Hello, could anyone help me understand if the financial aid appeal process is viable for families that are full pay? Is it even possible to leverage a near-full tuition scholarship from a state school if we don’t have need by the calculations, and given how competitive the applicant pool at Ivies is?
Here are the details: I have been accepted to a couple of highly selective, ““prestigious”” institutions. Not HYPS, but if we go by the rankings, other Ivies/schools right under - which I say to convey that their aid is likely not quite as generous as the tippy top schools with massive endowments. I honestly wasn’t anticipating getting in/I was planning to attend a state school, which with scholarship only costs 3-4k - so this entire process has been a big shock, and I am not well researched on any of it.
I did not receive any financial aid from the highly ranked schools I was accepted to, and while I really, really love them, I’m not sure how I could ever justify blowing through 320k+ for an undergrad degree, no matter how great the fit, when a practically free education is an option. I’m so, so fortunate to have parents who indicated that they would pay full pay at one of these schools, but we are not so well off that this is small cash or inconsequential by any means. As a result, I don’t know if we are allowed to apply for an appeal in the first place, given that there have been no dramatic changes in our financial situation and we did not receive aid the first go around.
From what I’ve gleaned, it appears that the appeal process stipulates some kind of specific special circumstance or condition, and what I’ve read seems to indicate that the appeal process will only yield a couple thousand more. Does that mean that there’s nothing to be done here in my circumstances? Or if it’s still worth a shot, should I, the student, email the finaid office, or should my parents be involved? Do we provide numbers (not sure if they’d help the case), or simply ask if there’s some way to bridge the gap between the scholarship I received elsewhere and the 0 aid I was offered at these schools? Do I simply contact the general finaid office email? If all awards are need based, there is no reason include updates achievements, correct?
I hope that I’m not coming across as conceited. I am incredibly grateful to have these options at all and for the support that I do. Thank you all for your help.
The Ivies only give need based aid. They do not match or even consider merit aid from other schools. Merit is merit, and if Ivies wanted to give merit aid, they would.
That’s what I thought, too. I guess I was trying to hold onto hoping it might somehow not be the case!
What major and career goal?
Another thought occurred to me - what about schools like Hopkins or Duke? I know that merit aid is incredibly competitive, but does the fact that they do give out some come into play?
@mom2collegekids I applied with biology/neuroscience, but I’m not deadset and intend to investigate more in college, although my interests are generally more STEM or social science leaning. For career goals, med school is a big maybe, I know if this is the route I go then there will be plenty more to pay down the road, becoming a professor is also something I’ve always thought about - which again, will have to pay for grad school too! And I realize CS is a different path entirely, but it’s been on my radar too.
It might be easier to give good advice if we knew the names of the schools that you are considering, including the affordable alternatives. However…
“med school is a big maybe”
The classic advice (which I agree with) is that there are many schools with very good premed programs, premed is going to be academically very demanding at any “top 100” university, and you should attend a university where you can maintain an high GPA and keep some money in the bank for medical school.
“CS is a different path entirely”
True. However, in CS the “prestige” of the university does not matter much, and most of the top 20 universities for CS are not in the Ivy League.
In my opinion, you would need to have a very good reason, or very wealthy parents (or both), to spend $300,000 for four years of undergraduate education.
If you have received Merit aid from Hopkins/Duke, please remember as posted above, the Ivies only give need based aid. They do not offer merit, artistic or athletic scholarships so it will not matter if you received merit aid from these schools.
Congrats on both having parents willing to pay for any school and for having a wonderful financially feasible option leaving you with no debt. This will be a big deal when you apply to med school and you will still need your family’s income and assets for any kind of need based aid.
Please count your blessings, attend admitted student days and be happy for the opportunity.
Are you asking if Duke or JHU would give you merit because a state school gave you merit? No, they won’t care. They use their merit to target students that they want to poach away from ivy and ivy-like schools.
If you want to be a professor or go to med school, spending huge amounts of money for undergrad is just a terrible investment. Profs don’t get paid very well anymore…and med schools don’t care where you went to undergrad.
Thanks for the input everyone. I know I’m really lucky to even be asking these kinds of questions in the first place.
You received merit aid. If the s holds younwant money from doesn’t give merit aid, they won’t care where you got merit aid. They won’t give YOU merit aid.
And your merit aid award cannot be used to help you get need based aid at a college where you didn’t qualify for need based aid.
If you aren’t happy with your merit aid school…it’s not too late to apply to UA-Huntsville.
If you are a NM finalist, it’s not too late to apply to UA main campus.
@thumper1 Thank you for the suggestions! I’m content with the inexpensive schools I’ve been admitted to, and so the more I write the more I feel silly because this situation seems to be a no brainer.