<p>I was discussing with some parents on another thread that my EFC was ridiculous for my personal situation since I have a low income, no savings, family illness situation. They suggested I write a letter to my first choice university, which I'm already accepted to, known for great financial aid, meets 100% need, and seems to "want" me as evidenced by offered to fly me down for free, and getting phone calls from their director of admissions.</p>
<p>Now, what do I write? lol How do I begin? "My name is...and I'm an accepted student for the University of....class of 2011. I recently received my Estimated Family Constribution from the FAFSA, and due to unique circumstances in the past year, we will not be able to meet our EFC when I am in college. Our income is .... and last year (insert babble about father's illness and unemployment and using savings to live, etc). I know that the University cannot help with the EFC, but please consider me for as many need-based grants and subsidized loans as possible....(This University) is currently my first choice and I hope to be able to work with the financial aid department so that it will be possible for me to attend...."</p>
<p>idk. should I tell them I intend to pursue graduate education and don't want to be loaded down with loans, since I will probably have to take my EFC out on a loan? what else should i mention?</p>
<p>also, is there even a point to this since they already meet 100% need. if they can't do anything about my EFC, then what more can they do? </p>
<p>FA departments are rarely moved by aversion to debt. There position is that they have a way of looking at family financial condition and making a determintation based on that. They will have a philosophy about how much students and parents should pay towards education.</p>
<p>You will need to convince them that there are factors that are very important but which escaped their notice. In order to do that, you'll need to talk to them about how they made their decision, float some new (or unconsidered) data past them, ask them if particular arguments might work, etc. Once you know that, it will be time to write a letter using arguments that might actually work.</p>
<p>For instance, a family I know earned something close to $200,000 in a year, but it was a highly unusual year because the dad is self-employed. In previous years, the dad earned much, much less. The kid got almost no financial aid because of that one year. Subsequent to the first FA decision, the dad was in a terrible auto accident which would limit his earning opportunity for at least a year.</p>
<p>So, the family called the FA office of the first-choice school and explained the issue. The FA officer explained what they should write, how they should write it, what evidence they would need to submit, etc.</p>
<p>As a result, the FA award was raised considerably.</p>
<p>But I haven't received a FA award yet. That comes in March. Someone suggested I wrtie to them now before the award to let them know my situation ahead of time.</p>
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should I tell them I intend to pursue graduate education and don't want to be loaded down with loans, since I will probably have to take my EFC out on a loan
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<p>I wouldn't go down that road. By now, you have heard all the theories behind the financial aid process. The first responsibility of college costs falls upon the student and his or her family ... not the school or other generous souls. In this vein, I would make a special effort to drop terms such as "ridiculous EFC' or similar pejorative words. Inasmuch as the numbers seem overwhelming to you today --and unfair-- please look at the other side of the equation: you are expecting third parties to pick up 85 to 95% of the cost of your college education! </p>
<p>I think that your letter should be factual and respectful. Your proposed text is very good. Also, I would attach a copy of the SAR and ask them if you may have possibly made a mistake. </p>
<p>I would also encourage you to continue your quest for outside scholarships. Although they may not help you with reducing the EFC (unless you obtain 100% of the COA in outside funds) scholarships should help with limiting the need for loans, work study, and expected summer earnings. This means that you could earn some money and help with the EFC. The first $3.000 of off-campus earnings will not affect your next FAFSA nor do scholarship income. </p>
<p>Be aware that you probably will have a small income tax to pay on the non-excludable components of financial aid.</p>
<p>Lastly, I suggest you spend some time reading the posts and blog of the MIT Financial Aid director. He's trying very hard to explain how financial aid works AFTER you are accepted and attend the school. His contributions go a long way to debunk myths about full rides and, unfortunately, about excessively optimistic expectations of taxpayers.</p>
<p>I really think xiggi is right. If you must send a letter now, then send one highlighting any unusual aspects of your parent's/your income. For instance, if your parents' AGI was very high because they had to take money out of retirement funds to make ends meet, at a penalty, it may be useful to point that out. Or anything else you think may be unusual. </p>
<p>But if you're just going to complain about the EFC, that's not going to be at all useful.</p>
<p>Call the financial aid office and ask to speak to the person who handles financial aid appeals. Explain you believe you have special circumstances not reflected in the FAFSA/PROFILE. Some schools will indeed want to consider those up front before they make a FA offer, others prefer to make FA offers and then handle special circumstance appeals. You need to get the information on each individual college FROM the college itself because there are many permutations and variations from college to college. Don't assume what is true at one college will be true at another. Always ask directly.</p>
<p>When you call, be sure to ask what sort of documentation they will require in order to evaluate those circumstances. Few schools will take your word for it when you say you have things like unreimbursed medical expenses, etc. so just writing a letter saying you have more need than your SAR reflects probably won't get you very far. They will want documentation, and the more the better. Ask exactly what the individual school will be willing to consider as "special circumstances" and what documentation you'll need to show because this also varies widely from school to school. Some schools will consider things like extra travel costs, medical expenses, etc. - others won't. Again, just because one college does something, don't assume others will handle it the same way. Ask directly.</p>
<p>Once you know more about what the school needs/wants in terms of documentation, you can write a letter and include that documentation according to when they want it. Be sure to Also ask if they have a form that you need to complete in order to have your special circumstances evaluated - some colleges do. Each school has different methods for handling what are called professional judgement appeals, so you should always start by asking the school directly what they need/want from you. Each school can use what is called professional judgement to make adjustments, but don't count on them giving you lower loans just because you are debt-adverse. </p>
<p>If the school offers merit money, the place to push for it is with the admissions office because they are the ones that typically (but not always) make the final decision about how merit money gets doled out. So, if and when you fly down for a visit, check into this with admissions. Admissions should also be able to tell you who to contact in the financial aid office to discuss your special need-based circumstances.</p>
<p>Also, you need to call this a REVIEW (NOT NEGOTIATION). Documentation is key, as they hear so many sob stories. I'd take Carolyn's advice about getting details about what documentation they want/require for each of the issues you are claiming deserves special consideration and review--unreimbursed medical bills, unemployment, etc.</p>
<p>Ask if the school will look at you Statement of Extraordinary Circumstances (or similar statement title) now, or if they do not review the statement til after the initial offerings. Some will look now, some wait for the actual offer then your letter, and backup documentation is reviewed-some places by an admissions person, at some by a committee. You can even appeal the results of your appeal.
