<p>I have read this whole thread and I am still a little confused, so many apologies but maybe someone can enlighten me. </p>
<p>I assumed that you couldnt negotiate scholarships with colleges because they would be unique to each school. For example College A notified us that D was awarded an artistic scholarship for X dollars. (She did not apply for it but was just automatically considered and got it.) How could I ask College B to reconsider their offer package based on what College A did? I mean, College B may not have an artistic scholarship to offer. Are we talking of the possibility that College B might counter with a substitute We Really Want TaraMoms D Scholarship? </p>
<p>Maybe Im misunderstanding what some posters meant by merit award in this threadif its just a pool of generic money offered by the kindness of the FA office, then I could see where you could ask College A to reconsider their package based on College Bs offer. But since the title of this thread is scholarship negotiation, I need clarification about this point.
Again, many thanks.</p>
<p>Merit money is usually based on academic merit and SAT scores to entering freshmen. In order to keep your merit money, student must maintain a certain GPA as set by the shool regardless of major.</p>
<p>when people look to negotiate aid they may be looking at the whole $ and cents package. The name of the scholarship is not relevant in this case because a school cna name a scholarship anything they want. I guess you should really be looking at the conditions associated with the scholarship. Is it a renewable scholarship , will it be for the full four years, what does the student have to do in order to keep the scholarship, what happens if studnet does not meet terms of scholarship-is it an all or nothing deal.</p>
<p>
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Merit money is usually based on academic merit and SAT scores
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Yes, you're right, I was generalizing the term "merit aid" to mean anything a college offers beyond actual need.</p>
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when people look to negotiate aid they may be looking at the whole $ and cents package. The name of the scholarship is not relevant in this case because a school cna name a scholarship anything they want.
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You're referring to my sorta facietious example of creating a "We love TaraMom's D" scholarship in order to compare favorably with another school's scholarship offer? In her case, the one she got has very minimal conditions--it's renewable, no hoops, maintain basic 3.0 grade point average...a warm body.</p>
<p>So what I'm hearing here is that all parts of a package are fair game to discuss in a friendly "would you reconsider" conversation, including the possibility of matching scholarships?</p>
<p>pretty much so. Look at all of the offers and compare apples to apples. If school a is giving you $5,000 a year renewable to with minimum conditions and School B is giving you $10,000 with the same minimal conditions, you should definitely negotiate.</p>
<p>I am currently a senior going through the college application process. I have found that some schools have a fund set aside for "appeal" scholalarships. In other words, students who did not receive a scholarship or wish to be considered for a higher scholarship can go through the appeal process. This often involves sending a letter including information about your financial status and a copy of you HS mid-year grades.</p>
<p>Hi,
I am an international applicant and got selected for 2 good LAC. Both the colleges are offering around 15 k, whereas the total cost is 35k which is beyond my parents capacity. I need another 10-15 K atleast. I dont know how to request the fin aid office to reconsider the finaid. Will it be too much to expect such aid? On ther hand in no way we can pay such an amount.</p>
<p>One of my schools offered $5,000 a year, but my parents wanted more. I didn't qualify for any need based. My parents wrote a letter to a chancellor of something requesting a full ride! I laughed at them. He basically said all the scholarship money was given out.... but did offer a free hotel night for my parents and I to visit during a weekend, sent me a $250 book scholarship, and now they send me a letter every week expressing how much they want me to come. A friend of mine with similar stats....slightly lower...also got into the same school and wasn't offered anything that I was...SO the letter helped some-to the tune of $250 and a free hotel room! Every little bit helps!</p>
<p>Does negotiation work for state schools, too? My daughter was offered a $5K merit scholarship to our local public university. She would prefer the public univ in a neighboring state whre, through reciprocity, she pays similar tuition. She has not heard from the finaid people yet at school #2 but do you think there is a chance they would match the merit award? My daughter does NOT have the stellar stats that are typical of those on this board....</p>
<p>Wow. What a resurrection of this thread. I have posted on subsequent threads that it never hurts to negotiate. But the reality is that it is not often that a big change in the package is made unless a mistake or misunderstanding has occurred, or perhaps some extra money shows up (say a larger number than expected turn down offered aid). But, again, it does not hurt to ask. Particularly if the school is truly you first choice school and you really cannot go there without a certain amount of money. A personal from the heart appeal just might work. But then if you don't get the money, what are you going to do? There are many who just will not go. The financial aid and adcoms get a number of these appeals each year, so it is not likely that many will be successful, but every bit does help, and it does not hurt to ask.</p>
