Would you complain if a $3,500 institution scholarship was replaced with work-study requirement?

[Anonymous]

DC has been at college for two weeks and financial aid award updated right around move in. Very generous aid overall, but now instead of an essentially free $3,500 DC now has to work part-time for $3,500. We were attracted to the school because of the aid and no requirement to work the first year. I want to complain to financial aid office but I feel like we have no leverage (school already began) and whoever I get on the phone will think I'm acting entitled (due to already very generous aid) or that my teen's spoiled and doesn't want to work. I sincerely don't mind DC working other years but DC is first to go away for college and we would prefer focus on clubs and grades. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

HELL NO. This is a bait and switch, period.

[Anonymous]

You have a conversation. Don't know what the outcome will be, but be reasonable and expect that others will be reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Surely this is an error. Show them the agreement that was provided earlier.

[Anonymous]

You sound entitled. You need to pay “something.”

[Anonymous]

I agree, not cool at all. I'd be so mad.

Also, doesn't the fact that there wasn't a previous work study requirement mean that before this change, your kid would have got the $3500, plus he could have worked and earned spending money, if he'd wanted to. Now, however, he'll have to use his down time to fulfill the work study requirement, meaning that he has less time to work at a non-work study job. I know that you weren't planning on having him work (and I think that's a totally legitimate decision), but the point is that if you complain about the change, the school shouldn't assume that it's because your kid doesn't want to work.

And frankly, I don't see how the reason why you're upset is relevant. The school made an offer, you accepted it, and now they've gone back on it. Your reasons for not wanting to switch are none of their business, whether it's because he wants to focus on his studies or train for the Coney Island hot dog eating contest.

You may want to consider having your son talk with the school in the first instance, or at least having him involved in the conversation. Given that it's a work study requirement but the total financial award is the same, the burden of it lands on him, not you. While I think you're totally justified in having a strong interest in the situation, the school may respond more favorably if he approaches them rather than his parents.

[Anonymous]

What prompted a change to the financial aid award?

[Anonymous]

This is something your adult child should resolve, not you. Do not call the school. Let your child deal with it.

And, yes, I think it’s completely appropriate to request the change back to the original terms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound entitled. You need to pay “something.”

No, you don't, not if the school made an offer that didn't include the work study. Plenty of kids go to school on grants and/or scholarships, either because they got good grades, play a sport, won some speech-writing context held by the American Legion, or come from families that don't have a lot of money. A school can't make an offer and then change it because the school later decides that the family should have to pay "something." It's totally arbitrary, and the student might have accepted a financial aid offer from a different school, which is now presumably off the table.

Second, OP doesn't say that they aren't paying anything, just that $3500 in grant or scholarship money was converted to work study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What prompted a change to the financial aid award?

They'll just say all financial aid letters are pending and subject to modification. Financial aid offices are shady like that. Then the person on the phone will pretend to click buttons on their computer and say, "I'm sorry there's nothing I can do. I would just give you the award, but it's above my pay grade. And it looks like we're out of aid for the calendar year, but check out the website for other outside aid your child may be eligible for."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is something your adult child should resolve, not you. Do not call the school. Let your child deal with it.

And, yes, I think it’s completely appropriate to request the change back to the original terms.

+1.

It's okay to be pissed but I'd let your kid handle it with some behind the scenes coaching/tips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound entitled. You need to pay “something.”

Colleges like University of Alabama's flagship campus give full-ride merit awards from their financial aid office. Those students don't pay anything. Would Alabama students who were bait and switched by a Presidential Scholarship offer have room to complain if when they got to campus the college informed them they need some skin in the game, so they're deducting $2,000 from their $104,000 scholarship? Go get a job, kiddo.

https://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.php

[Anonymous]

Even at $10 an hour, it's not easy to earn that full $3,500 unless the kid works 20 hours a week. That's a major chunk of time, especially for a first-generation kid. And if it's a strenuous job where they have to be on their feet they're going to be physically fatigued for study and class time, which could snowball to screwing up their grades.

[Anonymous]

I assume you aid was need based vs merit. What has changed in your finances? Did you make more $$ last year? Did you make an error on your FAFSA application? Lots of variables. Is your child at a state school? Perhaps they have less money to offer.

Since the school needs parental financial information, the parent should call the financial aid office.

[Anonymous]

Call the school. Explain your reliance on the package as it was presented before enrollment, and explain the first generation issues.