Financial Aid Advice

<p>Thank you for reading this. Here's the story:</p>

<p>Being not-to-well-informed (i'm intl), my folks put 3000$ in the "how much are you willing to contribute" field in the FA app. They thought that this sum would be exactly how much they will have to contribute (they calculated and considered it a fair share). They were generous (i assumed by looking at what friends currently at P pay). </p>

<p>When my award came, Princeton asked for ~5000$. That's affordable to my parents, but quite uncomfortable.
I have the feeling that the ppl at the fa office didn't analyze the application carefully, but merely glanced at it. The income/taxes etc plugged into the early estimator yielded 0-1400$ as family contribution. PLUS my family will build a house during the next two years AND my brother is also at an university in france, which costs about 10k/year. (<-- these expenses weren't part of the early estimation!!)</p>

<p>My problem is: should i contact the office and try to explain (which would be hard to do in a manner that would not sound like cheap negotiation) or accept it as my mistake and be more careful next year?
The problem is that i really have the feeling that a mistake (out of negligence) has been done, but at the same time i know that contacting them now (after i sent the verification papers) would be very.. um... unappropriate...</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>PS. I suppose that 2-3000$ doesn't mean that much in us, but here it does make a difference... :)</p>

<p>call the office, tell them about any new FA factors that have cropped up and ask nicely for a re evaluation of your EFC...</p>

<p>and what are you doing about the COF? Where do you write down the aid that Princeton will be giving you? Or is it enough to just enclose a copy of your FA award?
Also is it OK to submit a balnce enquiry statement signed by a bank official in place of the officials signature on the COF? People over here arent willing to sign my form!</p>

<p>thanks sucharita. The problem is that there are no new factors, everything was in the initial FA app, it's just that i think that they asked for so much only because of the "willing to contribute" field... Anyway, i'll talk to my folks and suggest they call (or would it be better if i'd call?) and see where all this leads to.</p>

<p>About CoF, i must admit i'm a bit hazy about the whole thing. I haven't received any papers from P. I don't know if i can help you, but maybe you can explain a few things :D.</p>

<p>I found the form on the web here, and it says that the university has to send the form. Did you receive it from Princeton? Moreover, from what i read there, you have to send this form back to Princeton, so why bother put there any award info? </p>

<p>Last, it says there that "if the bank officials etc won't sign the form, the institution (P) should forward a copy of the Foreign Student Financial Aid Application to the family for completion". I don't understand how it all works yet...</p>

<p>Princeton is very generous and you should never feel uncomfortable; at least try talking to them, reiterating those factors you just mentioned and saying that there might have been a mistake on your app. From what I understand, you should always really lowball the amount you're willing to pay...</p>

<p>yeah Princeton sent the form along with my admission package. Hasn't anyone else got it? </p>

<p>The reason why I was asking about enclosing the award info is this- when I got my acceptance letter from Smith, they also enclosed the COF and in the sponsors column they had printed Smith College along with my aid award. The Princeton COF however is totally blank :confused:</p>

<p>I think I'll just call tonight- itll make things easier :)</p>

<p>It says above that space in the CoF:</p>

<p>"The space below is for optional use by issuing institutions for listing student’s expected annual budget."</p>

<p>So it's no problem, i'd say...</p>

<p>No, i haven't received any FA papers, but that's only normal as the verfication papers haven't yet reached Princeton, so my award isn't final. I will write them an email and ask about a re-evaluation. Thanks sucharita and zante.</p>

<p>:confused:</p>

<p>I havent sent verification papers either...so why have I got the COF thingy?</p>

<p>Does scholarship money from outside the university reduce the family contribution or just reduce the amount of financial aid I recieve?</p>

<p>OK why have I got this COF if no one else has?</p>

<p>This is not a fake admissions package is it? :eek:</p>

<p>Hey sucharita, stop worrying!</p>

<p>I've been accepted ED, that's why i didn't get the CoF yet :D. That's it! I'm pretty sure that all the other RD acceptees have also gotten this CoF thingy...</p>

<p>And, by the way... start believing! ;)</p>

<p>Pavalon - any news on the fin aid call? Did they say they would reduce the EFC or is it set in stone?</p>

<p>i just sent the mail. i chiseled it so it would sound as un-insulting as possible...</p>

<p>sounds like a plan :)</p>

<p>good luck Pav and keep us updated on how it goes.</p>

<p>such - stop worrying! You're a Princetonian now, okay ;)</p>

<p>I got the letter!!! They changed it to $3k... and my parents said i can keep the change!! haha really cool (but i had a vague feeling they were making fun of me)</p>

<p>The letter was kinna dry, if i can say that, but who cares?!?!</p>

<p>Moral: if you're not happy with your aid package and have even slight reasons to attack it, write a letter to the FA ppl! Or give a call. anyway, don't let it be! Act! ;)</p>

<p>Congrats Pav - that's great news. See you in fall!</p>