Financial Aid - To match another Ivy

<p>I had to reapply for financial aid three times before I finally got something that I could afford. After checking it online, being very jubilant and happy about it, I returned home from europe mid june and sitting there was my official fin-aid package. </p>

<p>It was way-past the may 1st deadline when it had arrived. Enclosed in the little folder was a letter explaining that I only got that much fin-aid just to match what Dartmouth was giving me, and the next year will be based on my own financial status (which needed me to pay $10,000 more than I already was.)</p>

<p>By that time I had already accepted Brown’s offer, and rejected all other schools. How on earth am I going to afford it next year? What do you reckon are the chances of getting similar fin-aid? Would grades matter then?
Sigh.</p>

<p>it will be ok. when you get on campus meet with the financial aid office. they will probably do whatever they can to help you within their means, and advise you how to minimize your debt (there may be insitutional or external scholarships, etc.)</p>

<p>You should def. contact Brown and explain your situation (esp. the part about the deadline). Maybe you can work something out. If it really becomes too much to pay after your first year, you could take a year of leave and work/make money and then return the next year.</p>

<p>No, talk with Brown Univ Financial Aid office. As a transfer, when I was admitted, I called them up and they offered me just as much as Cornell, which was $37,000+ in grants, and another $6,000 in loans. And I got my package two weeks ago, so lateness is no problem. It's a very rich school, and the financial aid counselor was very nice. But I would call them up this Monday if I were you.</p>

<p>Wait a second, I think Brown changed their financial aid package for me after I showed them Cornell's package and they gave me like an additional $20000 in grants. However, I didn't get any letter saying that they changed my package and only when I got the bill did I realize that they must've altered it. I then went online and saw the new one. I had nooo idea that this package isn't going to be the same for next 3 years. That's ridiculous. It never ever occurred to me that they only match the another school's package for one year. Does anyone know anything else about this?</p>

<p>They don't drastically change your package from year to year. What they DO do is readjust it if your family goes through major financial changes (like, say, if you win the lottery).</p>

<p>You need to read the letter they enclosed very carefully, and if there's any doubt definitely call the financial aid office.</p>

<p>Here's a sentence from the letter: "While your future financial aid packages will be affected by this appeal, the enclosed award applies only to your first year here at Brown and is contingent on several factors." So obviously according to the statement, whatever caused the appeal to be successful, in this case a better offer from a competing school, would still be taken in consideration. So if Brown didn't consider home equity in your financial aid package in order to give you a matching package (it should say this somewhere down the letter), they will most likely continue to do this in later years.</p>

<p>Ok, since I never got this letter to begin with, is there anything else in it regarding the appeal? Also, what were the several factors they listed?</p>

<p>What?! I didn't know that! I hope they don't do the same to me... Thanks for bringing it up jenz!</p>

<p>the letter should have been enclosed with your revised financial aid package. Call the financial aid office Monday and ask for a copy, as well as to clear up any questions. The several factors are just standard stuff: whether a sibling is currently going to college, if your financial situation really changes, etc. It also discusses the first-year work scholarship and how later years will not include that.</p>

<p>Ok, thank you so much asterstar, I'm going to do exactly that.</p>

<p>it only states that it would consider this appeal though, and its mainly based on the evaluation of my family's income etc. How much do they take the appeal into consideration? Has anyone in brown now got their financial aid greatly reduced after the first year? just wondering :&lt;/p>