<p>After a lot of hard work, my son was admitted to SWAT ED. He was elated, as the school was by far his first choice. Then the financial aid letter arrived. It provides far less than we had hoped for. I am now in the position of undertaking a six-figure debt to send him to SWAT vs. a good state university at little or no cost. I am willing to take a financial hit for my son to attend such a great school but we really can't handle the expense the school has decided upon.<br>
Does anyone have any information or advice on a financial aid appeal? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi there,</p>
<p>The same situation happened to me after I was accepted ED last year. I would definitely call the financial aid office and ask them to explain why your EFC was calculated to be so high, which assets went into consideration in the formula, etc.</p>
<p>In my experience, the financial aid department was friendly but very closed and untransparent, saying frustrating statements like, “our standard formula calculated your ability to pay, it might not be what you’re willing to pay.”</p>
<p>The timing is also frustrating, since the FA office close down for the holidays. Ask them when they open if they can defer your spot to the regular decision process while you file an appeal. A couple of my friends were granted this by other highly selective colleges.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>