Getting $ from D3 schools

I recommend you review the FAFSA posting on this site, although search for it as it was misspelled as FASFA I believe.

For me what worked best was sharing the award letters received from other schools, but only do that after you receive the initial award decision from the school in question.

quote:

Originally posted by RedSoxFan21:
I recommend you review the FAFSA posting on this site, although search for it as it was misspelled as FASFA I believe.

For me what worked best was sharing the award letters received from other schools, but only do that after you receive the initial award decision from the school in question.

the problem is they are all about 1k from each other..it doesnt really give me a "here look at this" opportunity?

quote:

Originally posted by wogdoggy:
the problem is they are all about 1k from each other..it doesnt really give me a "here look at this" opportunity?

you may already be maxed out. Privates generally hover north and south of $10,000 for a 'smart' student for Merit. Then FAFSA kicks in. Take a look at your estimated family contribution on that.

Go to your chosen school's web site and find their price calculator. There you will also get a good idea of the likely aid you will see.

If these all line up with your situation you are probably done.

All that is left is if you have unusual situations to bring out that the calculators did not find.

Bottom line, it never hurts to sit down with the school's financial aid director to review your situation candidly. I wouldn't bluff too much but bottom line they are not likely to withdraw their original offer unless you really cross the line. And I've read here that people do sometimes get a little extra bump if they say something like, "if I could only see a little more it would make YES much easier."

By the way, schools sometimes have extra money at the end of the decison period when other students decline their offers. So in the last week before May 1 call your top choice and ask one more time!

Good luck!

From what I've read ("The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting the Education you want for the price you can afford"), you only have a leg to stand on with Financial Aid if your son is projected to be in the top 25% of the incoming class. In other words, your son's academic performance and stats are desirable to the college. If your son is desirable then they may be willing to review your financial aid situation as RedSoxFan21 suggests.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
From what I've read ("The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting the Education you want for the price you can afford"), you only have a leg to stand on with Financial Aid if your son is projected to be in the top 25% of the incoming class. In other words, your son's academic performance and stats are desirable to the college. If your son is desirable then they may be willing to review your financial aid situation as RedSoxFan21 suggests.

his gpa has improved since we sent the transcripts in november.he has also taken several ap courses which i could also bring up in a review.I would like to get these 24,000 dollar prices to a sub 20 number..am I out of the ball park here in your opinion?

It all depends on the school. Have you looked at their scholarship webpage? Many of them have qualification details and/or calculators. That will tell you what's "in the bag" and how much you are asking them to "stretch".

Wogdoggy,

Please let me clarify. I was referring to merit or institution aid not financial aid in general. With that said, TX-Husker is right that it depends on the school. I suggest checking to see if your son qualifies for the top 25% (or 75th percentile) for his school at College Navigator. This site and others are frequently referenced in "The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting the Education you want for the price you can afford". If you have some time download the book to your Kindle or order it at Amazon. It is inexpensive and full of some very good pointers.

On the College Navigator site select a college and then scroll to the Admissions Tab. It will tell you the 25th percentile and 75 percentile in SAT and ACT. That is a fairly decent indicator. The authors of the book also mentioned that some schools will give merit aid up to 50th percentile. If he is in that top 75th percentile then you have some legs to stand on, and they may be more willing to work with you. There are always exceptions such as those schools that are in high demand and little supply (ie..Elite D3s, Ivys, etc...). Another way to approach this (directly) is to ask the Fincancial Aid or Admission office what your son needs to qualify for the merit aid he wants.

College Navigator

This tool is one of the many tools mentioned in the book, and it is fantastic. Also fantastic are the viewpoints of the authors. They hold no punches after spending many years in higher education as admissions officers and financial aid officers.

Best of luck.

I have found D3 schools in different parts of the country do different things same with private vs state schools----meet and tslk with them