<p>I am planning on "appealling" my daughters financial aid package- should I e-mail or phone the FA office. I feel like I can better explain the situation better via e-mail but I want the office to see that we are taking this matter seriously and not just shooting out an e-mail because we don't have the time to personally contact them . Maybe I am over analyzing this and it doesn't really matter which way I contact them.</p>
<p>How about calling them and suggesting that you follow up with an email to more completely explain the details of your situation? Sometimes financial matters can be difficult to explain/digest over the phone, so an email could really help. But I agree that first contact via phone is likely best for this matter.</p>
<p>I emailed my questions mostly because I wanted a written answer. Then I got a call from the fin aid office and hashed things out. Go figure.</p>
<p>My approach is to ask “for clarification” rather than asking “to appeal”, so that it ends up being a discussion that leads to a request for further review.</p>
<p>For the schools we appealed to, all wanted our appeal documented in writing and had a specific request form to submit.</p>
<p>The university my ds applied to wanted it submitted in written form. I called the financial aid office and asked what the process was to appeal for ‘special circumstance’. In doing some research in advance I’ve learned that financial aid offices are not interested in parents taking an attitude of haggling the price-tag, they will take more interest if there is a special circumstance, and unusually high family medical expenses seems to rank at the top for that. Some schools will also look at high expenses for siblings in college, and some private school expenses.</p>
<p>Have the student write a polite, well structured letter explaining the “unusual circumstance” and requesting reconsideration. Have her explain why she really wants to go to this school, but why it doesn’t look to be workable with the current package. Might want to mention, delicately and in passing, other offers from comparable schools or higher tier schools, if their offers were better. Find out who the director of financial aid is, and address it to that person by name. Send it registered or certified.</p>
<p>Just like standrews, DD did email the school to ask very politely for “why there is such a huge different between FAFSA EFC and the school EFC (based on their own formula)?” It took them a week to reply back to DD via email. In the email, they said that they will re-review and will re-calculate the financial package of DD again. I agreed with standrews about asking, either via email or call, for clarification, rather than appealing. DD prefered email, though. I did the same thing last 4 years ago for DS, and it worked. DS’s school adjusted an additional 5K in grant per year for him. I hope it will also work this time for DD.</p>
<p>I’ve read that it’s better for the parent/s to communicate with the fin. aid office vs. the student.</p>