My D was accepted into Boston University with Trustee Scholarship which covers full tuition and fee. We have submitted FAFSA and did not qualify any need based scholarship. BU has been my D’s first choice for a long time and she really likes it but it is really a stretch for us to pay $20k each year for room/board and other cost. Is that possible we can appeal for more help from Boston University? If yes, how should we do it and how possible we could succeed?
I am the break maker in the house but my job is very stressful and hurts my eyes a lot. I am looking for less stressful job which would cut my pay dramatically. We also need to support our family outside US. Are these good reasons to appeal? What kind of documents we need to provide? My D got full ride scholarship at a state flagship university so we don’t need to pay anything if we go there but it was ranked much lower than BU. Can we leverage that to appeal?
This is our first time to apply college. We would really appreciate any advice you would be able to provide!
My twins both got into BU honors with no merit or FA so we have to pass. I wish I had good advice but am looking at this same dilemma myself…only more like $40k/kid at the schools they will likely end up attending (both received big merit scholarships other places). We have saved some but will be taking big loans.
Based on some counseling we received, you are in a perfect position…the merit aid is the most important to get because you do not have to reapply for it…as long as your D gets the grades, it should be guaranteed for four years. Regarding FA, you have to reapply for that every year so if you switch jobs and your income changes dramatically as you said, you will likely qualify next year. You can probably do one of the calculators and see how it would change with a $20,000 loan and your new expected salary. e
MANY people on this site will tell you that if you can go somewhere for free you should. Every time. No exception. But depending on your D’s major, future plans, what state you are in, etc, I think sometimes it’s good to go to the higher ranked school. If she’s premed, get the free education, focus on high GPA and MCAT score. I know that for sure! Good luck!
you can appeal but you probably won’t get any additional monies. BU has covered your tuition and fees, which are Qualified Educational Expenses. It is highly unlikely that they are going to cover room, board, travel and misc. cost (which is the 20k). These are not QEEs. Even if they were to cover them, it would be taxable income to your daughter.
The school did not give you any additional monies because based on your financials you do not have a financial need.
Your D can take a $5.5k un sub loan. If she works a summer job, perhaps she can earn 3k, leaving you with 12k to pay.
What is the fine print of her scholarship? Is there a minimum GPA required to keep it?
Your supporting your family outside of the US is not a basis for an appeal. You are the first in line when it comes to paying for your child to attend college. Schools are not going to subsidize your taking care of family members outside of the US.
IF you take a job that cuts your pay dramatically, BU is a school that does not meet 100% demonstrated need. With prior prior, the your child will be a junior or senior before the new income effects your EFC. Unless you take a pay cut that makes your child eligible for Pell, even then, because your D already has her tuition and fees covered, BU most likely will not give you additional monies.
BU is not going to care that your D received a full ride at much lower ranked school so they will not be moved by this offer. Your child is looking to major in studio art; unfortunately not a lucrative major and it may be difficult for her to help you repay any debt.
Your child will not be the first or only child to give up the “dream school” because of money.
If money is the real issue, then you need to sit down with your D and let her know, that while BU is her dream, it is not a financially feasible option for your family and she has to take the affordable option.
PS…I’ve heard (haven’t tried yet) that BU is VERY stingy with aid BUT will give more to those they really want. For her to get a trustee scholarship she must have amazing scores. It’s worth asking!! Put anything in writing that wasn’t in your initial FAFSA or CSS, also ask for a work study. Good luck!
Be aware that many schools will not stack institutional grant aid on top of merit aid unless the instutional grant $$ is indicated to be more. For example, say your financial need is $30,000 and the merit award is $35,000. The will not give you any more institutional aid at all. If there merit is $15,000, and the need is $30,000, the institutional aid will be $15,000. (At generous meets need schools. At some schools, there is no grant aid.)
The Trustee Scholarship is one of the largest merit awards the school gives. What would you appealing FOR?
The school isn’t going to give you a larger merit award…this IS a huge merit award for BU.
You got a $52,000 full tuition scholarship. room and board are $15,000.
And you don’t qualify for need based aid at all?
Did your kiddo get any affordable acceptances?
I’m going to also say…the Trustee scholarship is a great award at BU. Really great. It has other perks beside the FULL tuition scholarship.
Even without financial need, your kid can take a $5500 Direct Loan for freshman year. Can you help with costs at all?
Pick the CHEAPEST dorm, and the lowest meal plan possible. Look at the billable costs for room and board…that’s $15,000. Subtract the $5500 student loan from that and you have $9500. Can you help with THAT amount.
The other costs are books, and discretionary spending. Your kid should have a job now, a summer job, and a job while attending College. Those jobs very possibly could cover those costs.
If none of this will work…did your kiddo get accepted anywhere where your net cost will be $10,000 for the billable costs?
ETA…if you don’t have financial need BU is NOT going to give your kid work study BUT…there are a LOT of on campus and off campus jobs that are not funded with work study funds. My kid worked off campus all four years…and really had NO trouble finding a good job.
Thank you everyone for your kind response. We really appreciate!
I know Trustee scholarship is the best merit based available, I am hoping BU can provide some need based financial aid. We also can’t pick the CHEAPEST dorm, we have to live in honors hall which is $2k more than the cheapest one.
But the net-net is that you have no financial need. This is why you did not get any additional monies.
Once again, if BU is unaffordable, then you have to pick the option where your D can go for free. BU is not going to entertain the full ride from your state school when their scholarship is more than the cost of attendance at your state school.
How much can you afford to pay? Have you spoken with your D about getting a part time job now, working through the summer and taking out her max student loan?
If she is not amenable to helping you pay for this, then she has to attend where you can afford because BU has covered your tuition, they are not going to cover your room and board. You have no real basis for them to entertain an appeal.
No. BU isn’t going to care about a full ride scholarship at a state flagship. That state flagship cost of attendance is likely less than BU. BU isn’t going to give you a full ride.
Why was your FAFSA EFC? BU has given you $52,000. The balance for their current cost of attendance is $20,000.
That $20,000 is ALL you have in financial need now that you have received the Trustee award. Oh…and subtract the $5500 Direct Loan too. So really…your need is $14500.
Supporting your family outside of this country is nice of you to do…but colleges won’t consider this in their calculations for need based aid. This is a choice…and the money you are sending abroad could be used to find your kid’s college education. That is how the colleges will view this.
I don’t see anything here that would make me think BU would give you that $15000 or so. Some of that is your expected family contribution…and the school will NOT give you need based aid to cover that cost.
The daughter HAS a huge award to her state school.
If you want her to go to BU, you’ll have to pay for the r&b, transportation, and other costs. If you have a drop in income, BU may consider you for need based aid too, but there is no way to know what that would be unless we know your current income, future income, assets, etc. It’s very risky to think they will come up with need based money.
Take the public school full ride. That’s the safe road.
When the kid was a freshman, our EFC was more than the cost of attendance, which was about $38,000 a year in 2003. Of course he got no need based aid…we didn’t expect it.
When he was a senior at BU, his sister was a college freshman…and we submitted all the financial aid forms again. Kid’s EFC was $22,000…cost was about $48,000. He got a rousing $250 more in aid…but wait…it was an additional $250 on his MERIT award. He didn’t get a dime more in need based aid, not even a subsidized loan portion.
So…don’t count on getting more need based aid in subsequent years at BU when siblings are in college. The school does NOT guarantee to meet full need…and they don’t.