Personally I'd fax the letter now, and send it again or a similar one after the award arrives. State in the letter that you have the paperwork available and can fax or snail mail it to them asap.
State what expenses in 2006 and also known expenses coming up in 2007 were not considered by FAFSA or Profile. For instance if a family member was ill and you have out-of-pocket medical costs last year, plus more coming this year. The school can consider this even if there was not enough for an actual tax deduction. Be prepared with your 2006 tax paperwork, including medical bills. If income is affected send photocopies of every pay stub from 2007 so they can see the income is lower. Be prepared to show proof, via bank statements, that your family has to use savings to live on this year and last year. If your family has used credit for needed items-food, winter clothing, tuition for other child-copy each statement and have that available as well.
Schools that use the profile have more info going in, but state schools can adjust funds as well. School may ofter more financial aid, arrange a pell grant, or just offer more loans.
Do this with each and every school for which you are accepted. Right now you are thinking in terms of getting enough to attend your #1 choice but if the family situation is as bad as it sounds you may need to appeal the FAFSA number to each school and see where you can afford to attend.</p>
<p>Also you need to find out each school's position on outside scholarships. I have been told by the parent of a student at one of the schools on your list that the school did not let you "stack" scholarships - that is for every outside dollar in scholarships her student received the school reduced the scholarship they offered her student, so there was no net gain to the student. Other schools will let you keep their scholarship and let your outside scholarships reduce your need/efc.</p>
<p>also keep in mind that if 6000 is a hardship now and your father has been ill, what are you going to do now that he is on the mend amd returning to full health? Next year your EFC could be more because you won't have the medical expenses. </p>
<p>You may also need to ask about aid in subsequent years. While you may get the aid you need this year, you don't want to post this scenario next year (where aid will be limited if you find your self having to transfer because you cannot afford the school).</p>
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Also, I would attach a copy of the SAR and ask them if you may have possibly made a mistake. </p>
<p>^ Except the school didn't come up with the SAR. The government did.
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<p>GOB, the government does indeed come up with the SAR, but it is merely the result of a well established formula that responds to the data YOU entered. The formula does not "make mistakes" but it is possible you may have overlooked one entry that might help reduce the EFC. If that is the case, the FA may enter a correction.</p>
<p>Financial officers do have some latitude (albeit within specific guidelines established by the ED and not necessarily out of good heart or compassion) and may correct the EFC. This is an important facet because the Federal EFC (really the only one, but lots of people confuse the term with the family contributions defined by the CSS/Profile) establishes a floor that is impossible to overcome.</p>
<p>I would not do anything now. You do not have an FA package and hence cannot ask for a re-evaluation due to exceptional circumstances. You will have the month of April to evaluate, compare and ask for re-consideration if needed. You will be in a stronger position when you have offers and alternatives.</p>
<p>As Xiggi says, in some circumstances (such as loss of income/benefits, medical dental costs not covered by insurance) a financial aid officer can actually adjust the EFC. (well I think technically they can actually adjust the input figures and rerun the formula). If you have a special circumstance (which does not include not liking the way the formula is designed) you can probably talk to a FAO before the award is offered. It depends on each school how willing they are to do this. This link shows the sort of things that might be considered.</p>
<p>To add to my post above ^^ - here are a couple of quotes from that link that may apply in your case.</p>
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An anticipated reduction in family income during the award year is sufficient reason for a professional judgment adjustment, regardless of the reason for the reduction
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<p>and</p>
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medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance
<p>Again, keep in mind that each college has its own rules and idiocincricies when it comes to using professional judgement. Some may weigh certain things (such as unemployment or unreimbursed medical expenses) differently than others, some may not take them into account at all. No school is REQUIRED to use professional judgement, and some schools (especially public institutions) make very, very few PJ adjustments, while others are more generous. The key to any PJ review is documentation, documentation, documentation. And, as I also said, some really prefer to know about any special circumstances upfront before they make financial aid decisions because that's when they still have money to "play around with." If you wait until April with those schools, funds may be limited. Other schools will want you to wait until after all initial awards are given out.</p>
<p>So, as I said above, the best thing to do is to call the financial aid office at each and every school and ask directly.</p>