<p>What do you do to appeal a financial aid package?</p>
<p>I just appealed my financial aid package from University of Delaware. I called them up and they said to put it into writing and mail/fax it to the scholarships and financial aid office. Then I realized, "what am I doing?!" I couldn't find any info as to how it should be written.</p>
<p>So here is what I did. I wrote an honest and formal letter explaining my situation and why I could not pay what they wanted from me, but that I was very interested in their school. I wrapped it up asking for help/suggestions as to how to make the school more affordable.</p>
<p>The only info I did find was that some schools want to hear other financial aid packages, and some don't. And to stay away from acting like you are "bargaining."</p>
<p>I have no idea if what I did will work, but what do I have to lose?</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>One school gave me $22,000 more per year than the other. How do I tell this to them?</p>
<p>it depends on the school. If one school gave you merit money and the other school only gives aid based on demonstrated need, you have nothing to "bargain" with because the need based school will not take the merit money into consideration. </p>
<p>If you got 22k from a private school and 0 from a public school (especially if you are out of state) you will still be on the down side of the "bargaining" dynamic as public schools first and foremost look to provide an affordable education to their state residents.</p>
<p>if you got 22k from one school and 0 from another school and the schools are not academic peers (in terms of "prestige" or other cross admit factors) you may be on the down side of the bargaining dynamic. </p>
<p>if your school is straight forward about not meeting 100% demonstrated need, unless there are some really extenuating curcumstances for the change in your financial situation, it may be hard to get more money.</p>
<p>but after all has been said and done, all you can do is ask and the worse they could say is no.</p>
<p>I recommend that the parent talk to the school. Don't take offense, but with this sort of thing you want someone who has more experience. It is too easy for a school to get an 18 year old person to agree to something when an older person (Mom or Dad) would recognize that there was more money still left on the other side of the table. The student is at a big disadvantage if he or she is dealing with the financial aid people.
That said, send a letter to the school that did not give the 22K and tell it you love them but it is hard to turn down this kind of money. Please let me know what I can do to come to your school in light of this, etc. All they can do is say no. But if you don't ask you will never know what the response might have been.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Okay, responses to everyone:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I'm an Indian citizen, and I've always lived in India, so I'm totally international.</p></li>
<li><p>I'll just name the schools, Oberlin gave me more financial aid than Hamilton, both are private top LACs. Pretty similar.</p></li>
<li><p>Both of them say they meet 100% need, and Hamilton's avergae package is $27k, and I got $8.4k, so yeah. My family's need is escalated by family circumstances, I emailed them about that about ten days before the acceptance, I resent the email and appealed. Since it's the weekend, I expect an email tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. </p></li>
<li><p>I'm discussing everything with my parents, I sent the email based on what they told me to say, and I'm only 17 :<, we start school a year earlier in India. Basically, it's my parents that are doing the talking, but I send it in my name.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for all the advice.</p>