Anonymous
04/06/2015 12:39
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
You can always negotiate. It doesn't hurt and they will often throw something your way. Whether it's enough to make a dent is another story.
Anonymous
04/03/2015 23:48
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
We asked the college counselor at DD's school about this, and she said it's completely valid to take a merit offer from one school to another school and ask if they can match the higher merit aid offer. We're not talking about FA, this is merit aid only. She agreed it's impossible for private schools to match in-state tuition, but she urged us to explain some special circumstances in our family's finances to the FA officers at DD's first choice, and see if they budge. She said in some cases they do match a higher offer because they want to "yield" your kid! Fingers crossed!
Anonymous
03/26/2015 10:04
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
I tried to negotiate for more merit aid this winter when one SLAC came in with $7,000 more in merit aid than the one my DD wanted to go to. No dice, unfortunately.
Flash forward to this month when the financial aid packet comes from the pricier school requiring us to pay well over twice as much as our estimated family contribution. So I figured that was the end of that school.
But a week later, DD's admissions counselor called asking if we were appealing the aid. Um, I kind of thought that would be a lost cause after my last go round. I did appeal, though, and we ended up with $6,000 more in aid (some merit, some need-based grants). It's still pricier than the other school because its tuition and room and board are higher, so we're still trying to figure it out.
Flash forward to this month when the financial aid packet comes from the pricier school requiring us to pay well over twice as much as our estimated family contribution. So I figured that was the end of that school.
But a week later, DD's admissions counselor called asking if we were appealing the aid. Um, I kind of thought that would be a lost cause after my last go round. I did appeal, though, and we ended up with $6,000 more in aid (some merit, some need-based grants). It's still pricier than the other school because its tuition and room and board are higher, so we're still trying to figure it out.
Anonymous
03/25/2015 07:22
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
The negotiation works best if there is something in your family's life that either didn't show up in the FAFSA or CSS or if something significant changed since you filed the forms -- i.e. elderly grandparent is moving in with you and you will need to move to a bigger house; other child diagnosed with a learning disability that will require expensive supports, etc.
In those situations, it's pretty common to provide documentation and to go back and say "THis is why your aid offer is insufficient and this is what we would need."
In those situations, it's pretty common to provide documentation and to go back and say "THis is why your aid offer is insufficient and this is what we would need."
Anonymous
03/24/2015 22:42
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
I tried to negotiate with duke a few years ago. They basically said they had a wait list of kids who could pay full price, see ya.
Anonymous
03/24/2015 21:32
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
My college is pretty clear that they do not negotiate financial aid awards or match merit-based awards. However, if you send a copy of another need-based offer, they will review the application to determine if a change is appropriate due to complex circumstances that have been interpreted differently by another school.
Anonymous
03/23/2015 14:49
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
Anonymous wrote:this is 7:30.
My DD needs $20K more from her first choice private (NOT a hugely selective school, but a decent private SLAC that does give merit aid) to match the offer from our in-state school, which wants her so much they've given her a merit scholarship, making the tuition pretty much unbeatable, to my mind. We did not apply for any type of aid from the state school.
DD says she's planning to go to her first choice SLAC with all her offers (another SLAC gave her $10K more than her first choice, still not enough money....) and ask them whether they can increase her merit aid so she can come can come to their school. BTW, her stats are pretty close to Ivy caliber.
I don't think it will work, but it's worth a shot, I guess. She's pretty determined, but I really fear she'll be devastated when she finds out they don't want her enough to give her more $$. How to let her down gently? Or is there any hope?
I don't want to mention the schools because she's going to negotiate with them. Maybe when the dust settles....
Sounds like she'll get a couple of thousand more but not 20K. They aren't going to be able to match the instate tuition/merit money situation. They do want her, but they also need your money. What are you willing/able to pay for her college. Try to get the dream privates closer to that figure rather than use the in-state school's offer as a baseline.
Anonymous
03/20/2015 15:59
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
this is 7:30.
My DD needs $20K more from her first choice private (NOT a hugely selective school, but a decent private SLAC that does give merit aid) to match the offer from our in-state school, which wants her so much they've given her a merit scholarship, making the tuition pretty much unbeatable, to my mind. We did not apply for any type of aid from the state school.
DD says she's planning to go to her first choice SLAC with all her offers (another SLAC gave her $10K more than her first choice, still not enough money....) and ask them whether they can increase her merit aid so she can come can come to their school. BTW, her stats are pretty close to Ivy caliber.
I don't think it will work, but it's worth a shot, I guess. She's pretty determined, but I really fear she'll be devastated when she finds out they don't want her enough to give her more $$. How to let her down gently? Or is there any hope?
I don't want to mention the schools because she's going to negotiate with them. Maybe when the dust settles....
My DD needs $20K more from her first choice private (NOT a hugely selective school, but a decent private SLAC that does give merit aid) to match the offer from our in-state school, which wants her so much they've given her a merit scholarship, making the tuition pretty much unbeatable, to my mind. We did not apply for any type of aid from the state school.
DD says she's planning to go to her first choice SLAC with all her offers (another SLAC gave her $10K more than her first choice, still not enough money....) and ask them whether they can increase her merit aid so she can come can come to their school. BTW, her stats are pretty close to Ivy caliber.
I don't think it will work, but it's worth a shot, I guess. She's pretty determined, but I really fear she'll be devastated when she finds out they don't want her enough to give her more $$. How to let her down gently? Or is there any hope?
I don't want to mention the schools because she's going to negotiate with them. Maybe when the dust settles....
Anonymous
03/19/2015 13:13
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
btw, thinking about it, for the family that I was describing above (in the post from 13:04) I don't think either kid in that family got to go to the school that was their first choice. Either due to just not getting in or due to finances. But both seem pretty happy and doing well now.
Anonymous
03/19/2015 13:04
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
Overhearing other people's experiences with their kids, it is my understanding that this type of thing is negotiable and I guess it must've been based on merit.
Some of the people had college coaches who sounded like they were able to try to get as much money for the kids.
But from what I heard, it's basically the same as others described on here. Where if you have two offers from different schools and you can go back to one and say, "this school is offering more money, what can you do about it?"
I don't really remember the outcome and if that worked. But I think that kid isn't going to their first choice school but it's still out of state private, and the parent's figure they're paying less than what they would've paid for in state tuition.
Some of the people had college coaches who sounded like they were able to try to get as much money for the kids.
But from what I heard, it's basically the same as others described on here. Where if you have two offers from different schools and you can go back to one and say, "this school is offering more money, what can you do about it?"
I don't really remember the outcome and if that worked. But I think that kid isn't going to their first choice school but it's still out of state private, and the parent's figure they're paying less than what they would've paid for in state tuition.
Anonymous
03/19/2015 07:36
Subject: Negotiate with colleges?
Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread in case anyone is negotiating successfully for more merit money and can share a positive outcome! DD is devastated her first choice did not offer enough merit $$ for her to attend. We are not eligible for FA.
She's waiting for all offers (five more schools), and then has her heart set on negotiating at her top choice for more merit aid. I don't think it's going to work, and I've been gently trying to warn her, but DD is determined! She's a great student, great stats, sports, etc., but we can't spend our retirement $$ on private tuition for her with three other kids to educate too!
Any hopeful stories out there?
I don't think a private is going to try to match the deal you got from an in-state public school. The two situations just aren't comparable, and the in-state school is getting state subsidies that privates don't, so what the privates need to cover to educate your child is simply higher.
How much of a gap are you talking about? Can she take out loans to cover it if it's that important to her.