college essay guy financial aid appeal

The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

103: how to appeal a financial aid award letter.

• All Episodes

Mar 29, 2017

Ever wonder what you should include in an appeal letter? This week, Jodi and I cover:

• Who should make the call to a financial aid office: the student or parent?
• What to literally say to a financial aid officer when you call them to appeal
• Why you maybe shouldn’t start off the conversation by mentioning a financial aid offer from another school
• Jodi’s five points to cover in an appeal letter
• What tone to take and how long the letter should be
• The one thing students and parents should do but don’t

About the Podcast

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

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How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter (With Example)

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

Learn about our editorial policies

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Let’s say you get accepted to college, but the financial aid package does not work for you and your family. Did you know that many colleges will allow you to submit a financial aid appeal letter to be considered for more financial aid and scholarships?

When I worked in college admissions, I was a part of our college’s “scholarship appeal committee” where I helped evaluate various appeals for more financial aid and merit scholarships.

Related:  Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

Jump ahead to:

Starting the merit scholarship appeal process

How to write your merit appeal letter, how to appeal for need-based financial aid.

• Financial Aid Appeal Example

Can you ask for more money from private scholarships?

• What can you do the college turns down your appeal?

Feel free to jump ahead to any of the above sections or keep on reading to learn more about the appeals process. Students should also thoroughly review their financial aid award letter to understand what types of aid the college offered them.

Recommended: How to read a financial aid award letter (with examples)

Before you begin thinking about the merit scholarship appeal process, you should make sure that the college or university actually offers merit scholarships. If the institution does not offer merit scholarships, this is a nonstarter (a quick review of their admissions and financial aid website should tell you whether they do).

Once you know that the college does offer merit scholarships, you can inquire about the merit scholarship appeal process and whether they offer it. You can either call the admissions office or email the admissions officer responsible for your region. If they say that there is a process, you can start working on your appeal letter.

Related:  How to get student rent assistance

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First things first, let’s talk about how you can write a successful merit appeal letter. A successful letter is all about making your case to the admissions officer.

Here is our step-by-step process for writing a merit appeal letter:

• Begin your letter by introducing yourself, where you are from, and your high school.
• You should also reiterate how grateful you are to be admitted to the college and how excited you are to potentially attend.
• Next explain the reasons why you are appealing for money in scholarships–did you receive need-based financial aid? Perhaps you did not receive  enough  need-based financial aid? Or maybe there was a life circumstance that’s making paying for college difficult for your family? If so, provide a brief explanation.
• Have you accomplished anything significant academically/extracurricularly since you applied? This would be a good time to mention that. Same goes for any new grades/test scores.
• Do you have more generous merit scholarship offers from other schools? Include the offer letters along with your note. While this may seem a bit crass, it helps give the admissions office context of where you are coming from.
• Finally, you should conclude the letter by thanking the admissions officer for their time and consideration. You can also restate your interest in the college and why you hope to attend.

Related:  Why didn’t I receive financial aid?

Need-based financial aid is a completely different type of financial aid than merit aid. Colleges award need-based scholarships according to a formula dictated by your family’s financial situation. This means that there is very little (if any) wiggle room for how colleges award need-based financial aid.

With this said, there are two ways that you may be able to receive a reevaluated need-based financial aid package:

• There was an error on your FAFSA or other financial aid form (like the CSS Profile )
• Your family’s financial aid situation has changed since you submitted your financial aid forms. Two of the most common reasons that this can happen include dramatically increased medical expenses or a parent loses their job. However, there may be other situations that could impact a family’s financial situation.

In these situations it is absolutely worth contacting the college’s financial aid office to ask if there is any possibility of an adjusted aid package. Generally, the office of financial aid will ask you for a letter explaining your change in circumstances, with context and possible documentation.

Is there any harm to appealing for more financial aid?

When a need-based financial aid appeal is filed, the financial aid officers will examine the entire financial aid application again. In this second, careful review, it is possible that the financial aid officers might see something that could cause the award letter to change for the worse. While this is rare, it is important to know that financial aid appeals can impact your financial aid positively and negatively.

Advice from an admissions professional

Christina labella.

Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Manhattanville University

Financial aid appeal letter sample

Below you will find a financial aid appeal letter sample that you can use as an outline when writing your own appeal letter.

Dear [Ms. Gomez],

My name is [Will Geiger] and I am a senior at [Manasquan High School] in [Manasquan, NJ]. I was so excited to be accepted to [Wake Forest University] as a member of the class of [2024]. 

However, as I weigh my college options, affordability is an important factor for me. [Wake Forest University] is a top choice college for me. [Include 2-3 reasons why the college is a good fit].

I am writing to ask to be considered for any merit scholarship opportunities. [Include 2-3 academic or extracurricular updates from this year]. 

I have been lucky enough to receive the following scholarships from some other colleges:

[Specific colleges and award amounts]

Additionally, I have attached the actual award amounts.

Nonetheless, I want to attend [Wake Forest University] to study [insert major] and can’t wait to study [insert details about specific classes, programs, or professors that you hope to experience at the college]. With my [insert major] degree, I want to go into [insert job or ambition].

Thank you for the opportunity to be reconsidered for additional merit scholarship opportunities. I am honored to be accepted at [Wake Forest University] and hope to be a member of the freshman class.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Will Geiger

Private scholarships are almost always awarding a very fixed amount of money so it is unlikely that they are going to be considering appeals. This is unlikely to be a winning strategy for students. Of course, with billions of dollars in scholarship money available each year, nothing should stop you from finding and winning more scholarships!

What can you do if your appeal is turned down?

Once you have exhausted the appeals process and have determined that your financial aid forms accurately represent your family’s financial situation your next best move is to apply for more scholarships and consider more affordable options on your list.

There are still many scholarships available for current high school seniors . Additionally, you should continue to apply for scholarships once you are in college (there are a number of scholarships available for college freshmen ).

In addition to scholarships, you may also qualify for federal work study , which is essentially a part time job to help pay for educational expenses.

If your financial situation simply won’t permit you to accept the college’s offer, there are many other options available . Coding bootcamps , certificate programs , and community college can all help you land a higher-paying job. These alternatives typically take a fraction of the time and cost of traditional college.

Finally, student loans or Income Share Agreements can be a last resort for paying for college. Students should consider all of their federal student loan options before considering any private student loans.

Recommended: How to apply for student loans

Key Takeaways

• Being accepted by a college means they want you to join their institution
• As a result, they may be open to considering you for additional merit scholarships
• Taking an hour to negotiate merit scholarship aid could result in thousands of dollars in scholarships down the line
• Financial aid appeals will not result in your admission being rescinded

Frequently asked questions about financial aid appeal letters

Will a college rescind my admission if i ask for more financial aid, could i lose my financial aid if i file a financial aid appeal, how do i ask for more financial aid from a college, what if i can't afford my financial aid package, what are some valid reasons for a financial aid appeal.

• A significant change in your family’s financial situation
• Recent unemployment
• High medical related expenses
• Changes in family size or dependency status
• Other extenuating circumstances

How long does it take to receive a response to a financial aid appeal letter?

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How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter

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What’s Covered:

The 2 main reasons to appeal financial aid.

• Steps to Write Your Appeal Letter

Financial Aid Appeal Letter Examples

• Final Recap

Did you get accepted into your dream school, but the financial aid wasn’t sufficient?

Luckily, many colleges allow you to file an appeal to your financial aid award, where you ask for a new assessment of your financial situation or offers from other schools. There are many variables that are considered, so a better offer isn’t guaranteed, but filing an appeal may be worth a try.

If you’re interested in appealing or negotiating your financial aid award, it’s essential that you act quickly, follow the correct procedures, and provide all the right information, often in the form of a letter stating your case. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to put together a professional and persuasive financial aid appeal letter.

First of all, you’ll need to decide whether it’s worthwhile for you to file an appeal, as it will take some time and work on your part. Colleges will be most responsive if you have a change in financial situation or better offers from other schools.

If neither of these two situations apply to you, it is unlikely that the college will be willing to negotiate. You need to present a compelling reason for the college to give you more aid.

Change in Financial Situation

Colleges are willing to offer additional aid due to changing financial circumstances. The following situations qualify:

• Investment losses
• Losing a job
• Losing income at a job due to a pay cut or reduced hours
• Divorce or separation
• Change in out of pocket expenses (healthcare, childcare, family support, or natural disasters)

If any of these circumstances apply, you will need to show supporting documentation. Colleges will let you know which documents they might need after you contact them.

Better offers

Another powerful tool to appeal your existing offer is with your other acceptances and financial aid letters. Colleges are responsive to two types of offers:

• A better financial aid offer or price at a school with comparable ranking
• Acceptance to a university with a higher ranking 

Steps to Write Your Financial Aid Appeal Letter

1. understand the college’s appeal process..

Check the school’s financial aid page to find official information about appealing your aid. Some schools have a specific online form to use. Others request that you submit the form in writing.