<p>Someone asked if the parent or child should ask for the reevaluation. My opinion only--the parent should since the parent is responsible for paying for the education and it is the parents' financial state that is largely used in coming up with the package. Even in merit packages, it is the parent who has to come up with the remaining funds, though I think the student may do better appealing that aspect. For financial statement appeals, however, since it is the parent who have the scoop on the family finances, they should discuss it with financial aid. Merit is not based on the financial statements unless it is merit with aid, so that is a different story. Now that is just my opinion, and there is nothing engraved in stone about this and each family is different. As to appealing merit awards, most colleges have amounts from hundreds to $25K, usually, so increments are not an issue. It is not about asking for an increase in a name scholarship, just if any other merit money is available. My son had one $50 scholarship from his school--renewable. And not everyone offered a scholarship will take it. There is always the chance that some money is unused. If you truly can't swing it, you can give them the last ditch appeal for some of that money and that if you do get a threshhold amount, you will be matriculating at that school. Then it is a matter of how much they want you. As with all things in life, there is a risk, as you may end up getting nothing more. Don't feel like you have failed or did not negotiate well, as this does often happen. Though I hear stories of great results in negotiating, I personally only know of small adjustments--under $1000, unless a true error in financial aid has been made. Not saying it does not happen, just that I have not personally seen such situations. There have been stories posted here on CC, however. I don't see many cases of schools matching another school's offer, just a little more thrown in and some more loan money offered is all I have seen. </p>
<p>Do post and let us know if you are successful in your negotiations. There are certainly times that I truly feel a discussion with financial aid is in order, such as if your EFC is way below what the college wants you to pay, especially if you research the college awards and find that you are well below their average threshhold of awards. You can find that info in the financial info blurb for the college in the USN&WR Ultimate guide, or possibly in other college guides. I like the USNWR guid because you can quickly see the % of those getting 100% of need met the average % of need met and the % of those getting merit and finanacial aid along with the SAT1 ranges. That gives a good idea where your student falls in last year's aid situation, and a basis to appeal if you are below where you should be given that info. Not that they have to adjust, but you can at least point this out along with the willingness to commit to the school if a deal can be struck. Good luck to all of you.</p>
<p>Boxmaker, it is my understanding that it is more difficult to get money from another state school, one that is out of state for you. Unless there is something in particular they are seeking that your student has, of course, or if that school is really trying to get more out of state students. It would not matter a whit whether your student has the stats like those on this forum. What matters is the stats for the school. Some states do have special merit awards for out of staters. I know that U of Missouri Columbia has an award specifically for out of staters. But most of the funds are reserved for state residents. That does not mean you should not at least ask. They are not going to rescind the acceptance for asking.</p>
<p>I see you have plenty of experience in negotiating! Maybe you will help me:)</p>
<p>I am an internatonal student and my SATs are not bad, so I suppose I will receive merit aid from most of the colleges. </p>
<p>However, it really sounds incredible to me to call and say "Dear Finaid Officer, would you reconsider my merit award, because at another school they give me more." I know that colleges DO care about their prospective students, but this sounds absolutely incredible. My parents cannot afford to pay more than 5-6000 per year, so I really do need to receive both need-based and merit based aid. However, our income may not seem very low at first sight, but the situation is difficult to explain and I do not know whether the finaid officers will understand it and appreciate it.</p>
<p>So what I am asking for is to write me a sample "negotiation" phone call and tell me some schools that DO negotiate.</p>
<p>i agree with jamimom, in that the parents are most knowledgeable about the financial status and ability to pay...but be aware that certain schools are very firm in stating (plainly written on the initial finaid offer) that they will discuss with STUDENT ONLY any appeal of aid offered. Now, lots of times that amounts to student preparing appeal letter with parents hovering over shoulder!</p>
<p>But you would have to check with individual schools as to how they handle their appeal process. And it never hurts to appeal.....you may get nothing more out of it, but they will not rescind what has already been offered, nor will it affect your admission decision...be bold...but polite - no demands or threats!</p>
