<p>Hi, we want to appeal my brother's financial aid package for USC (which we received a few weeks ago and have to submit an appeal for it within the next month) because we virtually received no aid. Would anyone happen to know of any skilled, RELIABLE financial aid consultant? </p>
<p>Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>You do not need a financial aid consultant to do this. You need to gather all of your paperwork, run the Net Price Calculator at USC’s website, and compare the final aid package to the predicted one. How different are they?</p>
<p>Does your family own any property other than the family home? Do either of the parents own a small business? Those often are not accounted for well in the NPCs, and can result in an over-estimation of financial aid. If that is your brother’s case, it really, truly is OK to ask USC for their specific formula so that you can evaluate whether or not your financial information was treated correctly.</p>
<p>Does your family have any special medical expenses that weren’t accounted for in the aid package? If that is the situation, you need to better document those expenses in your appeal.</p>
<p>You also need to know that unless USC guarantees to meet all of its students’ full needs, then even if they agree that your brother has serious financial need, they are not obligated to give him any aid at all other than federal aid that is determined by the FAFSA. </p>
<p>If money is an issue for your family, you brother may be better off withdrawing his admission at USC for this fall, and taking a gap year while he reconsiders his options.</p>
<p>Hi, happymomof1. My dad runs his a small business, but we believe the school overestimated its value. We called and asked for their specific formula yesterday, but the person with whom I spoke to (unkindly) refused to inform us of the different factors the school uses for calculating aid. (Yes, she actually did the huffy breath and was quite antsy.)</p>
<p>USC is asking us to pay nearly $30k/semester when the estimate costs that we ran earlier in the year were $22k/year (that’s a big discrepancy). </p>
<p>Thank you for your advice though. If anyone else has advice as well in terms of appealing successfully or knows of a financial aid consultant, please feel free to chime in.</p>
<p>How far up the food chain did you get before you hit Ms. Huffy-Breath? You need to be dealing with someone at or near the top.</p>
<p>Yes, forget about hiring a consultant. Just visit USC’s website, identify the senior financial aid personnel, and then carefully and patiently work your way up the ladder, asking for each person by name as you work your way up. </p>
<p>Don’t start at the top - that gives you nowhere to go . . . and you never know which person farther down on the ladder might be the one who’s actually willing to help you.</p>
<p>But don’t expect USC to reveal to you the formula they use for valuing a family business. You’re pretty much going to have to work “blind.” Lay out, on paper, all the factors you can think of that might have resulted in an inaccurate valuation, address each of them, and make the best argument you can. Be prepared to back up what you say with documentation if they request it.</p>
<p>But if you’re talking about University of Southern California, didn’t freshman orientation start a week ago???</p>
<p>I know she’s not at the most bottom of the ladder, but I’m not sure how high up she is. </p>
<p>And yes, I am talking about University of Southern California! 
My brother actually took a gap year but had taken college courses starting his junior year in high school (and had AP credits), so he’s transferring in as a sophomore. </p>
<p>My dad’s income could possibly be reduced by a third to half starting January, which is when we have to make our first tuition payment. Do you have any suggestions to show this projected reduced income and its impact? </p>
<p>Thank you all, again.</p>
<p>I’m confused…is your brother taking a gap year for 2013-2014? If so, he will need to REAPPLY for need based aid anyway for the 2014-2015 school year using the info from the 2013 tax year.</p>
<p>You have to make your first tuition payment in JANUARY? When is this student starting to take classes?</p>
<p>Regarding reduced income…if this student is attending college this school year, 2013-2014, you can’t “project” a job loss. You have to actually HAVE a job loss. If that happens, you could request a special circumstances consideration when the job loss actually happens…assuming the student is enrolled! Each school considers these on a case by case basis. Some schools actually have a waiting period that can be several months because there is an expectation that the person will LOOK for another job, and might actually get one. In the event that the job loss takes place, you will need significant documentation showing this. The school will review it, but there is no guarantee they will adjust your aid…sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.</p>
<p>Oops, clarification. He graduated from high school in 2012 and took a gap year from 2012-2013 and is transferring in as a sophomore for Spring 2014 at USC, so the office told us to send the appeal in Sept/Oct. Yes, our first tuition payment is due January because he starts in mid-January.</p>
<p>USC uses both the FAFSA and Profile to determine awarding of need based aid. Clearly, there is something on your financial aid application forms that shows more income than your AGI on your taxes. I’m going to guess that this is related to your business value and business deductions.</p>
<p>If your brother didn’t take any classes after he graduated from high school, then he’s not “transferring in” and that may be part of the problem. Transfers may not get as much aid.</p>
<p>If your brother TRULY took a gap year (no classes during that time) then he should have applied as an incoming frosh, with soph status. </p>
<p>Anyway…with two in college at full need schools, what kind of aid did you get at NU? </p>
<p>If the school thinks your parents can pay $60k per year for your brother, knowing that you’re in college as well, then somehow the school is computing that your family has a good bit of wealth, assets. After all, USC has determined that your family should pay $120k per year for their kids’ college costs.</p>
<p>You say that they’re over-estimating the value of his business. Well, you’ll need to provide more info to show that it’s not worth that much.</p>
<p>Not sure USC is full needs. It’s not on this list:</p>
<p>[Universities</a> That Claim to Meet Full Financial Need - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need]Universities”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/02/11/universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need)</p>
<p>If it was thought USC would meet need like NU did, that may be part of the problem. Also, ask if spring admits qualify for aid to the same degree as fall admits even if your brother is still considered a freshman admit. But yes, different schools will assess business assets and deductions differently. Not much a financial aid consultant could do about it that you can’t do by having all kinds of doc concerning the business income, expenses and value.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear this, I am willing to bet however that virtually all small businesses feel that FA “overvalued” them. I get it and good luck to you.</p>
<p>USC’s NPC probably isn’t designed to be accurate for transfers. Most aren’t. This means that aid may be very difficult to get.</p>
<p>Make sure your brother has some other solid options in case USC doesn’t come through with more aid.</p>
<p>The OP’s post is confusing. He says his brother took a gap year after high school. That suggests no classes. IF so, then he shouldn’t have applied as a transfer, because he qualifies as an incoming frosh.</p>
<p>Pragmatically, if dad’s reduction in income is fairly certain then how will tuition be met in January or in fall 2014? Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate a financial safety.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>the family is likely in a pickle. It’s really too late to consider a safety other than a CC at this point. The student has already taken a gap year. </p>
<p>If the student didn’t take ANY classes last year (and truly did do a gap year) then it looks like he made a mistake by applying as a transfer. That caused a couple of problems…not getting the benefit on incoming frosh status, getting FA info much later, and perhaps not getting as good of a pkg.</p>
<p>When I looked on the USC website, i thought it said that full need was met for transfer students.</p>
<p>However, as noted…the school uses the Profile as well as the FAFSA. The school has co outed that the family can pay a certain amount. If asking for reconsideration, the student would need to document WHY the school should reconsider the award. The business expenses would need to be clearly documented to the school. </p>
<p>And yes…the business has a value…of some sort.</p>