Figure out what exactly you’ll need to do and who you’ll need to contact. Your request is more likely to be successful if you follow the correct procedures!

2. Gather Information

Whatever the issue with your financial aid award, you’ll need to back up the statements in your appeal letter with documented facts. Take a moment to collect the documents you’ll need so that you can refer to them while you’re writing. 

This includes the FAFSA and CSS profile (if applicable). What else you’ll need depends on the specifics of your situation, but could include proof of major expenses (like medical bills), documentation of a parent’s job loss, financial statements, legal documents, or competing award letters from other colleges.

You’ll need to submit copies of these documents along with your letter so that you can show why your award should be reconsidered. Some schools may even be able to accept certain documents as scans via email, but you should always check first—sometimes this is not possible for security reasons.

3. Structure Your Argument

First of all, remind the college that you want to attend! There’s a reason why this school chose you and you chose this school; it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Explain that despite this desire, unless your financial aid is increased, you won’t likely be able to enroll.

Then, cover why you need more aid. If the current expected family contribution would represent an extreme hardship for your family, say so, and explain the situation. If you have a better offer from another similarly-ranked college, ask if this college can adjust your award. If anything about your financial status has changed your family’s ability to pay, include this as well.

Refer to your supporting documents to bolster your argument with specifics. Sometimes people are reluctant to share these personal financial details, but if you’re arguing that your financial need is higher than it seems, you’ll need to demonstrate it with documentation.

Be direct and stick to the facts. Don’t try to compare yourself to what you may have heard about other students and their awards, and be realistic about your family’s financial status. Focus on the numbers: the amount of aid you’ve initially been awarded, and the amount you’ll need to make that school a feasible option.

If you have any major achievements since your application, feel free to mention those as well. Things like becoming valedictorian or winning a state tournament are highly-impressive and increase your desirability as a potential student.

4. Get Help Reviewing Your Letter

Just as with application essays, someone reliable should review your letter before you submit it. Paying attention to grammar, spelling, and typos helps to show that you take the situation seriously.

Tone is also deeply important here, so ask your reviewer to consider it. In requesting that your financial aid be reevaluated, you’re asking for a big favor from the college and its financial aid staff, and you don’t want to appear entitled or unreasonable. As always, be polite, mature, and professional, and thank the financial aid office for their time and help.

Since this letter concerns your family and your collective financial situation, have your parents or other interested parties check it for accuracy. If your financial situation is particularly complex, it might make sense to have your family’s financial or legal advisor read over it as well, just to make sure you don’t misrepresent the facts.

5. Send Your Letter to the Right Place

For physical mail, double-check the address you’re sending it to; call the financial aid office to check again if you’re unsure. Use clear handwriting or printed labels. For extra reassurance, you might choose to use Priority Mail or another service with features like tracking and receipt confirmation.

As we’ve mentioned, your school may accept some documents via email, but ask them before you do so. Double-check the email address you’re sending them to, of course, and make sure any scanned documents you’re sending are legible.

For any appeal letter, be very clear about who you are, so that your letter and documents are filed to the correct account. Include your full name and applicant or student ID number on everything you send in. If your school has special requirements about which identifying information to include, follow those directions exactly. (Be aware that if any of your documents are in languages other than English, you’ll need to have them translated first.)

It’s a good idea to follow up within a week or so to make sure your information made it to the right place and ask how long you’ll need to wait for a response. Just don’t overdo it; appeals take time, and bugging your financial aid officer excessively for updates will only take away from the time they have to work on your case.

6. Maintain a Backup Plan

A financial aid appeal is simply a request to have your financial aid application reconsidered, often in the light of new information; it’s not a guarantee of a favorable outcome. The college may decide not to increase your financial aid, or to increase it as much as you would like. You need to be prepared for this possibility, especially with the May 1st decision deadline looming.

You’ll need to have some serious discussions with your family about your options. Maybe you’ll need to attend another college. Or, you or your parents will take out a loan. Only you can weigh all the factors and make a final decision.

Now you know the steps to filing a financial aid appeal, here are some appeal letter examples.

Appealing based on a change in financial situation

Dear Dean Rora,

When I learned I was accepted into Redwood University, I was ecstatic—I am a first-generation Filipino student and this school has been one of my top choices for years, due to its world-renowned aerospace engineering program. I would love to be able to attend; however, the current aid package makes it financially unfeasible for my family. As such, I’m writing to request a re-evaluation of my financial aid award. 

Since applying, my single mother has lost her job as a garment worker in Los Angeles, due to the impact of canceled orders during COVID-19. She did not receive a severance package. While I have tried to make up for the lost income by working two part-time jobs, I’m unable to cover that $25,000 gap as a full-time student, and I will be unable to work as much once in college. As it is, I currently earn only enough to cover our rent ($800/month), let alone daily expenses like food. I wish I could ask my other relatives for help, but it is just me and my mother in the United States.

Because of this significant change, I was hoping that your office could readjust my financial aid award. I am currently expected to pay $2,000 per semester, which is unfeasible given our situation. I am attaching documentation regarding these changes. 

Thank you in advance for your consideration, and please let me know if you need more info. I truly hope I will be able to attend Redwood and realize my dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer.

Althea Reyes

This letter is a good example because it:

• Thanks the college for the chance to attend and reiterates the student’s interest in the school
• Provides specific numbers about the family’s situation
• Gives upfront documentation to streamline the process
• Is polite while conveying a sense of urgency

Appealing based on better offers

Dear Dean Edhouse,

My name is Milo and I’m a student from Chicago who is planning to study International Relations. I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to study at Applewood University, especially because of the many opportunities for fieldwork in the U.S. and abroad.

Over the next few weeks, however, I have to make a difficult decision: Applewood University or Magnolia College. Applewood is my top choice, but Magnolia has offered me more scholarship money. As such, I’m writing to request a re-evaluation of my financial aid award. I understand that your office does not match offers and am not requesting a match. I’d simply like to ask that you consider my other offer when reviewing my award holistically.

To attend Applewood, my family must pay $21,000 per year. For Magnolia, we need to pay $16,000. This is a significant difference for my family, especially since my sister will also be in college at the same time (she is a junior at Englewood University). For your convenience, I am attaching documentation of this offer from Magnolia.

Since applying, I have also placed 3 rd in the track and field state championships for the 3200m. After the track season, I ran a half marathon and raised $3,000 for the International Rescue Committee. I know Redwood has a road race team that frequently participates in charity runs, and would love to continue running for social causes in college.

Please let me know if you need any more information, and thank you for your consideration. I hope I will be able to join the Redwood community this fall.

This letter is strong for the same reasons as the previous, but here’s what it does differently:

• Highlights an understanding of the school’s financial aid policies (“I understand that your office doesn’t match offers”) and requests a holistic review
•   Updates the finaid officer/dean on major accomplishments that increase their desirability as a student
• Emphasizes fit with the school through their unique resources

College affordability matters a great deal; the best college application in the world won’t be of much use if attending that college is not financially feasible. Thankfully, widespread financial aid and scholarship opportunities exist, and make exceptional colleges into reasonable options for a much greater range of talented students.

If you aren’t happy with your financial aid award, it doesn’t hurt to try and appeal. Just as with applying to college in the first place, you may not end up getting the outcome you want, but if you don’t ask for what you need, you definitely won’t have the opportunity to get it. With a strong, well-researched, professional appeal letter, you’ll put yourself in the best possible position to work out an arrangement that meets your needs.

For more information about the financial aid process and getting the aid you need to make your college dreams real, check out these posts from the CollegeVine blog.

• Understanding College Costs: FAQs About Financial Aid in Practice
• Understanding Your Financial Aid Award Letters
• Can I Appeal My Financial Aid Award?
• How to Evaluate, Compare, and Leverage Financial Aid

To get more college finance advice, join our free CollegeVine community forum about paying for college . You can ask other students in the same boat about their experiences and request help from our team of admissions experts.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• How to Write the Perfect Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Letter (and a Sample)
• Financial Aid

Your financial aid can be suspended while you attend school for several reasons: You switch schools or change majors; your family makes too much money, which changes the information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); or you do not make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as determined by your school.

If your school suspends your financial aid, and private student loans are not an option, it makes sense to worry about completing your degree. Depending on the reasons your aid was suspended , you can likely file an appeal.

If you do not meet the minimum course or hour requirements, you may lose financial aid with no ability to appeal. However, if you have personal reasons for struggling academically during the school year, you can file an appeal.

As part of your financial aid suspension appeal, include a letter explaining what happened. This letter can help the committee determine whether to reinstate this help.

