<p>Hi Parents,</p>
<p>I know that you may not want to hear my history about financial aid, but this is a very serious issue.</p>
<p>Where we live, the city government and public school districts are facing financial budget crises, and they are cutting back on wages, salaries and benefits to their workers. My mother (single-parent household) received a 12% reduction in her first job's salary + benefits for the 2005 - 2006 year. In addition, she used to work a second job just to help pay the bills. Her second-job employer just laid her off because her own business is having financial problems. Right now, my mother has lost nearly 30-40% of her regular income. We have no help (my father is non-existent in my life) but just my mother and myself.</p>
<p>On her 2004 tax returns, she had an adjusted gross income of $127,000 becuase she borrowed a lot out of her TSA just to pay bills and fund my education. Because she will have a 12% reduction her first job and just lost her part-time job, she will only be making $81,000 for the 2005 - 2006 year (she received this report from her employer in the mail). We just received my financial aid (I attend a top-15 national university which costs $44,000) and they computed our financial aid as though she would still make $127,000. I received $10,000 in grants, an unsubsidized $5600 loan and $29,000 parent loan. </p>
<p>My mother is very upset because with a severe reduction in her pay, she can no longer afford to pay what the university have listed on my financial aid package (We are already paying TWO $29,000 parent loans for freshman and sophomore years). In addition, we qualify for a SUBSIDIZED (we NOW meet financial need), not unsubsidized loan. In addition, we cannot accept a $29,000 loan when she has had a severe cut in her pay. Right now, we are compiling supporting documents to fax the financial aid office why they should reconsider our financial aid. Our EFC is not $35,500!</p>
<p>I am also an incoming junior who is majoring in interdisciplinary fields that other schools may not offer. I cannot transfer schools and just start all over again. If the school will not change my financial aid, I may have to drop out out of school.</p>
<p>What can I write to the Financial Aid Office that may influence them to reconsider our financial aid? I know that we must have compelling evidence and very extreme circumstances to qualify for a change.</p>