<p>I wasn't sure what thread to put this in, but I figured that parents would have more knowledge about a touchy subject like this.
To be blunt: With a brother in college who went to Governors Academy and my dad's demotion from Head of Staff at his hospital, money has been tighter. I'm at a small private school in Maine (30k a year) and I'm applying to Dana Hall in Wellesley, Mass, a school that has been a dream to me. However, my parents don't think that it is a possibility as the monetary difference is 20k. The school has rolling admissions and I have been in contact with the admissions director, A lovely woman who seems to be very fond of me. I'm a bright student (I just placed in the 90% percentile in the United States for the National Spanish Exam and was the best in my class) and I am one of the only freshman on Girls Varsity Tennis, plus I'm a singer/actress. My grandparents are fairly well off and I have recently been considering asking them for $10,000 to help aid my tuition.
Is there anyway at ALL I could do this without making it awkward? My grandparents love the school I go to now as my grandfather attended in the 1940's.
Advice? Help?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>
<p>If you ask your grandparents for help, a relevant fact is that direct payments to schools are not subject to “gift taxes” and related thresholds. Clearly, your grandfather would be interested in why Dana Hall is a better fit for you than the current school, which he attended and loves. Be prepared to address this issue.</p>
<p>I’d be careful, but it’s worth a shot. I can say that I don’t think you can count on financial aid to cover the difference, which would be a considerable option, but you should certainly still apply for it. Asking your grandparents might bring up some challenges: if there are other grandchildren, obviously that presents a new issue; as Charger said, you’ll need to explain the differences and fits of the two schools; and there’s the ever-present challenge of simply convincing people that boarding school is the right path. If you think you can conquer these issues, go right ahead!</p>