• How to Understand the Appeals Process During Financial Aid Suspension

Filing a financial aid suspension appeal starts when you go to your school’s student financial services office. Ask them about the appeals process and what forms you need. Be diligent about gathering correct information and file your appeal by the deadline. Schools generally only allow you to file an appeal when your financial aid is suspended due to an SAP problem. To have financial aid reinstated, you must: 

• Understand your school’s SAP auditing process and the specific causes for your financial aid’s suspension.
• Show that you have corrected the SAP problem.
• Submit the appeal.
• Have your appeal accepted by the SAP committee.

When your appeal is accepted, you will be placed on financial aid probation. This provides you another semester, trimester, or quarter of financial aid. The committee will then reconvene to determine whether you addressed your SAP problem in a satisfactory way. A successful SAP appeal will include information about why your academic status changed, you dropped courses or failed to sign up for enough courses, or otherwise did not meet your school’s standards. There are many reasons students struggle, but some common causes include:

• Personal struggles with physical or mental health
• Family struggles, including illness or death
• Financial catastrophe, making your living situation unstable

As you complete your SAP appeal , gather information like health records, financial records, family statements, and correspondence with professors, employers, and peers that may be relevant. You should also write a personal letter to the SAP committee, which acknowledges that you did not meet SAP standards, that you understand what happened, and that you will take steps to correct this problem. Components of a successful SAP appeal letter are : 

• Formal heading, including your name, student identification, the date, and the committee’s information
• Formal address, including names of committee members you have corresponded with
• Introductory and concluding paragraphs
• One or two paragraphs explaining events that caused your academic struggles
• Information in these middle paragraphs about how you will improve your performance in the coming semester, trimester, quarter, or year
• Formal signoff
• Information about relevant attachments, like doctors’ notes or personal statements from family members

You may also be required to create a plan, in a separate document, to improve your academic performance. If you have a good academic record from previous years, you can show that this is a temporary problem and you understand how to solve it. If you are a newer student, you may need to provide references from other school years or classes that show you are able to improve your performance.

• Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Letter Sample

To understand how all the components of a financial aid suspension appeal letter work together, here is a sample: Dear Dr. Smythe and Esteemed Members of the Committee, My name is Joan Doe, and I am writing this letter as part of my appeal to reinstate my financial aid. Because I struggled to complete classes during this past semester, it was determined that I did not make satisfactory academic progress per the institution’s guidelines. Consequently, my financial aid was revoked. While I respect the school’s decision regarding my grades, I need this financial support to continue completing my bachelor’s degree. My poor academic progress occurred because of struggles within my family this year. My father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. While his prognosis is good and we now know that treatment is going well, it was a devastating emotional blow. I spent more time with my family, helping to take care of the household and my two younger siblings while my mother was with my father during his treatment. This included a hospital stay of about one week, during which time I was unable to return to class. I worked hard on my studies during this time, but because my time was much more limited, I was unable to focus on writing papers, studying for midterms and finals, and meeting some deadlines. My professors, including my adviser Dr. Smythe, have been as understanding as possible. I did not communicate as clearly as I should have, and I understand that my negligence has translated into lower grades. I even failed some courses, which is a first for me, if you look at my previous years at this college. I regret such poor performance, and I want to improve in the coming academic year. The school has accepted me as a student again for the upcoming semester, but without the financial aid provided through the Pell Grant and student loan programs, I cannot afford to attend. My academic record prior to this has been exceptional, and I believe I can return to this level of scholastic performance. Please consider reinstating my financial aid with my regret, my apologies, and my history as a good student in mind. Thank you for your consideration. I appreciate attending this school and look forward to graduation. Respectfully, Joan Doe

• Other Sources of Funding if Your Financial Aid Is Suspended

The SAP committee may not accept your appeal or your financial aid suspension could stem from other causes, like changing majors and no longer meeting scholarship requirements. Other sources of financial aid, like private student loans, can help you complete your semester or year if you are unable to get your financial aid reinstated.

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How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award Letter The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

Ever wonder what you should include in an appeal letter? This week, Jodi and I cover: Who should make the call to a financial aid office: the student or parent? What to literally say to a financial aid officer when you call them to appeal Why you maybe shouldn’t start off the conversation by mentioning a financial aid offer from another school Jodi’s five points to cover in an appeal letter What tone to take and how long the letter should be The one thing students and parents should do but don’t

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How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award

Suzanne shaffer.

This was my story: A teenage daughter with her heart set on attending an expensive private college. A mother who knew the financial aid award would need to be substantial for it to work. Waiting for an offer of admission only to find out that, though she was accepted, the aid package was insufficient and the college was simply not affordable.

We were headed for a tough conversation.

This same scene may be playing out in your home today. As a parent, you know the financial realities of paying for college. Your student, on the other hand, is thinking with their heart.

If you aren’t happy about your financial aid award package, what can you do? Fortunately, you do have options. Your student may choose to accept an offer from another college with suitable financial aid — as we did. Or you can ask the college for more financial aid.

If you choose the second option, here’s what you need to know and do before you proceed.

Compare Award Offers

You can compare your student’s financial aid offer with other student offers at the same school. To help families do this, Road2College has crowdsourced financial aid and merit scholarship offers using their Compare College Offers tool .

Families submit all their student offers and compare the net cost of each school. Then, you can see offers from other students at the same school and compare your student with other students who share similar characteristics like GPA, test scores, and family EFC range. This can help you determine if the offer your student received is comparable to the offers to other students.

Another option is to look at the percentage of admitted students receiving financial aid at a particular college and the amount of the average award using a college data source like College Data or College Navigator .

What is a Financial Aid Appeal?

Just like any other large consumer purchase, college tuition prices are negotiable. The sticker price you see is very rarely the price you pay . Data collected by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) revealed that colleges discounted tuition for the 2018–19 school year by over 50 percent.   This year, because of the pandemic, you can anticipate that many (but not all) colleges will be even more flexible in order to lure students due to low application numbers based on the fact that families are struggling financially.

When you appeal your financial aid award, you are simply asking for more money. Don’t be afraid to do this; the college will not be offended or react by rescinding their offer of admission. They may say no, but it does not hurt to ask. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by appealing your award.

What Should You Appeal?

There are two types of financial aid awards you can appeal: need-based aid and merit-based aid. You must, however, have a good reason to appeal.

You might appeal need-based aid if your financial situation has changed since completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or if there is something you need to clarify beyond what the school saw on the FAFSA.

To appeal merit-based aid, your student should have a reason to increase the aid such as other higher award offers from other schools or an improved academic performance.

Merit-Based Aid

There are some reasons to appeal merit-based aid. If the college is keen to attract your student, they may sweeten the deal by providing more aid if you ask. Depending on how their freshmen deposits are looking (fewer students than expected accepting admission offers), the college may be inclined to increase merit aid to attract more students. Make this appeal through the admissions office.

If your student decides to appeal merit aid, you should provide the college with information to support the request:

• Other colleges have offered you more money and are more affordable. Use these offers for leverage by asking your first-choice college to at least match the award, thus assuring you will accept their offer of admission.
• Your student's test scores have significantly improved since they applied, making them eligible for more merit aid.
• Your student's GPA has improved since applying and might give the college a reason to increase their aid.

“At many schools, it’s a buyer’s market,” explains Lynn O’Shaughnessy , author of The College Solution , a book aimed at helping students find the right school at the right price. “You’re going to be more likely to succeed [in getting more financial aid] if you’re looking at a private school than at a public school. They’re more eager to fill their spots.”

Need-Based Aid

Based on the information you provided on the FAFSA, the college has evaluated your ability to pay. Appeal your student's need-based award if there has been a change in your family circumstances or your family’s finances. The financial aid office will evaluate your situation and make a determination based on the information you provide.

Some reasons to appeal may include these changes in a family’s ability to pay for college:

• Loss of income due to job loss or another factor
• A one-time infusion of income such as a salary bonus or inheritance inflated your income in a prior year
• Long-term care of a family member
• Natural disaster
• Illness or disability
• Increase in childcare expenses due to parent returning to work
• Family education costs such as private elementary or secondary school tuition or a parent returning to college
• Death or incarceration of a parent causing a loss of income

Examine your student’s academic situation as it relates to merit aid and your family’s financial situation as it relates to need-based aid. Determine whether an appeal might increase your financial aid award amount.

How Should You Appeal?

Write a financial aid appeal letter either to the admissions office or the financial aid office. Since every family’s circumstances are different, every letter will be different and should be personally crafted. You can, however, follow these simple guidelines:

• Gather all documentation necessary to make your case.
• Use proper grammar and mechanics.
• Do not make demands and remain humble.
• State your reason for appeal clearly.
• Be specific including dates, figures and amounts.
• Provide documentation along with the letter to substantiate your appeal.
• Open and close with gratitude.

Some colleges use a Special Circumstances Form for financial aid appeals. The form asks questions to add to the financial picture derived from the FAFSA. You simply list your reason in a few sentences or even just fill in bubbles and submit it to the financial aid office. Based on the information provided on this form, the college may adjust your student's award.

The College Essay Guy provides examples of financial aid appeal letters in "How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter" >

When Should You Appeal?

