Does anyone have any knowledge/experience regarding financial aid package appeal/negotiation ? I have been accepted to UofR, and am awaiting my financial aid package. I’m also expecting to hear from Cornell soon. I know that Cornell has a financial aid initiative which states that if your income is < $60,000, you are not expected to have to contribute anything financially, nor will you be asked to take out any loans. I’m wondering what would happen if I were to be accepted by Cornell with said financial aid package, and were to then go back to U of R and see if they will work with me? I have read on one of U of R’s social media sites that they do not “officially” match financial aid, but I’m wondering how far they will move. This is all speculation at this point, but I’m suspecting that Cornell will offer me a better package based on the aforementioned FA initiative. I really want to go to U of R, but if I’m gonna have to borrow $10-$15k per year vs. almost free at Cornell, I’d have to choose Cornell. Anyone have any knowledge regarding how U of R works as far as appeal/negotiation? Thx.
Even though there is no official process for appealing an aid decision, it is still possible to do so. Once you get the determination from Cornell, simply provide that information to your UR FA contact, along with your statement of desire to attend UR and see what happens. You have nothing to lose. I know for a fact that appeals at UR can be successful and you have a good story to tell.
Thanks for the reply. Just to add to this thread, here is the link to U of R’s tumblr page where they reply to a question about ‘matching’ FA. http://uradmissions.■■■■■■■■■■/ Keepin my fingers crossed. U of R has the exact program I want, plus I love the open curriculum. If I went to Cornell, I’d have to use a ton of my credits for gen ed. classes that aren’t remotely related to my major.
Hi there! We do have official processes in place for appealing on both sides, for merit-based scholarships and need-based aid. Your best course of action is to talk to your admissions counselor about merit scholarships and/or your financial aid counselor about a need-based aid appeal if you have special circumstances for our office to consider.
Super! Thanks for the reply.