So many students have no clue that you can ask some universities or colleges for more money after they make an initial offer.
One of my former students was accepted to her number one school, and they offered her a substantial sum of money to attend their school. It wasn’t enough.
She came to see me on a Friday after school to ask if I could help her draft a letter of appeal. It took us less than thirty minutes to write.
In her letter, she began by thanking them for their generous offer, and she made it plain that they were her first choice. Then, she explained that their financial situation had changed; I believe one of her parents lost their job during a downturn in the economy. She explained that they had run the numbers as a family, and she told them how much she needed in order to attend their school. We reminded them of recent accomplishments in her high school career since she applied, and I helped her strike the appropriate tone—gratitude for what they had already offered coupled with frankness in laying out her financial situation. She went home and typed up her business letter, and we waited.
I can still see her running through my classroom door beaming from ear to ear to tell me they had awarded her an additional 27,000 dollars. She is a proud graduate of that school, and she is living her best life.
Please note that not every school is in a position to award you additional money. Many of your teachers and counselors can tell you who tends to have more to offer based on our personal observations from previous years.
Who do you write?
Hopefully, you have developed a relationship with the admissions counselor assigned to your area of the country. If not, address your letter to the admissions director.
If you ever DO write this letter—perhaps with the help of a teacher or counselor—and that school DOES write back and offers you more money, it would mean the world to me if you would send me a quick note to let me know about it.
Do you have any idea how rewarding it is to know that this letter I helped my student write helped her receive an additional 27,000 dollars? That’s priceless to me. That’s why I do this.
I will tell you that there are some schools that will immediately say no. Large state schools. Public schools in your home state. I could make a list of the schools that have been generous with my students in the past and another list of schools that I know will not offer a dime over that first offer. I knew the school my student wanted to attend had a history of generosity and was in a position to offer her more money. Ask your teacher or counselor for help with this.
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