Once you compare your student's financial aid awards and determine you are eligible to appeal, craft your letter to the college or colleges. Just remember that May 1 is the decision deadline and once you accept admission, positive appeal decision will be less likely.

How Can You Win an Appeal?

If you presented a clear reason for requesting more need-based aid, the odds are in your favor that the college will find some money to supplement your award. If you are requesting more merit aid, don’t expect an avalanche of money. A few thousand dollars, however, can make the difference between having to take out substantial student loans or being able to attend with minimal debt.

The more selective a college is, the less likely they will be to offer more merit aid. If your student is at the top of the applicant pool and a stellar student, the college may be more likely to offer additional aid.

Will the Pandemic Impact Financial Aid Appeals?

Due to the pandemic, many colleges and universities are facing enrollment uncertainty and a risk to their revenue streams. They will be more likely to grant appeals to attract more students. For parents, financial circumstances may have changed due to job loss or national shutdowns and warrant additional aid based on financial need.

The U.S. Department of Education issued  guidance to college financial aid administrators, allowing them to use professional judgement “when students and/or their families have been affected by COVID-19.” The coronavirus will not change financial aid appeal procedures, however.

Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher and VP of Research for Savingforcollege.com, in an article for Forbes outlined some examples of special circumstances related to COVID-19 that might justify an adjustment:

• The student or parent’s employer closes for a period of time, laying off or furloughing staff
• Death or illness of a parent or other wage-earner
• Lost wages due to illness, a quarantine period or shelter-in-place order
• Inability to work because of illness (e.g., impaired lung function prevents a parent from engaging in substantial gainful activity)

Current college students are also eligible to appeal their financial aid. Due to the financial impact of the pandemic, they may need additional financial aid to attend college.

If you need more money in your financial aid package and you meet the criteria, initiate an appeal and ask. But ask properly and politely.

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A Guide to Writing the Perfect Financial Aid Appeal Letter

You’ve received your college acceptance letters – but your financial aid award wasn’t enough. Maybe that’s because your top-choice school has offered you less aid than other schools, or because your financial circumstances have recently changed. Don’t worry – your aid offer is not necessarily final. You can write a financial aid appeal letter to request a revised financial aid package. Here’s how.

Writing a financial aid appeal letter? Do it on Going Merry.

Heads up! If you’ve begun receiving financial aid offers from your colleges and it’s not quite enough to cover your financial gap, use the Financial Aid Appeal Generator from Going Merry . It takes just a few minutes and can help you write the perfect letter for your financial situation, getting you even more financial aid 1 .

Click here to start your letter

What is a financial aid appeal letter?

A financial aid appeal letter is a formal request asking your school to reconsider its decision on your financial aid. The letter is your chance to explain your special circumstances, financial situation, and anything else that has changed since you submitted your FAFSA® ( Free Application for Federal Student Aid ). Your letter should be honest and concise and should focus on why you need more financial aid.

You’ll submit your financial aid appeal letter alongside any documents that might support your case. If your appeal is approved, the school will generate a new financial aid package and send you their new offer. If your appeal letter is rejected, you’ll have to decide whether or not you can make your original financial aid offer work. If not, it may be time to consider another strategy to afford your degree . 

Why would I write a financial aid appeal letter ?

There are five common scenarios for why you might want to appeal your original financial aid offer and request more aid:

1) You got admitted, but it’s just not enough. You were thrilled when you received an acceptance letter to your top school but disappointed when you got your financial aid award letter. Now, you can’t afford to attend without more aid. 

2) You received a better offer at another school. Your top choice school has offered you less financial aid than another school on your list. You want to see if you can use your other offer as a bargaining chip to negotiate for more aid at your top school. 

3) Your FAFSA® didn’t reflect some nuanced financial situation. Maybe your parents are predicted to earn significantly less this year because they’re freelancers and have lost their biggest client. Maybe your family has debt outside the United States or informal debt to other family members. Finances can be complex. Sometimes the FAFSA® doesn’t take those details into consideration, but your top school might.  

4) Your financial circumstances have changed. Your family no longer has the same ability to contribute to your college expenses. Common reasons for this include a family member losing their job, a birth or death in the family, separation or divorce that affects household income or expenses, and medical bills. This change might have occurred between when you filed your FAFSA® and when you received your original financial aid offer. Big life changes can also occur in the middle of a school year. In the latter case, you can appeal to have your next semester’s aid raised. 

5) You made a mistake (or multiple) on your FAFSA®. The financial aid appeal process is a great way to remedy any errors you may have made on your FAFSA. Be sure to submit an appeal letter to your school’s financial aid office as soon as you realize your mistake.

Note: If you have multiple reasons for appealing , you’ll need to decide how to strategize what to include vs. exclude. (Avoid an overly long letter — it should be one page, max.)

How to write a financial aid appeal letter  

Research your school’s requirements.

Most schools accept financial aid appeals, but each institution has different processes and document requirements. Don’t miss out on extra financial aid just because you forgot a deadline or sent your letter by mail when an online submission was required. Before starting the appeal process, check your school’s website for the most up-to-date information.

Call the financial aid office and get a contact

One of the best ways to get immediate help is to call your school’s financial aid office. Tell them you’d like to write an appeal letter and ask them who you should address it to. They’ll be able to provide you with the appropriate person’s name (usually the school’s director of financial aid). When you write your letter, address it to that person rather than using a generic greeting such as “to whom it may concern.” Pro tip: include the recipient’s name at least twice throughout the appeal to give your letter a more personal touch.

Do the math

Before you write your letter, compare your original financial aid package against your school’s current cost of attendance. Then, calculate exactly how much extra financial aid you’ll need to make college affordable for you. 

To make that calculation, first talk with your family about whether or not the student aid index (SAI) listed on your award letter feels reasonable. How much is your family comfortable contributing? If they can’t contribute as much as you need, can you try to win extra cash through scholarships instead? Are you comfortable taking out student loans to cover part of your college tuition? Think through various scenarios and then determine exactly how much additional financial aid you want to request from your school.

Express your passion

If you’re a high school senior applying for your freshman year of college, begin your letter by acknowledging how thrilled you are to be accepted at the college. These folks read a lot of letters, and it never hurts to underscore your appreciation for their university. If this school is your first choice, express that. Be clear about why you want to go to this school, as well as why you are a student they should want to keep (You’re hardworking, you’re high-achieving, etc.).

If you’re already enrolled and are appealing your financial aid package for another semester or year, focus more on the importance of your continuing attendance. What have you achieved since you’ve been on campus? How have you contributed to the community? Emphasize how additional financial aid will allow you to improve your academic record and complete your degree at the same pace as your peers. 

Your letter should clearly state the facts of your family’s financial situation and your financial need. It should explain why you need additional aid, even if the reason is something you find difficult or even embarrassing to talk about. Be candid and honest about your family finances. Don’t hesitate to restate any relevant information from your original application. And if you have extenuating circumstances not captured by the FAFSA® — like medical expenses or impending job changes — discuss them here. 

Be specific

After you’ve argued your case, tell your financial aid administrator just how much more money you require. Clearly state the amount of aid it would take for you to be able to attend their school. If there are other details that might help make your attendance possible — like a work-study job or a scholarship to cover the cost of books and supplies — mention that, too. The financial aid office might not be able to give you every dollar you ask for, but it never hurts to try. 

Mention other financial aid offers

If you’ve received a more lucrative financial aid package from another school, be sure to mention that. You can even ask one school to match another school’s offer. Just remember: you’re not trying to play hardball here. Instead, maintain a tone of respect and appreciation whenever you’re negotiating financial aid.

Gather supporting documentation

Your school’s office of financial aid will likely require some documentation to back up the statements you make in your letter. Pay stubs, medical bills, proof of eviction, or job termination paperwork can all help prove financial need. Most college financial aid offices will request documentation after they receive your letter, but sending it all upfront can help speed up the process. If you’re not sure what documents your school requires, either call the financial aid office or look online.

Be respectful

Recognize that the financial aid administrator reading your letter is likely pretty busy, so keep your letter to one page and make sure your writing is clear. Ask a trusted friend or family member to proofread your letter for errors or typos; sending in a well-formatted, grammatically correct letter is an easy way to project respect and show that this process matters to you. 

At the end of the letter, express your sincere gratitude for the recipient’s time, consideration, and support. Check the language of your letter and make sure it’s appropriate. The key to a successful financial aid appeal is a balance of gratitude, humility, and persuasiveness. 

Make it look professional

If your school requires a printed and mailed copy of your letter, sign your name to the bottom before you send it. You can also use a template in your text-editing software of choice to create a letterhead and make your letter look professional. If you’re using Google Docs, explore their template gallery . And if you’re submitting a digital copy of your appeal, add your digital signature in a PDF to give your letter a personal touch. 

