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My husband is convinced he wants to try for a little more.
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LOVE it, dudelsak1. I've also asked her department and they said they don't have anything for freshman. You're tempting me to ask them again.</p>
<p>I should change my name to "squeakywheel", lol.</p>
<p>Do you think that putting a deposit down pending a decent financial aid decision is a bad idea? We might do this to secure dorm selection. Will this eliminate the chance for more finaid?</p>
<p>"My husband is convinced he wants to try for a little more. "</p>
<p>Since the college has already been kind enough to match the other offer and since it doesn't seem that you truly need more, I would not ask for more. I used to be a professor in a department that gave out merit scholarships. I can remember the reputations that students who kept demanding more and more merit scholarships got among the faculty. It really wasn't a good one, and I don't think having a reputation as being greedy and ungrateful helped the students get additional offers. </p>
<p>It's OK to ask for more money if one is in financial need, but in your situation, I think the gracious thing to do would be for your D to send a nice thank-you note accepting the offer.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, We ARE grateful for what he has gotten but considering the hoards of money that this school throws at some really dimwitted athletes, with his credentials that he worked so hard for (4.1+ etc.) we feel that he could have gotten a little more than $2000. It also makes us wonder why we had to wait so long and even ask numerous times if there was any scholarship money for him.
We will have 3 in college next year and need ALL the help we can get so I would not call it greedy.</p>
<p>Sorry, I had more to say but had to run my son to school as he missed the bus.
College costs have escalated so fast in the last couple of decades that they have FAR outstripped the rate of inflation and the rate of salary increases. Year after year after year, it is taking a bigger percentage of income than the year before. The amount of money the family is expected to contribute before financial aid kicks in is ridiculous if you want to be able to eat too.
If we weren't REALLY struggling to pay for the 2 kids already in college it wouldn't be as important to get every penny we can (1 D is at same school as the HS senior will go to, and dad is an alumus, so they are getting/have gotten plenty from us, not to mention all the tax money we pay for the state school).
We have saved for our children's education regularly since they were born so it is not that we didn't plan. But as I said, the cost increases rose so much faster than we could save that despite the saving, the gap kept getting bigger and, as with many, the funds were halved in the dotcom stock market bust in '99.
Once again, the middle class falls between the cracks, gets squeezed from both sides. We make enough that we don't get help, but not enough that we don't have to REALLY struggle to pay, to use our retirement, own much less of our house, etc. Many of us are in this boat (or worse) and I don't think it is quite fair to call it greedy to try and get as much help as we can.<br>
The big money thrown at the athletes proves the money is there to be doled out. Why isn't there more for the academics? Rightfully, there is now a law to equalize the athletic scholarship money for women (where did that money come from? Taken from the academics?). Shouldn't there be one to equalize academic money? After all, what is the primary focus of a college? To educate? or to have a great basketball team?
BTW my son's $8000 scholarships from the private universities were not matched. He got $2000 from the state school but it still ends up being less expensive. We STILL can't afford to send him to any of the privates.</p>
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Do you think that putting a deposit down pending a decent financial aid decision is a bad idea? We might do this to secure dorm selection. Will this eliminate the chance for more finaid?
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It appears to be that if the deposit also required acceptance (as in the case for this school), it would hurt your chances for any further aid. But some schools only ask for a deposit and no commitment. In that case I wouldn't think the FA office keeps tabs with the Housing office.</p>
<p>Thanks, TaraMom! Decisions, decisions....if only money wasn't a factor and the offers so disparate.</p>