Need advice -- partly etiquette, partly practical

Paying for College
1

<p>My daughter's #1 choice, DU (not my #1 choice) came in with a...well, crappy FA package. Em is a NMS semifinalist, 1390 SAT, active in GLBT support stuff, etc....They offered a 12,000 grant and a 2,000 stafford.That is 14,000 when total cost of attendance is 40,000. No work study, no merit at all, despite her scores being much higher than average for that school. Amount of gap: 26,000 Totally not do-able.</p>

<p>Her #2 choice came in with a 9,000 scholarship (all four years), a 9,000 grant, perkins and stafford loans and work study. Total is 21,000 aid against 35,000 total cost. Amount of gap: 14,000. This is manageable for me.</p>

<p>I appealed the decision of school #1. They did not acknowledge the reciept although I called to make sure they got it , but did, as a result of a change in the fafsa made after filing taxes, DECREASE her aid by 1,000 and send a "final award." </p>

<p>the final EFC on my corrected fafsa is 16,000, btw. </p>

<p>My question -- shall I assume that the final award was made AFTER considering the appeal? Shall I call and ask them if they still intend to consider the appeal (this is risky because they have been rude and short with me and I am inches away from returning the favor) or should I write one final letter asking for a response to my appeal?</p>

<p>School #2, in the meantime, has not notified us of any adjustments as a result of the fafsa change...should I call and ask, or just let it go and hope that no news is good news??</p>

<p>This seems, as I read it back, so silly -- but it is about my kid getting to go the the school she really wants to go to.</p>

2

<p>My recommendation is to ask for a phone appointment with the financial aid director. You need to a have a specific time when he has your file in front of you and both of you can speak instead of talking on the fly. You can then ask your question, and as this is getting to the 11th hour you can tell them that you and D are on the verge of making a choice in colleges, and the aid package is going to figure in the decision.</p>

<p>If they are still curt and not helpful, and no award is forthcoming about this, you have found out up front what it is going to be like dealing with these people for 4 years, keeping in mind that the first year awards tend to be the most generous. </p>

<p>The adjusted FAFSA is going to be sent to all of the schools that are on the list so it is entirely possible that School #2 will adjust. It is also possible that they will not notice it or have closed their books on the subject for the upcoming year. There is no good answer on how to approach this subject as we don't know what is going on in the FA dept there. My advice is to plan on the $1000 increase, and if it does not happen, rejoice.</p>

<p>Don't know which DU you are referring to, but PRinceton Review has a student quote about a DU's financial aid office saying that it needs a complete overhaul. "An atom bomb would suffice" . At least you are fortunate to find out before making a major commitment as many have if this is the case.</p>