Word: aid
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...many as half those appeals, financial-aid officers say, are likely to be successful. Families who can document a concrete change in circumstances - such as a layoff or a salary cut - have the best chance. But those who can't need not despair. Some applicants have successfully argued that aid officers overlooked a key piece of their financial picture the first time around, such as the cost of elder care, childcare, medical bills, rent or private secondary-school tuition. Officers also report that they have leeway to adjust aid packages if parents make the case that they are nearing retirement...
...course, finding an aid award unreasonable is different from simply finding it unpleasant. One kind of appeal no college will consider is from families who probably can afford to pay what's being asked of them - but would simply rather spend the money elsewhere. "We want to fund a family's need," says Allen. "We can't afford to fund their want...
...aid officers likely to adjust offers made to families who are merely anticipating a change in circumstances. What if that looming layoff never materializes? Instead, financial-aid officers recommend waiting until the worst comes true - and then getting in touch. Pronto...
...When making an appeal, aid officers say, phone is always better than e-mail for the initial contact. And stressing how much a student wants to attend a particular school can't hurt - as long as it comes off sounding sincere. While awards are largely determined by economic factors, aid officers also recommend giving the appeal a more personal touch by having the student, rather than the parent, make the first call. "You tend to see [financial-aid officers] doing more because you're trying to help the student," says Chris Gruber, Davidson's vice president for admission and financial...
...That kind of jockeying is a bad strategy, officers note. Trying to start a bidding war is generally a losing proposition in part because every school's resources and aid calculations are different. Colleges will rarely match an offer outright. That doesn't mean applicants shouldn't bring up other schools' awards, however, because the comparison may turn up extra data that one school had not taken into consideration. "If the generous award is because the family provided additional information to the [other school's] financial-aid office that allowed a more appropriate need-based award to be made...