<p>Our daughter received her financial aid award notice today for Purchase College (Dramatic Writing Program). She goofed off enough in High School that her grades and math/english SAT score composite was 1110 (though she did get a 640 in the new writing segment).</p>
<p>Financially, we're not well off - we have a working farm that nets about 2 grand a year and I make about $30k. Last year, we incurred medical expenses way beyond the norm and ended up having to cash in an IRA to pay off the $6k that our self-pay medical insurance wouldn't cover (we pay $11K a year for insurance).</p>
<p>I tried getting the college to consider special circumstances (by sending them all the bills and receipts for last year) but they ended up INCREASING our EFC on FAFSA up to 6100! I just found this out on Saturday and though I tried to call them today, they're all out at a meeting.</p>
<p>I guess I have 2 questions...</p>
<p>1) Though they are giving her a small Perkins loan (4k a year) and a small subsidized Stafford loan (3,500 a year), they've listed on the award that we (the parents) are expected get a PLUS loan for $17,000. While we (the parents) are prepared to take out a small loan, we feel that our child should carry the brunt of the loan via a student loan since she chose to goof off. Is it possible to tell SUNY that we want to change that PLUS to a SIGNATURE or ???</p>
<p>2) At one of the other schools she was accepted to (though SUNY is her first choice because of BFA program), they were going to give her $16k in a presidential scholarship and $400 more in Work Study (SUNY has offered $1k). Should I mention these things to the SUNY Financial Aid office?</p>
<p>Lastly, what's the best policy in talking to them? Grovel? Beg? Demand?</p>
<p>My head hurts.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>