Sample financial aid appeal letter  

Here’s a sample letter to get your creative juices flowing. The below was written by a student whose family recently lost their primary source of income. Use this as a template and add your own details to customize it for your needs. 

Dear Mr. Smith, 

Thank you so much for taking the time to review my financial aid application to The University of America. I couldn’t be more thrilled by the prospect of continuing my education at such a fantastic school. It is, without a doubt, my first choice. 

While I am grateful for the detailed and generous financial aid package you provided, I’m writing to appeal my financial aid decision. After I submitted my original application, my family’s financial situation changed. Unfortunately, my mother, who is the primary earner in our family, lost her job. As a result, my family is no longer able to contribute to my college education at the amount originally established as our EFC. Over the past two months, my mother has earnestly sought new employment but hasn’t yet found any options. We’re hopeful that she will find steady work soon, but her unemployment has placed a significant financial strain on our family. I’ve attached supporting documentation, including the notice of termination from my mother’s previous employer. 

In spite of these unfortunate circumstances, pursuing higher education continues to be a priority for my family and me. I plan to study computer science at the University of America. Throughout high school, I maintained a 3.5 GPA and recently received an award for my contribution to my school’s robotics team. I am confident that I will make an excellent addition to the student body at The University of America.

Due to my increased financial need, I would like to appeal your decision and request an additional $8,500 of aid to put toward my college tuition. I am already planning to take on federal student loans. This additional financial aid of $8,500 would increase my ability to focus on my education without taking on more debt. 

In any case, I appreciate your time and thoughtful consideration, Mr. Smith. It would be an honor to join the next class of students at The University of America, and this increased financial aid would make my attendance possible.

Student Name

Financial aid appeal letter template

You can use Going Merry’s Financial Aid Appeal Generator to write your personalized appeal letter easily. It takes just a few minutes, and includes tips to address common questions, concerns, and misconceptions regarding financial aid appeals. If you feel a bit stuck, it has prompts to help you think of what you want to say. It also sends you an email reminder to send your letter before Decision Day.

You can also get your own financial aid appeal letter template here , which you can customize to your specific financial situation, or find a number of templates online . Remember that these are just templates; you’ll have to update them to include the details of your own needs and special circumstances before you send them in.

How do I submit the financial aid appeal letter ?

Check the college’s website for more information on how to appeal the award package, as they may have a specific procedure they’d like you to follow.

If no process is indicated, contact the college’s financial aid office. Many colleges will have a specific individual assigned to people with last names starting with certain letters. Email that person instead of the generic financial aid office email.

Note that most colleges will ask you for documentation to confirm any claims you make in your letter. Attaching the documentation from the beginning can speed up the process and improve your chances of a successful appeal because it shows you are proactive and truthful. If you choose not to attach documentation from the start, be sure to at least have this documentation ready. 

When should I submit the financial aid appeal letter ?

Submit the appeal as soon as possible to give the college ample time to review your request and provide you with a decision. Make sure you consider when your deposit/decision deadline is–and send in your appeal letter at least two weeks before this date. 

If your deadline has already passed (and you’ve made your deposit), it’s still possible to appeal on the basis of changed financial circumstances, but of course, you will have less leverage.

How long will it take for me to receive an appeal decision?

The timing will depend on the college, their review process, and how close you are to the deposit deadline. But generally, it should take one to four weeks. If you’re worried about the timing, you can contact the college’s financial aid office to confirm how long the process should take. However, note that the financial aid office is likely pretty busy, so try to give them two weeks from when you submitted your appeal before you check in. 

What if they still don’t give me enough financial aid money?

If your financial aid appeal doesn’t result in sufficient additional aid, it might be time to consider some other options — like applying for scholarships or attending a more affordable school. Offers won through financial aid appeals can vary greatly, usually between $1,000 and $10,000 in extra funding. If you’re looking for more than that, though, a financial aid appeal likely won’t be enough. You may have to explore some of the below options to cover your college costs. 

Outside scholarships

External scholarships might be able to fill in some of your financial gaps. You can apply for scholarships based on your location , community service , extracurriculars, merit, and other factors. Make sure you keep an eye on scholarship deadlines and follow all instructions to apply. Scholarships are considered to be free money because you just need to qualify, apply, and wait patiently to see if you win. This is not money you need to pay back.

You can also check out other options to pay for college , such as finding a work-study job on campus to fund your education.

Or, if you just want help understanding your college budget, check out our free College Cost Insights & Appeal product .

Student loans

Today, a majority of college students in the U.S. take on student loans. If your financial aid package isn’t enough to cover your college tuition, it may be time to research loan options. For most students, federal student loans are the better bet. Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, federal loans generally carry lower, fixed interest rates and more flexible repayment options than private loans do. When you complete the FAFSA®, you’ll automatically receive information about which federal loans are available to you. 

After you’ve exhausted your federal loan options, explore private student loans. Private loans have higher financial caps, so you can usually borrow as much as you need to pay your college tuition. Before you sign on the dotted line, though, be sure to research different private student loans and lenders. Take the time to compare interest rates, repayment options, and fees. Earnest, a trusted partner of Going Merry, never charges origination fees or prepayment fees and allows qualifying borrowers to skip one payment per year. You can explore their loans  online and find one that suits your needs.

Want more financial aid resources?

Check out these blog posts for more information on funding your education:

• How to understand your financial aid award letter
• How to apply for scholarships
• How student loans work
• The ultimate financial aid guide

If you’re ready to apply for scholarships and increase your funds for college, get started with Going Merry. Sign up for your free profile . We’ll match you with scholarships based on your profile, and you can easily apply with the click of a button.

Disclaimer: This blog post provides personal finance educational information, and it is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice.

1 Submitting your appeal letter does not guarantee an adjustment of your financial aid award. Please consult with the relevant university’s financial aid office for additional questions.

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How to Write a Letter of Appeal for Financial Aid

Was your expected family contribution (EFC) too high and now you’re left with a too-little financial aid package? Did your child retake the ACT/SAT to get a significantly higher score? You can amend your financial aid package based on your student’s application or a change in your family’s situation. How? Through the appeal process. 

A financial aid appeal is a request for additional aid , a more lucrative offer, or a higher grant amount often spurred by a change in family circumstances. 

Colleges and universities are inundated with appeals from students whose families have fallen on hard economic times due to the coronavirus pandemic or any other hardship that does not necessarily get reflected on the financial aid applications like the FAFSA and CSS Profile . Many families’ ability to pay for college has changed, and their aid package should change with it.  

If you feel that something needs to be altered, start the financial aid appeal process. Below is a simple guide on how to write a letter of appeal for financial aid . 

Should you appeal your financial aid offer?

In general, two broad categories could warrant an appeal:

• Exceptional merit/multiple offers
• Special or unusual circumstances

You can appeal for more aid if you received better offers from other schools or if your student has exceptionally high test scores . Most appeal letters, however, fall under the second category, especially as families continue to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special circumstances include job loss, salary reduction/loss of income, death of a parent, unreimbursed medical expenses, divorce/separation of student’s parents, serious illness, natural disaster, and more.

Learn more about two-household ( divorced/separated ) families: What Divorced, Separated, and Two Household Families Need to Know About the FAFSA and CSS Profile

When is a letter of appeal due?

You can submit an appeal at any time. There is no particular due date, but it’s often best to start the process as soon as you experience a change in circumstances. If, for example, you were furloughed earlier this year, start the process as soon as you receive the formal letter or notice. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of a semester or if school is out of session—the earlier you file, the better.

How do you submit an appeal?

Each university has its own appeals process, making it critical to follow the specific system. You will almost always be writing a letter of appeal, but some schools require additional information or forms. Contact the school’s financial aid office to discover whom to contact about the appeal, how to get in touch with them, and the requirements you must meet.

Best practices for writing a letter of appeal for financial aid

Once you understand how the appeal process works at a specific school, you will need to make your case in an appeal letter. It’s important to get this letter right, so here are some best practices to keep in mind as they start writing.

• Have your student submit the appeal. It is important for you to remember that it is the student appealing for additional financial aid, not the parents. Of course, parents need to provide much of the supporting documentation in many cases, but the best results come when the student is presenting their case.
• Keep it short and sweet. A one-page letter is ideal.
• Be honest and authentic. It’s critical to express your circumstances using direct and persuasive language. You shouldn’t smudge or veil your situation, instead clearly express how your ability to pay for school has changed. Avoid vague language or overarching statements. 
• Provide adequate supporting documentation. When it comes to your appeal letter: document, document, document. Your specific circumstances need to be properly documented whether it’s a termination notice, tax documents, test scores , or other merit-based requests. Be sure to attach this documentation to the letter.
• Ensure the writing is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. Now isn’t the time to push the envelope on writing style. Stick to traditional grammar rules and proofread the document so it’s free of errors. The last thing you want to do is misspell the school’s name when you’re appealing for more money. 

Why should you appeal for more financial aid?

