@MomofM Did you call the financial aid office or the admissions office?
My own experience (not with these two schools) so far is that I emailed the financial aid office of a large OOS state school and asked about both merit and need-based financial aid and was told all the merit scholarship money is gone and that OOS get only loans and perhaps we should consider a school that is more financially appropriate.
Of course, my daughter doesn’t have the grades yours does. It sounded suspiciously like “go fly a kite.” I’m a little annoyed that in the two info sessions and site visit we did no one ever mentioned before that OOS students aren’t eligible for need-based aid at this school. Could have saved us time, money and stress if we had known that. Oh well.
@supergirlsmom I’m sorry but I don’t really remember who I contacted initially but I’m sure that if you call the wrong office, the staffer will just tell you who to talk to. Also, my D’s college is a small, private LAC so Admissions and FA probably work together more closely than at a large state U. Good luck! You have nothing to lose so you might as well try.
I think you’d have more leverage at St Olaf than at Carleton since her stats are higher compared to the StO student body. So indicate it’s her first choice and she promises to attend if it’s affordable; bring up the reasons why you can’t afford more (medical bills? Elder parents? severely disabled child?) and see if they can reassess using professional judgement.
Didn’t she get a Buntrock scholarship? (If not, it means they think she won’t be attending, so that committing to attending would give them a huge incentive to up the offer. Obviously don’t say any of this.)
However, did you get a better offer at either one or are they really “the same”? Even if one offered more grants and the other more loans, you could appeal based on the loan vs. grant situation.
Find a way to convey anything that can’t be seen on the aid applications. For my family, it was that my parents support my grandparents. We showed a notarized document proving our financial commitment to them.
@itsgettingreal17 I don’t know about OP, but I would definitely find your list of colleges offering large merit scholarships in the midwest very useful. I am trying to compile such a list myself, and the information seems so diffuse that it is hard to gather.
I am also from the Midwest and I was once facing the same dilemma (in regards to receiving a low financial aid package). I actually began my “financial aid process” by talking to my high school counselor who recommended this program called Minnesota College Goal (assuming you are from Minnesota, since you mentioned your daughter applied to St. Olaf and are from the midwest.) They hold bi-monthly sessions throughout the state of Minnesota to give one-to-one advising on how to receive better FA offers and they also help with filling out the FAFSA. After we went to one of the Minnesota College Goal’s sessions, we were advised to speak to my university’s financial aid office. From there, we explained to them our situation and we were directed to fill out a Special Circumstances Appeal. I don’t know about your situation, but my family submitted a Special Circumstances Appeal (which basically is an application to receive more financial aid as long as you meet certain criteria such as large medical expenses during the most recent taxed year, educational expenses, etc).
So in regards to the details you posted, I would highly recommend checking out the two schools’ financial aid office websites that your daughter is interested in. If you find a number or online appointment scheduling, I would definitely request to meet with a FA officer in person. If that’s not possible, then I suggest calling them over the phone and explaining your situation to them and then they can most likely connect you to the right documents to fill out.
Word of advice, the earlier you are able to start this appeal process the better because the earlier you are able to get this process going, the more likely you are able to get a better financial aid offer.
“Every school has different financial aid resources and chooses to use those resources differently. We recognize that most families are looking at a range of costs when looking at different schools. Our mission in the St. Olaf Financial Aid Office is to provide access to a St. Olaf education to families of varied economic backgrounds. We administer financial aid programs with a commitment to equity, consistency and transparency in awarding resources. Although we do our best to take into account each family’s specific circumstances, we do not adjust financial aid packages based on the amount of financial aid offered from a different school.”
They do not negociate merit scholarships either. I know this from personal experience.
Also you need to speak to the director of financial aid not admissions. They do not have the authority to adjust FA.