Ways to get a better financial package?

<p>Hi. So, i am afraid that i might get into my dream school and will not be able to go because of money.</p>

<p>I heard that i can "bargain" with the university by showing a better package that i have gotten from another comparable university.</p>

<p>Is this true?</p>

<p>Also, What are some other ways, in which i can receive a better financial package?</p>

<p>Some schools will discuss their financial aid awards and make changes and others simply will not. It varies from school to school. In most cases, schools will only look at other financial aid offers from schools they consider to be “peer” schools (similar types of schools). I guess the best way to present this…if your state public university gave you a full ride and you hope Harvard will do the same, it’s not likely that Harvard will consider your state university to be a peer school. BUT they might consider offers you received from other Ivy League schools or other schools they would consider peer schools (e.g. Amherst, Williams, Stanford, MIT). </p>

<p>Remember too…that if you are looking at a school like an Ivy that gives ONLY need based aid, they will not care about merit awards from other schools as the Ivies don’t give merit aid.</p>

<p>So…the best thing to do is wait to see what your actual awards are…and then ponder this.</p>

<p>I’m in the same boat as you…: (</p>

<p>Can you work, find more scholarships, preferable those that you will receive after you respond to your financial aid? Maybe for presents, ask them for college money in the form of cash to add to your amount? Good luck, I wish I knew…</p>

<p>I was accepted to UT Austin. But they are telling me to pay 40,000 a year when the annual income is less than 20,000.
They basically rejected me…</p>

<p>Sometimes, a school will work with you and come up with some more money if you are a highly desirable candidate, and a like school has offered more of a package. It isn’t something you can count on, however. Most of these discussion end up with more loans than anything else. Not that you should not give it a try, but also go through your alternatives and find a choice that you know you can afford.</p>