negotiation?

<p>Okay so i am debating between three schools. I didn't think that fin aid was going to be a huge issue b/c i knew i wouldn't qualify for much, and these three schools all meet 100% of dem. need. But I am having trouble understanding how this works. I have gotten FA packages from four schools:</p>

<p>A offered 7,000 in grants, and their cost of attendance is 46,000</p>

<p>B offered me 2,000 in grants and another 3,000ish in loans, and their COA is 47,000</p>

<p>C & D both said i didn't qualify for FA and offered me 2,000 in loans, AND both of these schools cost 48,000. </p>

<p>I realize the difference here isn't huge, but i am really confused why i qualify for 7000 at a cheaper schools and nothing at a more expensive school. My FAFSA EFC is 47,000ish, but w/ the CSS profile i thought that would help us a little, because this is over 1/3 of my parents' income. Is there anyway that i can convince the FA offices at C & D to give me anything (based on the fact that i qualified for aid at B--which is actually a more prestigious school)?</p>

<p>On an unrelated note, my dad currently has a temporary job that may be ending in the next month... can i get the FA office to recalculate my package considering this new circumstance? Because i think they factored his salary into my FA, but if we no longer have that coming in, then this will be like 50% of our income. </p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>can anyone help me?</p>

<p>The difference could be that one school is using the FAFSA EFC, and the others are using the Profile EFC, or their own in-house computation of the EFC (Profile Schools sometimes do things differently).</p>

<p>Or one of the schools isn't meeting 100% of demonstrated need.</p>

<p>If you're being offered 7K in grants for a school whose COA is 46K, then they're calculating your EFC at about 39K if they meet 100% of need. So they're not going by the FAFSA EFC.</p>

<p>You can contact any of the financial aid offices and ask for reconsideration-- since your Dad's circumstances are changing, it might be worth a shot to let them know that your '06 income will be dramatically less.</p>

<p>thanks!....</p>