Can I negotiate this? (Columbia v. Penn Financial Aid)

<p>My FAFSA EFC is 795.</p>

<p>Financial Award Letter from Columbia:</p>

<p>Total Family Contribution: 3,400</p>

<p>Federal Work Study: 2,350
Columbia Grant: 31,983
Federal Pell Grant: 3,300
Federal Perkins Loan: 1,000
Federal SEOG: 4,000
Federal Stafford Loan: 2,625</p>

<p>Financial Award Letter from Penn:</p>

<p>Total Family Contribution: 10,150</p>

<p>Federal Work Study: 2,675
Penn Grant: 21,130
Federal Pell Grant: 3,300
Federal SEOG: 4,000
Jade Wong Scholarship: 4,000
Federal Stafford Loan: 2,625</p>

<p>These two packages are considerably different for schools that meet 100% of need! Also, I don't see how Penn thinks we could afford to pay that much! Perhaps home equity? Even so, both Columbia and Penn cap it off at the same rate...</p>

<p>I am a Gates Millennium Scholar, but this scholarship only covers the "unmet need"--in otherwords, I'd still have to cough up 10,150 for Penn. Could there be some sort of mistake? Could I negotiate the packages and have the EFC lowered so Gates can cover the money?</p>

<p>We are in the same boat!! Looks like my sons award letters. We are appealing now. I will let you know how it turns out!!! What do you have to loose by appealing?</p>