The price of college isn’t set in stone and neither is the financial aid that your family received in the mail. You will likely be overwhelmed by the process, so break it into small, manageable, and actionable steps.

Financial aid is a crucial component of college affordability . By being proactive about your student’s aid package, you can help save your child thousands of dollars, and may even allow them to take on one less student loan . 

Worried appealing might impact your child’s admission to a particular college? Learn more in Does Appealing for More Financial Aid Affect Admissions .

Need help writing a letter of appeal?

We know that this can be confusing. Having someone who knows what colleges are looking for to review your letter of appeal would be so helpful. Well, we can do that. 

With a MyCAP account you get access to several of our expert’s compiled knowledge, all at your fingertips. And with our Valedictorian package, you get all that PLUS a 1 on 1 session with a CAP pro. This can be to discuss how to write a letter of appeal for financial aid , review net price of various college options on your child’s “to apply” list, or even help you try to ask for more free scholarship money from a particular university. 

Get the answers to all this and more. Sign up for a MyCAP Valedictorian account today to learn and get access to our team of experts and our college search tools to make this process easier! Get 1 on 1 expert help for less than $300 here .

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7 Strategies for Appealing a College Financial Aid Package

Families can appeal an offer by reaching out to a school's financial aid or admissions office.

How to Appeal for More Financial Aid

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Colleges' financial aid and admissions offices are typically swamped with decisions and appeals around May 1. So if for any reason you want additional funding, don't wait until right before the deadline to file an appeal – especially for merit-based aid.

The escalating price of college is a barrier to attendance for many students, even with financial assistance. In-state tuition and fees at public national universities , for instance, have increased by 211% over the last 20 years.

But students can get extra money to pay for college , in some cases, by filing a financial aid appeal letter.

"Families may be surprised how often colleges say 'yes' and send a few more thousand dollars their way as an enticement to enroll," says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance at Bright Horizons College Coach, an education consulting company.

Here are seven strategies financial aid experts recommend for appealing a college financial aid package:

• Assess your current financial circumstances.
• Don't call the process a negotiation.
• Have a conversation with the financial aid office.
• Reach out to the admissions office.
• Use a competing offer.
• Hold back on the deposit.
• Appeal as soon as you know your needs.

Assess Your Current Financial Circumstances

Schools use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA , to determine financial aid eligibility. The form uses tax information from the "prior prior" year, so families completing the FAFSA for the 2022-2023 academic year, for example, need their 2020 tax return.

Applicants who experienced a change to their financial circumstances over the last two years – like layoffs, furloughs or pay reductions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic – should consider filing a financial aid appeal.

Other reasons to appeal may include a death of a family member or an unexpected expense, such as a large medical bill.

"We do recognize that family situations have changed," says Donna Kendall, associate vice president of enrollment and dean of undergraduate admission at Bentley University in Massachusetts. "There's a lot of anxiety out there right now, even for families whose income hasn't changed. Their expenses have gone up because everything is more expensive."

You can file an appeal for both need-based and merit-based aid. But this year, Blaine Blontz, founder and lead consultant at Financial Aid Coach, has seen less effectiveness in appeals for additional merit-based aid, perhaps because total applications are up.

"Families from the past two years who decided not to enroll in college have decided to apply for the 22-23 school year," he wrote in an email. "I am hopeful that the process will return to a more typical opportunity for families in the 23-24 school year when application totals may not be as high."

Don't Call It a Negotiation

Colleges don't like the word "negotiation" because it sounds like you're bargaining at a bazaar or a car dealership, according to Mark Kantrowitz, financial aid expert and author of How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid .

Instead, Blontz advises families to use the word "reconsideration" in letters and emails to colleges.

Have a Conversation With the Financial Aid Office

If you're filing for a need-based appeal, send an introductory email to your financial aid counselor and request a time to talk over the phone to discuss special circumstances, experts suggest.

"Having only emails back and forth and numbers on paper really doesn't give the financial aid counselor a chance to understand what the situation is," Kendall says.

For reconsideration, families need to provide documentation, preferably from a third party, of any financial changes that affect their ability to pay for school. Schools can use this financial information to recalculate the minimum families are expected to pay for a year of college, a figure known as the expected family contribution .

Reach Out to the Admissions Office

A school's financial aid office only handles need-based aid, so contact the admissions office for appeals related to merit aid.

Most additional awards granted by schools are scholarships.

"I see a lot of appeals for merit scholarships that are really need-based appeals," Kendall says. "When we ask a student why they are appealing for more scholarships, the answer is often because they can't afford it, not because they think they deserve a higher scholarship."

Families that have already been awarded some type of scholarship are more likely to get an increase in award money, Blontz says.

If your appeal is approved, confirm with the college that the increase in merit aid is for all four years.

Use a Competing Offer

Some schools are willing to adjust a student's award package to match a better offer from another college.

"We had received financial packages from several other schools that offered us more aid than the school in Boston," says Terri O'Neill, who was able increase her daughter's merit aid at a private Boston college by $10,000.

Much of the merit aid will depend on the school's endowment.

Hold Back on the Deposit

May 1, otherwise known as College Decision Day, is the last day for most first-year applicants to select a college . But experts say there isn't a reason to commit before the deadline. Wait until you have a complete picture of all your financial aid offers to place a deposit.

"Once the college has the money, the family has lost leverage since the school assumes you're coming," Vasconcelos says, and the school might have more seats to fill and declined scholarships to offer closer to the deadline.

Appeal as Soon as You Know Your Needs

At the same time, schools understand that life happens, and sometimes financial circumstances change after a student has confirmed their spot at a school.

"We don't want families to have to wait for the next academic year aid application cycle to appeal," Kendall says. "So they should, at any time during the year, reach out to the financial aid office to see if there is the possibility of appealing. A school may be sympathetic to the appeal and want to do something, but they may not have the money to do it."

Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.

Facts About Merit Aid Scholarships

Tags: paying for college , students , financial aid , colleges , scholarships , FAFSA

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May 1 was supposed to be “college decision day” for high school seniors across the country. But months of Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) errors and financial aid offer delays have left scores of students unsure of their post-secondary plans, or whether they can afford college at all.

Nationwide, FAFSA completion is down about 17% from this time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network. Schools are now scrambling to get financial aid offers out. As of May 7, roughly 28% of institutions had yet to begin assembling financial aid packages for accepted applicants, according to a poll by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).

Most persistent FAFSA errors have largely been resolved, including an issue that prevented students in mixed-citizenship status families from submitting the form. However, some students may now face college decision deadlines without all of their financial aid offers on the table.

“These students have no idea of, ‘what is my bill gonna look like and how am I going to be able to pay for it?’,” says Kierstan Dufour, director of external training and partnerships at Get2College, a Mississippi college access organization of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation.

Submit the FAFSA if you haven’t already. And if you’re still navigating enrollment deadlines and waiting on financial aid packages from one or more prospective schools, here’s what you can do.

Be transparent with potential schools

To give students and families more time to receive and consider financial aid offers, 63% of public four-year colleges have extended their decision deadlines, according to NASFAA. Typical May 1 deadlines may now be as late as mid-June, July or even August. The National Association for College Admission Counseling has a comprehensive list of updated 2024-25 college deadlines.

But what if School A sent your financial aid package with a June 1 decision deadline, but School B has no financial aid offer in sight and a June 30 deadline?

Be transparent with potential schools and double-check decision deadlines, Dufour says. Some schools are offering extensions on a case-by-case basis. “Just say, ‘Hey, I'm waiting for an offer and understand that you have this deadline, but I haven't received it from another school. Is there any extension that can be made until I can get all of the pieces of the puzzle together?’”

After reaching out to schools on your own, ask your high school’s guidance counselor to contact them on your behalf, says Ellie Bruecker, interim director of research at The Institute for College Access and Success.

“An email may be more likely to be read if it's coming from a school account from a counselor, than [from] a student and their Gmail address,” Bruecker says. “I hope that most financial aid offices are replying to everybody that they can right now, but you might get a better foot in the door if you're going through your school counselor.”

Net price calculators , which are available on every college’s website, can also help you estimate how much you might pay for the school after financial aid, Bruecker says.

Don’t rule out community college

Financial aid delays can be frustrating, especially when they’re preventing you from making decisions about your future. But if you’re considering college next year, don’t shift direction yet, Bruecker says.

If you’ve submitted the FAFSA, pending financial aid offers should arrive in the coming weeks. The Education Department says it has processed more than 8.3 million FAFSA forms and “is encouraging schools to package aid offers as quickly as possible,” according to an April 30 announcement.

If the offer is insufficient, you can write a financial aid appeal letter to your potential school. As a plan B, you may also consider enrolling in community college in the fall.

Community colleges are much cheaper than four-year schools. Annual community college tuition and fees for in-state students are $3,501, compared with $9,375 for an in-state public four-year school and $32,825 for a private four-year school, per 2020-21 data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics.

