<p>Here's the situation:</p>
<p>This past year, my freshman year, I was awarded a minimal FA package consisting of approximately</p>
<p>$2000 grant
$1800 Work/Study
$4500 Fed. Loan</p>
<p>I accepted the grant and work study, and rejected the loan. Over the course of the year, I never ended up using the work study, so that money remained unclaimed. (I will note that my initial FA offer did not include the grant - it was only awarded after appeal)</p>
<p>I just received my FA package for next year, and it remains the same, except that the school is no longer offering me the grant - even though my family income will actually be less this year than last, and the school's FA budget has increased.</p>
<p>What do you think the likely explanation for this is, and is it appealable?</p>
<pre><code> Is it possible that because I didn't take advantage of the work/study this past year, the school interprets it as demonstrated lack of need and has thus revoked the grant? Are they even allowed to do this?
</code></pre>
<p>Or do you think that last year's grant was just something offered to me upon appeal as a draw to encourage me to matriculate at the current school? As a follow up question: is it common for schools to make aid more appealing freshman year as a recruitment tactic?</p>
<p>I think that the school has a limited amount of financial aid funds, so has to stretch them to help as many people as possible. Since by not using your work study after you were the one who appealed for more money, you indicated that you didn't need that money, the school reduced your funds accordingly and made the money available to someone else who may need it more.</p>
<p>Also, typically the best aid that one gets is freshman year. Afterward, most schools expect you to take out more in loans and work more jobs to earn the $ for college.</p>
<p>My S is in the process of appealing for more money for his freshman year in college. If he's lucky enough to get work study, he definitely will use it because he needs the $.</p>
<p>I'm awaiting our aid package this year. We had a grant cut last year because of a lump sum of about 4000.00 (not part of our salaries)added to our income that year. This year though our AGI was lower by 5000.00. Just crunching numbers, we should get the grant back to the previous amount, but I'm skeptical. Our reassurances from last year were not in writing and have to wait until June to get our new statement. The loss of the grant (he got a good scholarship though) also took with it his workstudy and he couldn't find a job on campus during the year (very small school) but he will be working this summer to help pay for books, etc. If things don't work out, we will appeal and last resort might be to leave junior year.</p>