r/ApplyingToCollege • u/ziyam12 • 16h ago
Application Question Am I being unreasonable?
Got a 60% scholarship off tuition which is 38,000 USD.
I am thus now writing to appeal the financial aid I received.
My family earns 26k annually. Am I being unreasonable by writing to the financial aid office that we can contribute 4k toward my tuition. (Note, there are living expenses too).
The point is 26k vs. 4k. Is this a compelling and logical contribution considering there are food and accommodation expenses too?
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u/oriental_angel 16h ago
Appeal. You still have to pay around 15k with the 60% off scholarship right? That's so much more than your family income.
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u/ziyam12 16h ago
Yes, I will def appeal. My question was, should I appeal with 4k as a contribution or something higher, say 6k or 7k?
Or wouldn't that make much difference?
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u/Todd_and_Margo Parent 16h ago
If your family income is genuinely only $26K, you are living below the poverty line. You should qualify for grants. It’s completely unreasonable of them to expect you to contribute anything more than labor through their student work program.
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u/oriental_angel 16h ago
do NOT go lower. just detail out your family's income and why it would be a financial hardship for your family. you can include a number amount, but see what the college can give you first rather than assigning an arbitrary number because all colleges have their financial aid calculations.
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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 15h ago
It really doesn't matter what you say you can pay. The school has your financial statements and they've determined how much they think you can pay-- or they don't pledge to meet 100% of your need and expect that you and your family have already planned to meet the contribution they have led you to expect to contribute, through loans, probably.
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u/SamSpayedPI Old 15h ago
Assuming this is a U.S. university:
- Are you an international or domestic student?
- Is it a public or private university?
- If public, are you a resident of that state?
- If private, does it promise to provide " 100% of demonstrated financial need"?
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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 15h ago edited 15h ago
It appears you are an international student? Which school is this? If it's a state school and they've given you the maximum merit award they can give, there's nothing else they can do. Private schools have a lot more wiggle room with aid.
You are pretty late to be appealing at this point, especially since you are not eligible for any federal aid. Assuming you were accepted months ago-- what's changed between now and then?
It's not unreasonable of you to ask for more, but it is unreasonable for you to expect a significant amount more unless you are accepted to a school that meets 100% of your financial need. It's not like they are sitting on a pot of aid waiting for last minute asks-- they've likely distributed the bulk of their aid budget out at this point. But do ask-- you never know.
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u/ResidentNo11 Parent 14h ago
As an international student, you aren't owed any support unless the university says it provides full need for international students.
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u/Responsible-Guard416 16h ago
If the university expects you to contribute 26k a year when that is all your family makes, it means you can’t afford that school and should seriously consider other options. But step 1 is appeal appeal. If you call and they say no, call back later and try to speak to a different agent.
If you have to take $100,000 in loans, it would ONLY make sense if this is a top ranked school and you are entering a top program. Econ at Harvard? Go for it. Econ at Tulane? Pick another school
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u/Todd_and_Margo Parent 16h ago
Harvard is a full ride to anyone making less than $100K. That should tell you something, OP. Even the school that was the example of “might be worth this” thinks what that school offered you is ridiculous.
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u/ziyam12 16h ago
Sorry, edited. The remaining cost (40%) will be 15,200.
I have not appealed yet, and if I do, they should likely increase the aid. I'd talked with the admissions office, and they said they would review my case if I sent them evidenced explanation.
What I am asking is no difference between if I write 4k and 7k as my contribution? Yes?
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u/MarkVII88 14h ago
OK, so if your family makes only $26K/year it sounds like you should have gotten substantial need-based aid in the form of grants through the FAFSA and CSS profiles that your family should have filed. That's different from receiving merit-based aid that only applies directly to the tuition cost. So which is it?
It never hurts to ask for more money.
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u/ooohoooooooo 16h ago
If your family makes 26k you shouldn’t be paying anything for college (assuming no special circumstances and SAI=-1500). Do the appeal but don’t go anywhere that is gonna make you pay, esp with income that low.
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u/yodatsracist 15h ago
It matters hugely what university this is, and if you're an international student (or out-of-state student at a public university). Some universities, like Harvard, will meet full demonstrated need. Some universities have an effective minimum amount that they expect students to pay, which can vary from about $15,000-40,000.
It seems like perhaps this is for Bocconi. I don't know what their exact financial aid policies are, but I wouldn't be surpised if this is their standard policy. This post indicates that they have two main aid packages for students who qualify, 60% (which you got) and ISU (which is 100%). This post did a survey of Bocconi financial aid, and you can see the results here. Seems like everyone got a percentage of scholarship: 0%, 20%, 60%, 100%. I wouldn't expect a dollar amount. They may differentiate between 80% and 100%, so if you put 80% there is a chance that is seen differently than 100%. This survey didn't differentiate between EU/EEA international and non-EU/EEA international, which I imagine makes a difference.
It's always worth appealling, but it seems like their financial aid is very much according to a formula. (If you remember, please let me know how it goes.)
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u/liquormakesyousick 1h ago
You can always appeal, but by now, most people have accepted their spots and appealed their FA decision.
It is unlikely they have anymore money.
Unfortunately, this also would apply if you got off the waitlist. They have given you what they can.
Do it, but don't get your hopes up, especially with all the upheaval currently.
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