So I finally received my financial aid for Syracuse and they gave me a good amount of money. Over $17,000+work study.
I really like Spelman, but they gave me absolutely no financial aid. I have a few outside scholarships, but I’d still be in debt for both but more for the later.
Is there anyway I can appeal for more money? I wanted a school that would get me into an Ivy League law school, and looking at their recruiting schedule I see they all recruit at Spelman. But Syracuse is still a great school so I’m lost.
What is your Cost of Attendance at each school?
How much money can your parents afford to spend?
Both of these schools are good schools. You are correct that you need to carefully consider the costs for each.
Cost of attendance is $52,000 for Spelman and is about $44,000 for Syracuse
Spelman. It is such a unique school given the contacts that you will develop. If you are going for ivy law school that comes with massive debt burden potential as well, but I see you poised to start your legal trajectory moreso at Spelman than Syracuse. You will need to aim for big city, big firm corporate to satisfy all that debt in the end, but figure out cost of attendance and go for it.
debt is bad.
Law school is nearly all about GPA+LSAT, with a boost for URM. Undergrad college is a non-factor. It doesn’t matter where law schools ‘recruit’.
Perhaps post on the finaid thread as some parent posters may have experience with Spelman’s policies. Good luck.
GPA and LSAT scores. That’s what it takes to get into a top law school (not all Ivy League btw- within the top 14 law schools in the US are Duke, Georgetown, Northwestern, NYU, UVA… not Ivy but among the tippy top).
Have you looked at the costs of law school? Do that.
And can your family afford to pay your end of the bargain at Syracuse???
Yes, with my outside scholarships they’d only have to pay $30,000
Your parents are paying 30K per year- and this they can afford, yes?
You are getting 17K from Syracuse (plus work study- that can cover books and incidentals, but not much else).
Syracuse (this year) is aprox. $67K per year. Does Syracuse know about your outside scholarships and are you sure they aren’t going to reduce your aid based on your other funding?
Yes they can afford the $30k a year. Colleges can your reduce aid if you have outside scholarships?
If you got need based aid, then yes…the college can reduce that need based aid if you get an outside scholarship.
You are REQUIRED to inform schools about any outside scholarships you receive. Have you done so?
I’m assuming since you got work study that at least part of the Syracuse package is need based aid. In which case- if you get outside money, you have less “need” (you have the same need, but you’ve found another source to fund it). Colleges have the option to reduce your loans first rather then cut your grant- but once you inform Financial Aid how much money you’ve gotten, where it’s coming from, and what purpose it’s for (some outside grants are for tuition only; some can be used for anything educational related like a computer or lab fees) they can tell you the impact on your package.
Separately, you have the option of sending your Syracuse numbers to Spelman to see if they can come up with any money. Usually a longshot, especially if you’ve already got outside funding- but it’s worth a shot if Spelman is your number one choice.
either college can get you to law school, but the one that gets you out with the least amount of debt is the smarter way to go. Law School is really expensive.
What does your financial aid award letter state that your parents have to pay?
Are your outside scholarships good for 4 years? If not how does your family plan on paying for years 2, 3 and 4?
Will you be able to use these outside scholarships at Spelman? Again, how do you pay for years 2, 3 and 4
Perhaps you got 0 aid at Spelman because they felt you had not need and they felt you were not at the top of the pool for merit money.It is highly unlikely that Spelman will match Syracuse’s merit (1. they will not be at a loss for talented black women to attend who would be more than willing to pay full freight Most of their merit money goes to students that they are trying to poach from the Ivies).
It seems to me that over the long haul neither may be a financially feasible option for your family. Do you have an affordable school.
What can your parents afford without parent PLUS loans?
I actually did get some money from Spelman but no where near what Syracuse offered. Only one of the scholarships is good for all 4 years, but Syracuse’s grant is only for this year. I heard they give really good financial aid the first year, and then skimp out the other 3. The state school( Binghamton) is nice, but I’m not sure it has the same opportunity the other schools have.
And my parents would have to pay $30,000 at Syracuse and $47,000 at Spelman
Up to $25,000 then it’s loans.
Happy- here’s how we can help you.
Write a quick summary of each college you’ve been accepted to, and how much need based aid from the college, how much merit aid (if any), and how much in outside scholarships. Please note which of these is one year only and which will continue for four years (and with what the conditions are- maintaining a 3.0 is a LOT easier than a 3.7.
I’m having trouble seeing how Syracuse is affordable for your family right now, let alone Spelman… if some of the money you’ve been awarded is for one year only- then what? If some of the outside money you’ve got results in Syracuse knocking off some of your aid (which is a possibility if you haven’t yet informed them of your outside scholarships) then what?
We want to help you but we have to drag the information out of you! Binghamton is a fantastic option btw–didn’t know that was even on the table until your last post.
But I also have around $6,000 in scholarships for only the first year. If I perform well My first year, I was betting on another scholarship to cover me my sophomore year
It doesn’t sound like either option is affordable (especially with grad school in your future). Do you have other, less expensive acceptances?
Do you have any other options that are $35,000 or less?