I am an international student.
I have been admitted to a certain college EA. The EFC they expect from me is way higher than what I declared I could afford. After talking to other admitted students, I saw that we had all received the identical financial aid package. Does this mean the Office of Finances didn’t place much importance on our financial aid applications?
I have received my package a month ago. Is it too late to make a financial aid appeal now?
What are your backup options and what have you been doing for the last month? If you couldn’t afford your package a today, you couldn’t afford it a month ago.
Make an appeal- sure- you have nothing to lose- but be prepared with Plan B.
Does the college guarantee to meet full need for internationals?
It may mean that each student received the maximum the school is willing/can give. The school may consider travel to be up to the students, so if the international student is from Canada travel may be cheap but if from Mongolia,it may be more.
You can always appeal. The school will deny the appeal if it is past a deadline (you didn’t say).
@blossom I have been trying to find ways to pay for this college. This is why I haven’t appealed yet - I have been looking at all my options. If my financial aid package does not change, then I won’t be attending. The college does not guarantee to meet full need for internationals.
@twoinanddone There is no deadline about appealing. I have a lot of time left until I have to make a decision on whether I will be attending or not.
What you say you can afford does not matter one bit in a financial aid award.
@Iron_Maiden From the documentation I have provided, it is clear that my family cannot afford the EFC. I am aware that it’s completely understandable that my need could not be met. I simply found it interesting that all the students I spoke to had received the same package.
They say they don’t meet need. They didn’t meet need. They likely have an amount they can offer international students who apply for aid, and draw the line there. This doesn’t sound very surprising to me.
The college decides your family contribution. This school does NOT meet full need…and they have computer a family contribution that is NOT affordable.
Hopefully you have affordable options in the hopper.
@intparent , @thumper1
Yes, I know it is normal for them not to meet my need. Since everyone I asked about their package said they had received the same financial aid as I did, I am assuming that that is the maximum amount they can afford to give to students.
I will still be appealing, even though their website says they don’t negotiate financial aid packages (doesn’t hurt to try, right?)
As for my other options, I am still awaiting the admission decisions.
Thanks to everyone for their help.
You will need to give a good reason to this college who says they don’t negotiate aid packages. Saying your parent can’t afford the EFC is NOT a good reason.
Has there been a change in your financial situation since you sent your applications? Is there some extenuating circumstance they need to know about that would change their financial aid award? What REASON are you giving to ask for reconsideration. NOT negotiation…but RECONSIDERATION of your financial aid application.
We have seen some situations where certain privates give everyone $10k or 15k per year…often labeled as a scholarship but sometimes as a grant. It’s really just the result of inflated tuition and then an offered discount…which they hope will flatter the recipients and they’ll enroll.
There are also some schools that try to give some aid, but they can’t come close to meeting need. They’ve figured out that if they can give $15k-20k in grants, $2k in work study, and $5500 in student loans, then they can say that their students get an average of $25k in aid. Obviously, int’l students can’t get the loans and work study.
How much did each of you get.