two schools you can talk to them. It doesn’t matter what NYU does, you don’t go there. I would be surprised if you get much now as a sophomore. But of course it is worth talking to them. You have to know how big the difference is between the two schools and what you can live with. You will have to phrase it delicately. That as a low income student you didn’t understand how burdensome those loans would be. SLC offered X much more and you want to know if there is anyway you can stay at Fordham by having help with this difference.</p>
<p>
Many schools consider Direct Loans & Perkins Loans are part of financial aid, and unlikely to swap grants for loans for you. However, you should talk to your school, as there may be some second year merit-base scholarships for you to apply.</p>
<p>
Wow, that almost covers the school’s tuition - $49,680</p>
<p>OP, it doesn’t matter how much you GET. What matters is what you have to PAY. If a school gave you $100K, it would be quite impressive, until you find out that it costs $250K. That is an exaggeration, but you see what I mean. My one son got a $30K award which I though was great. Sobering to find out we still would owe $30K+ since the school COA was over $60K. The SUNY that offered him $2500 was a better deal since the cost was $20500, leaving a net of $18K to fund. </p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence tends to be expensive, though Fordham is no bargain. If you are commuting, and I can’t tell if you are or not, if you are commuting from Manhattan, you will likely need to buy a Metro North pass in addition to your NYC metro pass that allows subways and buses. Don’t know if you can get to Bronxville/Yonkers on that NYC pass, do check on that. </p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence tuition and fees from last year was about $49K. Fordham’s about $43K.The $47K does leave $2K left to pay for tuition and fees at Sarah Lawrence. If you or your family can pay that, or TAP will cover, and you can cover your commuting costs, books, snacks, meals, then you don’t need any loans. You can pack food from home, to save some money that way. You can show Fordham exactly what the difference in cost is between SLU and them, and it’s up to them whether they will give you more grant money, …or not. If they won’t give you a match, and you don’t want to take out any more loans, go with SLU. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Thank you for all your help, everyone! </p>
<pre><code>I want you to know I am aware of the importance of what I have to pay as opposed to what I am getting in aid. I wish I had understood this better last year when I looked at my financial aid package from Fordham…I just never saw so many digits before and I thought “yay, I’m getting money from college!” >.<"
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<p>The tuition at Fordham is about $45,000 and I got $28,000 in grants/scholarships, $`13,500 in loans,and my parents have to pay about $6,000 (which I know doesn’t sound a lot but as a low-income student it is a troublesome amount for my family)
the tuition at Sarah Lawrence is about $50,000 and I got $47,000 from them in grants/scholarships and another $5,000 from TAP, which means I probably won’t have to pay anything if I’m commuting.</p>
<p>I know you must be all thinking that with SLC’s package, going there is a no-brainer but it’s not as simple as it may seem! </p>
<p>I’ve actually grown attached to my community in Fordham and I really do want to stay there. Fordham offers a great range of clubs and based on what I’ve read about SLC’s social atmosphere, I’m a little scared. More often than not, I’ve seen too many people, on this site included, stating that SLC is a very “mean-spirited” place with little to none engaging social activities. Plus, commuting there with the MetroNorth train everyday isn’t a very easy task…and I’m not superbly fond of the MetroNorth after the deadly accident that happened in late 2013. </p>
<p>I really just want to find a way to get Fordham to give me more aid based on my academics (3.5 GPA), need (maxed out for TAP/FAFSA), and competition (in this case SLC). How do I state all of that in my letter of appeal? Thanks again for all your help! I wish I had checked this place out sooner as a senior in high school!</p>
<p>What would be your net cost to attend Fordham? What would be your net cost to attend Sarah Lawrence?</p>
<p>Do talk to the Fordham Financial Aid director. I hope it works out, but usually it doesn’t work that way. Schools have a way they distribute financial aid and that’s the way Fordham puts together their packages. They do include the Direct Loans, Perkins and often work study as well. They also gap. But ask, and show them the SLU and let them know that the loan amounts and what your parents are left to pay are hardships at your family income levels. </p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence has a lovely campus. I don’t know about any mean spiritedness. I’ve gone to many events, workshops,etc there and known some students and profs there. It’s a whole different vibe from Fordham and Manhattan, I agree, but it’s certainly not a terrible place. I understand you do want to transfer, however. But I also agree that the money difference is substantial I wish you had also applied to Baruch or other CUNYs and had those alternatives because of the commute to Bronxville/Yonkers. Do check if you can get there without having to use the Metro North because that might be pricey. Danger? I don’t think it’s any less safe than the NYC transit system. My family has been using it actively, myself included for years, and I truly don’t think it’s an inordinate risk. But it’s expensive and you would have to transfer at Grand Central, I believe.</p>
<p>Was the SLC offer based on full COA including dorming? Will they reduce their financial aid offer if you live at home?</p>
<p>Are you eligible for TAP and Pell? Have they been included in your package? </p>
<p>If you can get full tap, pell and student loan ($6500) and a summer job, you could cover pretty much the full cost of living on campus at Sarah Lawrence.</p>
<p>If not, then the net-net is that neither Fordham or Sarah Lawrence are financially feasible options for your family. I agree with Cpt, that the financially feasible thing to do is to apply to CUNY in order to finish your education.</p>
<p>Metro North monthly fares will be over $200 a month from Grand Central to where SLU is, bear in mind, in addition to the metropass for NYC you already have to buy. Not to mention the time it will take you to commute. So do consider what Sybbie is suggesting. </p>
<p>Fordham is pretty danged efficient in getting every friggin’ cent of TAP, PELL, Direct Loans integrated in their package. They do give a commuter grant but often integrate that as well. But if OP has some unmet need, it’s definitely something to discuss. I don’t see Fordham coming up with the money so that you don’t have to take out student loans,however. </p>