<p>Has anyone had experience "bargaining" or "negotiating" with colleges for lower tuition/ increased scholarship money? I ran into someone who said they had a meeting with their #1 school's financial aid office and showed them the scholarship package from their #2 school and was able to gain additional money as incentive.</p>
<p>It happens, but not for all students and not at all schools. You can always try.</p>
<p>I used to work at a very large, public university. I had people try it, but it just doesn’t work at a school like that. I had one particular parent that kept hammering at me — I turned it over to my boss, who was no more able to give additional money than I was. However, my D requested a scholarship increase at an LAC, and they gave it to her. So you never know. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.</p>
<p>Yes, it can work. Some schools, notably, CMU, invites students to bring in other offers. My son did get his merit award increased by asking. But as with any request, it can be denied. Found out later that most kids who asked for more at his school were offered loans, not more grant money, or employment opportunites on campus. YMMV</p>
<p>Schools that are “better” than the schools where you’ve rec’d scholarships may not care. they know that you can snag money at lower ranked schools. However, if it’s a peer school they may care.</p>
<p>Yes, this ^ You will usually have better luck if the schools are “peers” (close to one another in ranking) and if you have an actual scholarship letter in hand from school #1 that you can use to approach school #2. Of course, if school #2 doesn’t give merit aid anyway, that won’t work.</p>
<p>Thanks! Yeah I think it’s worth a try. The worst they can tell me is no right?</p>
<p>Keep in mind, you must compare apple to apples. If you have a school that only gives need based financial aid, it will not matter what another school has offered you in merit money; your package most likely will not be adjusted.</p>
<p>It worked for my nephew at CMU. They matched his offer from Lehigh. He went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa and is now at MIT getting a PHD. He’s making CMU proud.</p>
<p>Some colleges get irritated when parents are a little too pushy about it, and too blunt. The correct way is probably to ask respectfully for a reconsideration or appeal of the aid offer, and give some good reasons why it is needed, in addition to providing copies of the offers from peer colleges. </p>
<p>Many colleges have an appeal process, but they want to see you describe a financial factor that was not evident in the forms you had already provided to them, such as a recent decrease in family income.</p>
<p>As noted above, don’t walk into an elite college and demand that they match an aid offer from Northern Swampgas Agricultural College. However, many many private colleges fully realize they are in competition with public colleges regarding costs, and many private colleges will reduce their tuition down to the level of the in-state flagship university if they really want you as a student.</p>
<p>Just a point on a previous post cautioning that “the college may get irritated” when you ask for more $$$. What? Who cares? “Colleges” can’t get irritated, they have no emotions at all, maybe one person in the financial aid office could… My advise would be to ask for what you feel is an appropriate change to the aid package, and don’t let them put you off by trying to show they are “irritated” at you for asking. </p>
<p>Unless they respond by reducing the existing offer it doesn’t hurt to ask.</p>
<p>Would I be able to negotiate with UChicago with a full-ride offer from UC San Diego? Would that be considered apples to slightly smaller apples?</p>
<p>No, UChicago, a private school does not care what UCSD, a public school gave you (they are not peer schools and you are mixing apples to oranges).</p>
<p>Does the notion of peer schools also “require” that the two schools be in the same geographic area?</p>
<p>I tried it with a large public University and showed them other universities and college that gave me as much as full tuition. But this school sent back this:</p>
<p>"Thank you for your e-mail. Students are notified about any scholarships awarded by the Office of Admissions at the time of decision. To check your scholarship status you may visit <a href=“FSU Admissions | Error 404 page not found”>https://admissions.fsu.edu/StatusCheck/</a>. " </p>
<p>They clearly did not even read my email. It never hearts to ask though.</p>
<p>Depends on the school. I was once told by someone at a private university that even appeals of fin aid decisions – with or without a better offer from another school – are often successful. But I don’t think the school went out of its way to publicize this.</p>
<p>There are a lot of factors that one needs to consider when looking to request an apeal of their financial aid award letter</p>
<p>financial aid policies </p>
<p>What information does the school collect to award financial aid?
Is it a FAFSA only school that only awards federal and state aid?
Does it use the CSS profile, does it use their own financial aid form to award their own school based aid?
Does the school meet 100% demonstrated need (most schools do not)?
Does the school only give need based aid (Ivies, many selective schools with large endowments)</p>
<p>who does the school collect information from </p>
<p>The custodial parents (if married to each other and living together). Remember parents fall into 3 categories; biological, step and adoptive.</p>
<p>The custodial parent only (in cases where parents are divorced, separated, widowed, never married)</p>
<p>The custodial parent and the non-custodial parents ( (in cases where parents are divorced, separated or never married). If either or both parents are married/remarried you must also include stepparents</p>
<p>How does the finaid appeal process work? Do you just email or call the Office of Financial Aid?</p>
<p>What I would do is find out who your admissions officer was, the one who was primarily responsible for your application, and talk to him personally, thanking him for the admissions offer and letting her know how grateful you are and how much you want to go to the school. Then bring up the aid package and ask what the best way is to handle the request to financial aid and who to speak to there, and if the Adcom can help at all. Let her also know that you have a better package from a peer school or one that is considered more selective. Be very humble and appeal to the person to help you make this happen.</p>
<p>How does one find out who their admissions officer is/was?</p>
<p>Thanks so much!
@crizello, I believe you can look up who your admission officer is by going on the college website and searching for which admission officer handles the area you live in. </p>
<p>Should I still try to negotiate for more aid even though I found this on Lewis and Clark’s website? I received 12K in merit aid and none for need based aid. Is it time to give up? It is my top choice. </p>
<p>Due to the extraordinary demand for assistance, appeals are considered only when significant and unexpected circumstances exist and can be thoroughly documented. Appeals for additional assistance must be made in writing. Eligibility for financial aid is reviewed annually, allowing families to provide changes to financial circumstances in the course of the standard aid application process. Students whose family financial situations remain fairly constant each year can expect to remain eligible for similar need-based financial aid resources each year.</p>
<p>Note: Lewis & Clark does not change or negotiate awards based on comparisons with other colleges.</p>