<p>According to the FA-amount-calculaors available on college websites, the estimated parent contribution for my family is around $20,000. </p>
<p>I was pleasantly surprised, however, that most of my colleges offered a LOT more aid than expected. At Stanford, my family contribution was placed around $10,000, less than $10,000 at U Chicago, almost exactly $10,000 at Brown, Dartmouth, UPenn, and $2000 (!!!) at Columbia. Columbia's package was ESPECIALLy generous (something like $55000, basically a full ride.)</p>
<p>Now, Princeton was surprisingly one of the less generous schools, and they determined our parent contribution to be exactly $20,000--which is and was what we expected from the beginning from all the colleges on my list. </p>
<p>I'm not sure how acceptable it would be for me to make an appeal to Princeton's FA Office to increase my package..Princeton did everything right--they gave us exactly the amount we expected them to offer. But the offers from the other colleges are really tempting me to make an appeal.</p>
<p>Everyone that I have talked to, for some reason, has told me that it would be a huge mistake to make an appeal. Everyone's telling me to be grateful for what I've been given and to accept Princeton's aid as it stands now. But given the significant difference in the aid packages from Princeton and other schools (Esp. Columbia) I'm not wholly convinced.</p>
<p>Could anyone offer me some advice regarding FA appeals?</p>
<p>Also, one person told me that even if Princeton were to increase my aid package, they could easily decrease it the following year to make up for the loss…any evidence for this claim?</p>
<p>^^I’ve heard that too, though I think other colleges do the same thing. They decrease your aid year after year unless your financial situation changes drastically because you’re already there at the school and it’d be hard for you to leave.</p>
<p>Princeton does not play with financial aid awards. I don’t know what people are “hearing” or whether that is a general remark or meant to describe Princeton. Does it make sense that a university with Princetons massive endowment would try to gouge students after their freshman year? </p>
<p>Princeton’s awarded aid is always in the form of outright grants and a small amount of work study and does not include loans, though families may choose to borrow to meet the family’s contribution.</p>
<p>You owe it to yourself to call the financial aid office, or better yet visit them during Preview, and bring your other offers so they can review your application. If Princeton is your first choice but aid is a factor (as I would think it would be), let them know that.</p>
<p>I don’t know of any college that punishes people for asking the question and certainly Princeton does not. Subsequent year’s awards are based on an annual application so if your family’s income increased greatly, aid would decrease. If there has been a decrease in income, aid will go up. </p>
<p>Let us know how it works out and congratulations on having some great choices.</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughtful advice lefthandofdog.
I guess I should re-emphasize, though, that Princeton gave me the amount that I expected from the financial aid calculator on their website. In other words, my other schools were particularly generous and even unusual in their enormous aid packages.</p>
<p>Given the current financial circumstances of my family, we COULD most definitely afford a Princeton education with the current aid package (parent contribution $20,000.) Now, if I were to make an appeal, it would be on the basis that other (abnormally generous) schools have simply offered me more money…After all, given the high costs of a college education, who wouldn’t prefer the bigger package to the smaller? </p>
<p>I’m just not sure if Princeton will be so flexible as to offer me more money (despite the aid amount they’ve deemed <em>appropriate</em> from my forms) just because the “other schools” offered me more… </p>
<p>My guess is that Princeton will probably offer me more, since it is my first choice. But I think this is when we hear that after the first year of increased aid, many schools (Ivies included) decrease the amount of financial aid to make up for the “loss”</p>
<p>Princeton has the best financial aid program in the country and offers financial aid to international students need blind. They are well known to address financial aid appeals, especially when students have better competing offers from peer schools (like the ones you have been admitted to). As long as you stress that Princeton is your first choice and the only thing keeping you from possibly matriculating are comparable universities’ better offers, I don’t see why they wouldn’t match it.</p>
<p>Princeton increases aid in the 3rd and 4th years to help cover the cost of eating clubs, and you receive the increase whether you join a club or not.</p>
<p>I can understand your concern, because it might seem possible, but I’ve never heard of a college messing with a student this way. If anything, need based aid is more predictable than merit aid that’s tied to maintaining a certain GPA. Things happen - family situations, adjustment problems, medical issues - that can derail even the most dedicated student. Are you sure the stories you’re hearing aren’t cases of students losing merit money? You lose nothing by asking.</p>
<p>If Princeton is your first choice, please talk with them. That seems like a large discrepancy. They might not have accurate information. Certainly you have nothing to lose since you are already admitted.</p>