Hi! I recently had someone tell me that they contacted a school and told them that another school had given them cheaper tuition, and that school lowered theirs to offer the same price. Is this something common or worth trying to do? Thanks!
After you have all of your financial aid packages, if one package is better than another, and the two places are peer institutions, it can be worthwhile to contact the one you like better but that is working out to be a bit moe expensive, and ask if they can re-evaluate your package. Some places are very happy to do this, and will try to match the aid offered by a peer institution. Others will not re-evaluate at all.
So you can ask, but don’t be surprised if nothing comes of it.
It won’t be “cheaper tuition” but a school might increase their offer of aid, in the form of scholarships/grants.
This is typically done after you have applied and been accepted, and are deciding where to attend. If one school gives a much better aid package, it may be possible to use it as a bargaining point with another school you prefer to attend if the cost was similar. And don’t ask unless you will actually attend the school you are asking, if they meet the cost of the other offer.
Also, make sure the schools have similar Financial Aid policies. For example, don’t try to bargain with a school that only gives need-based aid by comparing an offer from a school that gives merit scholarships.
You may wish to check out the Financial Aid & Scholarships forum:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/