<p>a lot of people have told me i can get more money if i can talk to the financial aid officers, but i'm wondering how that exactly works. do i just ask the officers if they can give me the money i need? considering i need like 8k from vandy, i'm not sure how viable this might be.</p>
<p>Theres no clear statistic or percentage out there that says if you appeal your financial aid package that you will get more money. However most institutions will accept appeals and to be sure that you really make a case for yourself you will need to include new information that was not included upon initial review. This can include new jobs, a loss of jobs, sickness (medical bills), workplace injury, layoffs, etc. Some students will recieve more fin. aid and some wont. It also depends on how much flexibility the schools have to award more money. Many are stretched the limits as it is becuase the federal government has been cutting back student aid programs. So while there is not a clear formula for getting more aid, theres always a chance if you approach it in a way that stresses your need. Also you may want to consider student loans from outside lenders such as Citibank or SallieMae, or grants/scholarships. Best of luck!</p>