You may also have the option to attend a community college for two years, then transfer to a four-year school . This can be a smart way to save money.

And if you’re eligible, Pell Grants can cover most of your community college bill, Dufour says. Community colleges often have rolling admissions, so you have plenty of time to apply for fall enrollment. If you still want to attend a four-year school, you can transfer in the future.

“Just because your route isn't directly to that dream school, doesn't mean that it’s never an option,” Dufour says. “A lot of times colleges will have transfer scholarships, because community colleges have such a large population of students across the country.”

Submit the FAFSA if you haven’t already

The Education Department is now processing FAFSAs within three days — instead of months — so submitting your form today can lead to a quick financial aid package, Dufour says.

If you’re thinking about going to college next year, don’t let financial aid delays dissuade you, Bruecker says. Filling out the form unlocks federal student aid, which can include Pell Grants of up to $7,395 per year. It also unlocks state and college aid, and it's necessary to apply for some scholarships.

If you need help completing the FAFSA or understanding your financial aid award letters , look to these resources:

Your high school's guidance or college counselor.

The financial aid office at your current or prospective college. 

College access organizations in your community or state. 

Online resources, like YouTube videos and the Education Department's FAFSA help page.  

The federal government's student aid helpline: 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243).

You can complete the 2024-25 FAFSA after graduating from high school, but your guidance counselor may not be able to assist you at that point, Dufour says. Prioritize submitting the FAFSA before school is out — and if you need FAFSA help during the summer, reach out to other resources.

“Go do it, go do it, go do it today,” Dufour says. Filling out the FAFSA “is easier than you may think, and if you have glitches, there is a lot of support out there.”

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Their financial aid was in limbo. What did these students decide about college?

• By Liz Willen, Gail Cornwall, Matt Krupnick, Kavitha Cardoza, Ariel Gilreath The Hechinger Report

May 22, 2024 | San Francisco; Chicago; Baltimore; and Greenville, S.C.

For many high school seniors and others hoping to attend college next year, the last few months have become a stress-filled struggle to complete the trouble-prone, much-maligned FAFSA , or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The rollout of this updated and supposedly simplified form was so delayed, error-ridden, and confusing that it has derailed or severely complicated college decisions for millions of students throughout the United States, especially those from low-income, first-generation, and unauthorized immigrant families. 

The bureaucratic mess is also holding up decisions by private scholarship programs and adding to public skepticism about the value of higher education – threatening progress in efforts to get more Americans to and through college. 

Why We Wrote This

Problems with a federal financial aid application have impacted college decisions. Faced with uncertainty around costs, how are members of the class of 2024 deciding what to do next?

To see the impact in person, The Hechinger Report sent reporters to schools in four cities – San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, and Greenville, South Carolina – to hear students’ stories. Because we found them through schools, most of those we interviewed had counselors helping them. For the millions of students who don’t, it’s an even more daunting task. 

“It was stressing me every day,” said one San Francisco senior who was accepted to 16 colleges but could not attend without substantial financial aid. Some became so frustrated they gave up, at least for now. Others said they will turn to trade schools or the military. 

Students whose parents are unauthorized immigrants had special worries, including concern that naming their parents would bring immigration penalties (although the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act forbids FAFSA officials from sharing family information).

To give students more time to weigh options, more than 200 colleges and universities pushed back their traditional May 1 commitment deadlines, some until June 1, according to the American Council on Education, which keeps an updated list . 

Despite heroic efforts by counselors and a slew of public FAFSA-signing events, just 40.2%  of high school seniors had completed the FAFSA as of May 10, in contrast to 49.6% of last year’s seniors at the same time, according to the National College Attainment Network. The numbers do not bode well for college enrollment, nor for the many high school graduates who will not get the benefits of higher education.  

National College Attainment Network

San Francisco: “College is my first choice” 

No one in Damiana Beltran’s family went to college, so she didn’t picture it in her future. But at the end of her junior year, “everybody” at Mission High School in San Francisco started talking about applying, so she did. San José State University admitted her, along with a few other schools. Excited, Beltran entertained visions of becoming a psychologist and showing her younger brother that “you don’t have to be from the wealthiest family” to go to college. 

But the online FAFSA form wouldn’t let Beltran, who is a U.S. citizen, submit her application because her mother, who isn’t, doesn’t have a Social Security number. They tried using her individual taxpayer identification number but got an error message. Leaving the field blank didn’t work either. Beltran’s mother skipped work to get help at the school’s Future Center, but still, no dice. Eventually, they mailed in a paper version.

When May 1 passed with no offer of aid — or even an indication that her FAFSA had been received — Beltran decided to give up on attending the schools that would require her to pay for housing and a meal plan. If she went to nearby San Francisco State University, living at home would mean not asking her mother to take on debt. “I want to go to San José, but I don’t want to do that to her,” a teary Beltran said in April. “I think about it a lot during classes. During the whole school day, it’s in the back of my head.” She’s had trouble sleeping.

Her classmate Josue Hernandez also lost sleep over the FAFSA. It took him about a month and two submission attempts to upload his undocumented parents’ IDs to verify their identity, he said. Once he did, it took about three weeks to process. The senior, who had been accepted into 16 schools, thought, “It was 12 years of hard work, and I finally got in, but I might not even be able to go.” 

Hernandez’s other hope was scholarships. He cut back his hours at an after-school job to work on the applications and then stayed up late to do the homework he’d pushed aside. Most of his free periods, including lunches, went to figuring out how to pay for college. “It was stressing me every day,” Hernandez said. 

Finally, the University of California, Berkeley, told him that his FAFSA had gone through, and financial aid would pay for almost everything; the SEED Scholars Honors Program would likely take care of the rest. “It’s finally over,” he said. 

That’s not quite how Alessandro Mejia’s story went. As a senior in the challenging Game Design Academy at Balboa High School, he has the coding skills to major in computer science at one of the four-year colleges he got into. “College is my first choice,” Mejia said, but making it work financially “would just be much harder on our family.” He was eyeing trade school, saying “being an electrician or a car mechanic doesn’t seem too bad.” Of abandoning a tech career, he said, “I’m a little frustrated, but I feel like I developed a good work ethic in school so … it’s not completely a waste.”

School counselor Katherine Valle listened to Mejia and shook her head. The Game Design Academy, she said, “is our hardest pathway, and we don’t have a lot of Latino males in it. To know he did that and is going to end up being a mechanic is just …” She couldn’t find words. 

But with less than a week to spare, Mejia learned his FAFSA had finally been processed, and he committed to San Francisco State. For Beltran, though, as the May 15 deadline passed, she was “still waiting for my FAFSA to come in,” and hadn’t submitted an intent to register.

Chicago: “It really put me on edge”

Samaya Acker stayed on top of her college plans all year. She applied for early action admission at 17 colleges, submitted her FAFSA application two days after the window opened, and came up with a backup plan to join the military, just in case.

Acker, a senior at Air Force Academy High School on Chicago’s South Side who has “Power” tattooed in script on her arm, was accepted by 16 colleges (her top choice, the University of Chicago, was the only one to turn her down) and planned to spend a few months in the Air National Guard to help pay for college. But as scholarship and deposit deadlines approached, her FAFSA application was still classified as “pending” three months after she submitted it.

“It really put me on edge,” said Acker, whose high school years were interrupted first by Covid and then by the birth of her son halfway through her sophomore year, but who still is graduating with a weighted grade-point average over 4.0.

Just before the college commitment deadlines, Acker was awarded a Gates Scholarship, which pays the full cost of college for high-achieving students from underrepresented groups. Acker, who is Black, accepted her offer of admission from Chicago’s Loyola University, where tuition alone is more than $52,000 per year . She plans to become an anesthesiologist. (The Gates Foundation is among the many funders of The Hechinger Report.)

A few miles away, a group of students at Hubbard High School in southwest Chicago were not as fortunate. 

The FAFSA delays created unique challenges for students with unauthorized immigrant parents , including many at Hubbard. Four seniors whose parents are unauthorized immigrants said they had spent months waiting for the federal government to fix a glitch that prevented parents without Social Security numbers from submitting financial information. 

The glitch was finally fixed, but all four were still waiting, in early May, to find out how much financial aid they might receive. 

“There’s really not much I can do,” said Javier Magana, who was still trying to figure out whether he could afford any of the colleges that had accepted him. “It’s definitely been frustrating because I’ve been trying my best.”

Ixchel Ortiz, plans to go to a Chicago community college, but said that if she didn’t receive financial aid, even that would have to wait.

Isaac Raygoza and Octavio Rodriguez said they had a few four-year college options but likely wouldn’t be able to pursue any of them without a FAFSA answer.

Rodriguez said he had been repeatedly frustrated by the FAFSA. “I would go home and wait 20 to 30 minutes on hold, and we didn’t get anywhere,” he said. In late April he was notified that he had misspelled his own name on the application; in mid-May, he was still waiting to hear whether he needed to re-apply from scratch.

