My daughter got admission letter to Univ of Pittsburgh. Did not get any financial aid. Do we write to the office and ask for any financial aid help?
Pointers appreciated
Did you run Pitt’s Net Price Calculator? Would you be eligible for any need-based aid? Most merit aid has already been awarded and the last date to receive merit is March 1. Pitt has been moving away from merit aid in favor of need-based aid to lower-income students. It is not a “meets need” school.
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I Have not done the Net Price calculator. I dont think I would qualify for a Need based aid. ANy pointers on other scholarships that I can apply which are not need based?
You might still be able to apply to some local scholarships. Your high school guidance counselor probably has a list of these. However, they are usually for small amounts and not renewable. Most substantial scholarships come from the colleges themselves.
Can I write to them and ask for financial assistance?
Did you file the FAFSA? I don’t think writing to them to ask for merit aid will do much good. You can try, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll receive a favorable response.
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You should definitely run the net price calculator as soon as possible to confirm whether or not you qualify for need-based aid.
Did you fill out the FAFSA?
Yea you can write but no it will not matter. Pitt gives little aid. URMs get some via the cathedral of learning Scholarship. In the old days you needed to apply early and a 33 ACT to have a chance.
Some schools charge for Honors. I don’t believe Pitt does. But often Honors cost more, not less (ie scholarships).
If you need substantial aid, find a cheaper school. Local scholarships are small. You can ask your employer too. Mine gave one kid $2k and one $1k.
But if you need substantial aid, Pitt isn’t for you.
It’s why we dropped it from consideration.
Yes did filled out FAFSA. If they did not respond with admission letter does it mean there is no financial aid coming from them?
When you say Honors costs more- does it mean in terms of tuition and other costs?
You need to ask them. But first, run the NPC so you know what to expect when you call.
I’m not sure it does at Pitt - I don’t see it. I said some charge for Honors.
But for example - ASU is $1K a semester. Just like some schools charge more for certain majors.
In my daughter’s case, at her school, she doesn’t pay for Honors.
The interesting thing about Pitt Honors is that you don’t have to be in the Honors College to register for Honors classes.
Your child should have been provided with log in information to access their financial aid account. If they check that, you may gain some insight.
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