<p>Write the letter from your heart. A sample won't help as you need to say why you need more, what you have to offer the college, what your specific circumstances are and why this is the school you really want to go to despite all the money you have at other schools( and send your award letters from college, W, Y, Z,attached) Good luck!</p>
<p>Ok, so can I negotiate for more grant money rather than scholarship just by writiing to them? Do I have to specify what aid I desire? Can I still be successful with this appeal process if I don't have all my financial award forms in yet? Thanks.</p>
<p>Do I need special circumstances to appeal? For example, do my parents have to suddenly become unemployed or disabled, etc for an appeal to be successful? Or can I just say, "Give me more money"- politely?</p>
<p>You don't have to be very specific...you don't care which particular scholarship they give you...you are asking them to review their award and see if they could increase the total offer. Show them that you have $XX offered from School #1, which makes your out-of-pocket to attend there $YY, the same for school #2, etc. - all in how they compare with your out-of-pocket $$ to attend the school in question.</p>
<p>When you say you don't have all your award forms in yet, do you mean you are waiting for offer sheets from the other schools you applied to...or do you mean YOU still have forms to fill out and return to THIS school??</p>
<p>If you are expecting to hear very soon from your other schools, might be best to wait to see what the offers are - might make your case stronger in your appeal. On the other hand....if you have missed deadlines for filing forms...well, not sure you can honestly expect your fave school to come up with more $$ if you didn't hold up your end of the deal. Good luck!</p>
<p>For international students, my understanding is that money is very tight. Although, I do believe that it never hurts to try, do understand that situation up front. Most of the funds that a college has are not available to internationals. And a college knows well that unless the student can demonstrate full support he is not going to get that student visa. Unless the school provides full need for international students, and there is a mistake or circumstance left out, it is highly unlikely that additional funds will be found for international students.</p>
<p>I am also cautioning US students not to go into this situation with a "do or die" attitude (unless that is just the way you approach life's challenges), as I have never seen drastic aid enhancements unless something was left out or a mistake was made. The most successful appeals I have seen have been when there was such a situation to open the negotiation door and in the course of the discussion other things were taken into account. Even people who underwent some financial and personal catastrophes after the forms were submitted did not get much in grant money, usually just more loans. And I am most familiar with this process with CMU, a school that openly invites counterbids and negotiations. However, most of the families undergoing the process with that school were local to Pittsburgh which does not put them high on CMU's wish list. </p>
<p>I am not trying to discourage people from trying. Especially if you have a dream school that you absolutely will commit but the dollars are the obstacle, truly the only problem signing the contract and sending the deposit and wearing the hoodie, let the school know. They are not going to rescind your admissions. But do bear in mind that the mindset of the financial aid people are not going to as inviting as those in admissions. These are the bean counters, the dollars gate keepers. And they are going to be deluged with stories, disasters, job losses, counter offers. They have heard it all. Make sure you have some idea of what you can do if the aid offer is final.</p>
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How do you see that the aid pacakge is same throughout 4 years. You can find that they can tell you to mainatain a threshold GPA. BUt they also mention that most of the aid will remain same provided income is not changed dratically. Could you give me some hints to avoid this trap.
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Email the FA or admissions office and ask for the specifics. In our case DD had no student loan or workstudy in FA package. I emailed FA office and asked how FA would be packaged in future years, specifically if there would be student loans or workstudy added in in the subsequent years, and if so, what the limits on those amounts would be. I also asked what the expected student contribution would be for summer work. We already knew the GPA requirement for merit scholarship portions of her FA package, the renewability of them, etc. In our case, we were told in writing that the packaging would remain the same. But even if that wasn't the case, DD's school caps overall student loan debt at a very reasonable level (and publishes that amount in FA pamphlets) due to a 3 billion dollar endowment. Average student debt info is available from USNWR, for just a general feel for how generous a college is, then ask the college what their limits are for offering stafford/unsub staffords/perkin loans for students. Ask if they meet 100% of need each year, or what the gap percentage is. Ask for average student loan debt of undergrads graduating with debt. Get everything in writing when talking w/ FA office; it is easier for them to see just what it is you are asking, AND you have something to refer back to if you have any questions later. Sorry if this is not much help.. maybe someone else can chime in.</p>