<p>After about a month of waiting, I finally got my financial aid package from Penn. My family's expected contribution totaled $20,000. The good thing about Penn's financial aid is that there are no loans included. However, Georgetown's finaid expected contribution was only $5,000 after Federal loans.</p>
<p>Here is the breakdown:</p>
<p>Penn gave me $27,150 and its Pell Grant is $2,800. How can I go about asking them for more money since Georgetown gave me $36,750 and a $3,100 Pell Grant? Is it possible that Penn received my information late that led to lower aid? Supposedly, Penn told me that I had mistyped my social securcity on the FAFSA, but Gtown was able to give me my package earlier with no problem.</p>
<p>Should I call the finaid office or visit them personally? (I live only an hour away) If I call them, should I just ask for the procedure for appeal or explain to them why I need more?</p>
<p>How likely will they give me more aid or match Gtown's aid? </p>
<p>Forgive me if the above has been answered already--I have searched this forum, but couldn't come up with specific answers. I'm just freaking out since Gtown's due date to hold my place has passed.</p>
<p>You can try. The best way is to contact a financial aid officer at the school. Explain that Penn is your number one choice, and that you want to go there. BUT that your financial aid package at G’Town may make it the better option for you financially. Ask if there is some way they could look at your award from G’town and review your financial aid award.</p>
<p>Keep in mind…Penn might just say NO. Each school using the institutional methodology uses a different formula to compute need based awards. It might just be that Penn takes things into consideration that G’town does not.</p>
<p>Re: the Pell…I hope one of the finaid officers who posts here will chime in. I’m not sure how the Pell could be different from school to school as that IS based on the FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>Thank you for the reply. I am actually a transfer student and I was wondering if the Federal Academic Comp. Grant would carry over?</p>
<p>From my readings of former posts, it was discouraged to mention that a school was my number one choice or my dream school. </p>
<p>I also learned that Penn focuses more on the CSS profile than the FAFSA. I reviewed my CSS and I see that I had put “Parents’ contribution for 2008-2009 school year” as $20,000. However, this was my grandmother’s life savings. I wondered if that number had anything to do with Penn’s high EFC.</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest a way of asking the Finaid office to ask for more money or a reevaluation? When I call them tomorrow, I don’t want to sound annoyed by the insufficient aid they gave me. Is it ok to simply say “Georgetown gave me more money, is there anything you can do to match that?”</p>