<p>College A is a school that I really want to get into and think I have a decent chance at. However, from what my family has heard about College A, their financial aid offerings are not going to cut it. On the other hand, my dad works at College B, and while I have a better chance at getting accepted to B than A, I would really prefer to go A if I get accepted. My dad says that I could tell A about his employment/my benefits at B in order to have them consider giving me more financial aid, but I feel like that's threatening them. The thing is, if both of them accepted me, I would feel really bad if I went to B because, although it would be free, I like A 50 times better and it feels like a way better fit for me. Is telling A about my free tuition at B a good idea? Also, how (in the application somewhere???) would I even tell them this?</p>
<p>no, that’s a petty thing to do and won’t get you anywhere.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>The Common App asks for your parents’ occupation(s), so that would be pretty self-explanatory, and not need to be mentioned elsewhere. If your father is concerned about the free tuition benefits, then he should get a job at College A. Problem solved.</p>
<p>Getting free tuition as an employee benefit at college B will have NO bearing on your financial aid at college A. That is a benefit your parent receives because he is employed at college B.</p>
<p>Does college A participate in tuition exchange…and does college B?</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s what I thought…but my dad keeps saying his coworker did that and was able to get some more aid because apparently “if they want you enough, they’ll try to make it an easier option for you.” Kinda like how those stores say that they’ll lower their prices if you find a store who sells something for cheaper. It still seems threatening to me though, idk.</p>
<p>What you do is you apply and apply for aid and see what is offered. Maybe it will be affordable. You can get an estimate from the Net Price Calculator on their website. If it seems a lot out of reach, that is probably the end of it. If it is close, you can try to talk to them. Tell them that your father prefers the free tuition school for obvious reasons and see if there is any extra they could find so that you can attend the prefered school. That’s all you can do, They can either do it or not (frankly it is likely not–some colleges just don’t give anything beyond their set calculations for need), and your offer will still stand and your family can decide what is feasible. Do apply for any merit scholarships that may apply to you, within the school or outside. However, sometimes our prefered college (car, electronics, house etc) costs more than is affordable and we just learn to make the best of it, right?</p>
<p>What’s with all the bad advice (besides @BrownParent) ? Some schools will not negotiate, but some will (usually not the tippy-top schools or those that say they give out no merit aid, though even some of those schools may be flexible if they really want you). With the schools that give out merit aid, it depends on how badly they want you. Just tell them that you’d pay X to go to B but you really want to go to A but X is all you really can/want to pay. See what they say.</p>
<p>This is after you get acceptances to both, BTW.</p>
<p>Negotiating is a part of life, folks. I use to be like you, kiddo, and would feel bad about pressing for something, but I probably could have saved my parents up to 10K if I had known better (my parents were immigrants who didn’t know how the system works). Your dad actually works in a college and has a better clue as to how the game is played.</p>
<p>Last spring, DD’s first choice school was a small school with high tuition, but which also had <em>one</em> full tuition scholarship per year. She knew that the only way to afford that school was to get that scholarship, but went for it anyway. She interviewed, but didn’t get the scholarship, so declined her admission. Since the form for declining the offer of admission had a space to ask why, they knew.</p>
<p>The school soon called us up to ask how much we would need to be able to go there. They did come up with several thousand dollars more per year, on top of the $15,000 per year merit aid they had offered initially. Still not enough for us to afford it, though. But the takeaway is that schools do sometimes add more money to the FA package if they want you enough. You would have to have acceptances in hand and you have to communicate with them. No guarantees, obviously.</p>
<p>Yes, schools can sometimes come up with some more money. But a couple of things.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The amounts schools typically add are a few thousand at the most…not $10,000 or more. To get that you would have to show some additional circumstance that was not reflected in your financial aid application form. AND the school would need to have the money to make this additional award.</p></li>
<li><p>Schools don’t give need based aid to cover your family contribution. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>You’d be crazy not to try. You wait until you’re accepted and have received their FA award. Make sure you know the amount that is affordable for your family. That is the number you need to try to get College A to come down to because it’s highly unlikely the other college is going to compete with free. I wouldn’t worry about offending them - if you can’t afford it, you can’t go there anyway. It’s a business transaction - you’re not trying to make a friend.</p>
<p>Also, try to find things you like about your Dad’s school. While it may not be ideal, free is a wonderful attribute in a college. Not paying tuition gives you freedom that you probably wouldn’t have if you went to any other school. Think about it. You’ll be able to move out right after graduation. You’ll be able to spend money you earn while in college on travel. You won’t have to drop classes because you can’t afford the books. </p>
<p>If you do end up going to your Dad’s school, focus on the positives - there are a lot of them!</p>
<p>Absolutely apply to both schools, and when aid/merit packages are on the table, you would have a negoitating piece. I wouldn’t bring it up right away. When it’s time to discuss the aid packages, then bring up if you so need.</p>
<p>Yes, I was going to say, this is not a conversation you should have right now. Don’t try to work the info in on your application. It’s only if you’re accepted at college A and you have your financial aid offer in hand that you can try to see if they can free up some more money for you. I don’t at all agree that it’s a petty thing to do – it’s simply the truth that you’d have a hard time turning down the free ride at School B, and if School A wants you, it’s reasonable to allow them a chance to make it more alluring for you.</p>
<p>That said, many schools simply don’t offer merit aid – and when they do, it’s to candidates who are pretty competitive in their applicant pool. If School A is already a reach for you (your post seems to indicate that it is), then your chances of getting additional aid on that basis are not great. But again, no harm in asking!</p>