Hey guys. I really need some realistic help in (chasing the American dream) asking to increase my aid. The university has a 73% acceptance rate, and I’m quite beyond their 75% percentile. They’re giving me 32,000 USD merit aid (that does not include student work etc) while the tuition’s 45k. Realistically speaking, if I make my case and really really emphasise i want to attend their school, will they be willing to increase it to 45. If anyone could help out, I’d be grateful.
What is the school? What is their range for merit? If you are asking for more and they already offered their maximum award, it will be a big no from them.
So you need a full ride?
I don’t think you understand what the universities are facing. This has been a pandemic year where the colleges have not been in session and they haven’t had the housing and food income.
The colleges have lost millions of dollars in income; they don’t have extra money. A huge number of families, in the United States, have lost their jobs and incomes, so there’s more people asking for more money. A large number of students are facing the same exact issue. They don’t have enough money to attend, and they can’t afford to go to their school. It’s a common theme heard often, so you just have to have a more inexpensive option at another university.
You can ask for more funds, but they don’t have to give you anything.
In a previous post you noted that if you couldn’t go to school in the US, that you would go to one of the better universities in your country. Right now, that seems like a really good option if you can’t afford the school.
Plus, in order to attend a US university, you have to have US health insurance, which is not included in your aid package and is an additional cost. Traveling to and from the United States is expensive. Purchasing dorm supplies and books adds to your overall costs.
To answer your question, it is not realistic to think any school will increase merit-aid by an additional 40% just because an applicant wants it.
It’s okay to ask, but the likely outcome is you will not receive a 40% increase.
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Ask the school. But have a different plan for if they don’t increase your aid.
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Do you have any school that has offered you a package with a lower cost of attendance for you? Most schools which are not selective offer very substantial merit to students with stellar stats - are you that? If so, and if you have a better offer somewhere, you most definitely can ask them to match your best offer. And yes, tell them how much you love them, and how you really want to go there.
If this is the best net price school for you, you can ask for more, but you really don’t have any bargaining chips to use to negotiate with them.
Agree with the above posters. Even if they did give you another $13K, you still have to pay room and board, correct? Then add health insurance and travel, and you are looking at another $20K or so. Is that affordable?
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