<p>DS got into a great college--but with no financial aid. I've heard it's a great idea to go to the financial aid office in person and make a case for more cash (which we could most certainly use!!). Do any of you smart folks have any tips/success stories/scenarios to share? All advice gratefully accepted!!</p>
<p>If your child got accepted to a school that only gives need based aid (example: Swarthmore), you can park yourself in the president’s office, and the school is not going to cough up a dime. </p>
<p>If they feel that according to the FA forms you submitted, that you have the income and assets to pay full freight, you can stay until the cows come home and it is highly unlikely that your package is going to change (outside of some stafford loans).</p>
<p>Save yourself a trip. If you feel that there is something that the school overlooked and the situation should be taken into consideration (ex. unreimbursed medical expenses, care of an elderly parent, a special needs child, death of the main source of income in your household), ask the school for a financial review and supply the additional documentation.</p>
<p>If you have a financial aid award from a peer school (the ivies, amherst, williams, etc) then also send in the FA award letter. Schools that only gives need based aid will not consider a merit based package.</p>
<p>So if you are asking School A to reconsider its merit aid award, and you have a better merit aid offer from School B (a peer school), do you simply present this fact of the better award from School B? As in, “I just want to inform you that Susie received x offer from School B?” Or do you need to be more persuausive, as in “Susie received x offer from School B, but School A appeals to her more and we are really hoping that you will make it possible for her to attend be reconsidering her merit aid . . .”</p>
<p>I don’t think you can really compare merit based awards amongst schools because each school is looking for a different student. Need based is different, IMO. You can ask for more need based if you have extra documentation proving that you can’t afford it otherwise. Then, the school will reconsider/look over it again… which is not a guarantee that they will change it!</p>
<p>Sure you can compare merit based awards between schools. Know several people who have successfully negotiated better merit awards. In each case they took the actual award letter in to ADMISSIONS rep with whom they had a relationship with. Don’t know if they were just lucky but it can and does happen.</p>
<p>In this case it sounds as if you are looking for need based aid. Can’t help you there!</p>
<p>I didn’t know that, haha. That’s pretty neat. Too bad barely any of my schools GIVE merit awards…!</p>
<p>Well, you do need a story to tell–one besides “It’s too expensive and I don’t want to pay that much.” That’s a story we all could tell. 
</p>
<p>If you’ve had a recent disaster–wild fire, earthquake repair, flood repair, serious illness that drained the coffers–something that may not be picked up by a snapshot of your financial status–you may be able to get a boost in FA.</p>
<p>The overall problem is that there isn’t enough money to aid all of those who, according to applied standards, deserve need-based financial aid. So those who “officially” don’t deserve it are stuck with savings, income, and loans, or by choosing schools that attract students by offering merit aid.</p>
<p>One of D’s friends was successful getting more merit aid for next year at a small LAC, based on the fact that she didn’t get need based aid but really was in that no-man’s land around $80K income. Not enough for full pay, too much for need. It really only amounted to a few thousand dollar increase but her stats put her near the top of the pile and she and the school were both very interested in coming to a solution.</p>
<p>I don’t have a good feeling this would work as well at a more well-known LAC, but worth a try. I don’t know if it’s necessary to go in person, a well-constructed letter might actually be better if the request needs to go through several people.</p>
<p>DD went into her school prior to matriculating and spoke to the financial aid officer. The school does NOT meet full need…and they didn’t. She just politely asked if there was any additional aid available. (I was there too…just sitting). She must have timed it just right…they offered her work study (wasn’t on her original award) and a Perkins Loan (yes…it’s a loan…but it’s in her name and is low interest with deferred payments and interest). This was with NO evidence. Of course, the had “gapped” her by $20,000 so it was not like they met our full need the first time around.</p>
<p>She visited another school…same drill…and they REFUSED to even discuss financial aid offers. What they offered was IT…period. This was also need based aid and not a school that meets full need.</p>
<p>So…it varies…it’s worth a try…but just don’t be surprised if there isn’t an adjustment. EVERYONE (well…almost everyone) wants more money.</p>