“I’m slightly stressed,” he said.

Raygoza said he had submitted his application on time but had failed to notice an error message that prevented it from being processed. He resubmitted it in late April.

“I was just shocked it was never processed,” he said. “I had to do it all again.”

All four said they would likely take a year off to work if they didn’t get aid. 

Baltimore: “Money was a big factor”

At the Academy for College and Career Exploration in Baltimore, juniors and seniors have weekly class, run by the nonprofit organization iMentor, to help them understand and pursue postsecondary options, including colleges and various types of financial aid. Counselor LaToia Lyle worries about the long delays with FAFSA, because most of her students are low-income and will be first-generation college students, so they don’t always have someone to help them at home, and the delays could mean decisions had to be made quickly.  

She helps them compare tuition costs and reminds them that housing deposits are not refundable and book fees add up. “Even gaps as small as $500 can make a difference,” she said.

For Zion Wilson and Camryn Carter, both seniors, the delays and the need to constantly try to log into FAFSA accounts that froze were frustrating, but both students said they were relieved when glitches with the forms meant their college admission deadlines got pushed back. 

“The last thing I wanted to do was make a fast-paced decision,” said Wilson. “I kept bouncing between different things. I felt the FAFSA delay gave me more of a chance to decide what I actually wanted to do.” 

She had applied for computer science programs at several colleges but was nervous about taking out loans. Even though Baltimore City Community College would be tuition-free for her, she worried she wouldn’t have enough money to spend if she wasn’t working. But her family wanted her to go to college, especially because her elder sister had enrolled but dropped out after the first year. 

Wilson was admitted to her top three choices — BCCC, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Coppin State University — but even with scholarships, she decided not to go. Instead, Wilson plans to go straight into the workforce through a program called Grads2Careers, where she will get training in information technology.

“It kind of sounded like I can just do the exact same thing that I would be doing if I went to college, but I can just start now versus waiting two years to start,” Wilson said. After a two-week training period, she will be paid between $15 and $17 an hour, she said. 

In the end, she filled out her portion of the FAFSA, but told her parents not to do theirs. “Why make my parents do this long thing and put in their tax information, if I’m not going anywhere that requires it?” 

Wilson is relieved not to have to think about college anymore. “I think I made the right choice, and having some money in my pocket will also be a good push for me to continue to advance up.”

Her classmate Carter is a serious student who is also on the baseball, wrestling, and track teams. He has never wavered from his childhood decision to study biology. It began, he said, when he was about four years old, and his grandmother tuned to the National Geographic channel on TV.

“I was like, ‘stop, stop, stop,’ ” he said, recalling the video of a lion attacking a zebra. Carter was hooked. He started watching the channel every day. “I fell in love with ants, ecosystems, that just sparked my interest in biology.” 

Carter applied to 14 colleges. He said filling out all the forms was challenging because the delayed release of the FAFSA meant he was doing it at the same time as he was taking a demanding course load, including AP Literature and AP Calculus. “It was really time-consuming and really work-heavy with a lot of essays, a lot of homework,” he said. “It’s pretty tough to do that at the same time while I’m doing college supplemental essays and my personal statement.”  

But the FAFSA delay also meant that his mother had more time to finish the form, something she had been putting off for months. Because he is the oldest of four children, his mom hadn’t had to complete a form like this before that asks for a lot of personal information, including tax data, he said. 

“My mom was just brushing over it,” he said. “But I was like, ‘No, you really have to do this because this is for my future. Like, you don’t do this, I’ll have so much debt.’ So I was just telling her to please do this and please get on it.” 

She did, but Carter said it likely wouldn’t have happened without the delay. 

Carter got into his dream school, the University of Maryland, College Park, with a full scholarship, including tuition, meals, and accommodation. His second choice, McDaniel College, also offered him a generous scholarship, but he says he still would have ended up paying $6,000 a year, which he didn’t want to do. “Definitely money was a big factor,” he said. He said he’s excited about starting a new chapter in September: “I feel like UMD is the perfect fit for me.” 

Greenville: “We’re just playing the waiting game”

Chylicia and Chy’Kyla Henderson worked hard to graduate early from Eastside High School in Greenville, South Carolina. The sisters filled their schedules and took virtual classes as well, so that Chylicia could be done with school a semester early and Chy’Kyla could graduate after her junior year. Both want to attend college but need financial aid to afford it. 

Their mom, Nichole Henderson, said the stress of trying to fill out both their FAFSA forms led her to take her daughters and two other graduating seniors she knew to a FAFSA workshop at a local college in April. Even with help from someone there, she found the forms confusing – Chylicia’s asked for Nichole’s tax information, she said, but Chy’Kyla’s did not. 

“As a parent, it’s stressful,” Nichole said.  

Chylicia is thinking about pursuing a degree in nursing or social work, and leaning toward starting at Greenville Technical College, a community college. But the school emailed her saying they needed more information on her financial aid application; but it wasn’t clear if the issue stemmed from the FAFSA form or something else, she said. 

Then, on May 8, she got an email from South Carolina Tuition Grants, a program that provides up to $4,800 in need-based scholarships, saying she was tentatively approved for the full amount. She still hasn’t resolved the paperwork at Greenville Technical College, though, and so isn’t sure yet whether she can enroll there. 

And if Chylicia’s application is missing information, the family worries that Chy’Kyla’s will have the same issue. Like her sister, she’s considering starting at a community college, but by May 8, she hadn’t received word about financial aid from any schools or from any need-based scholarship programs.

“We’re just playing the waiting game,” their mother said. 

At J.L. Mann High School, also in Greenville County, students normally start filling out FAFSA forms with their parents sometime in the fall, but this year, they couldn’t access the form until January. 

The delay created some challenging decisions for students like Braden Freeman, who is the student body president at J.L. Mann. He submitted his FAFSA in January, right after it opened. In March, he was told he got a full scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University in Texas – but by May 1, he still hadn’t heard back from his other top choices, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, on how much aid he would get. Those colleges had pushed back their decision deadlines because of the FAFSA delays.

Instead of waiting to hear back from UNC and UVA, Freeman decided to put a deposit down at Southern Methodist, whose deadline was May 1. The full scholarship from SMU was a big factor in his decision.  

Both the UNC and UVA eventually sent Freeman his financial aid packages a week before their deadline to enroll, which was May 15. Freeman said he still planned to attend Southern Methodist.

This story about FAFSA applications was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Try the Offer Letter Decoder .

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6 ways to help pay for college when financial aid isn't enough

Ndab creativity // shutterstock, financial aid falling short here's 6 ways to close your college funding gap.

College can be a huge financial investment. For the 2023-24 academic year, the average cost of tuition and fees for a full-time student attending a public four-year in-state college is $11,260, according to the College Board. That doesn't include books, supplies and living expenses.

Financial aid can be a tremendous resource, but you might still have a funding gap to cover. Experian compiled six ways to help pay for college if financial aid isn't enough.

1. Appeal Your Award Letter

If your family's financial situation has changed, writing an appeal letter could help you get more financial aid. After completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), each school you've been accepted to should send you a letter explaining your award package. Your expected family contribution (EFC) determines your eligibility for certain types of federal aid. (Starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, this will be replaced with something called the Student Aid Index—SAI—which will serve the same function.)

Financial aid award letters typically include:

• Your estimated cost of attendance
• Your EFC (or SAI beginning in the 2024-25 academic year)
• Your financial need
• Scholarships and grants
• Work-study eligibility
• Federal student loans

You can also appeal your award letter if you made an error on your FAFSA or have received a better offer from another school and want to see if the college will match it. Either way, it involves writing a personalized letter to the college that explains your situation. Providing documentation can strengthen your case.

2. Apply for Scholarships

Unlike student loans, scholarships do not need to be repaid. This type of free money can go a long way when financial aid isn't enough—and there seems to be plenty of money to go around. According to the National Scholarship Providers Association, roughly $100 million in scholarships goes unclaimed every year.

Databases like Scholarships.com and Fastweb can be a great jumping-off point. You can also research state and local organizations, as well as groups that award scholarships based on specific:

• Hobbies and interests
• Extracurricular activities

Stay on the lookout and continue applying for scholarships throughout your college career—not just as an incoming freshman.

3. Look Into Grants

Like scholarships, grants are considered free-and-clear gift aid. If you have financial need, you may be eligible for federal grants. The information on your FAFSA will determine your eligibility. This type of free money can also be available through states, private organizations and colleges.

Start by completing the CSS profile , which is an online application that many colleges and scholarship providers use to award non-federal financial aid. It's operated through the College Board—and fee waivers are available to qualifying students. You can also check with your state to see if any grants are up for grabs.

4. Consider Part-Time Jobs

Picking up a part-time job could be a great way to drum up extra cash if your financial aid isn't enough. In 2022, about 42% of full-time college students worked, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some potential money-making gigs may include:

• Working on campus
• Exploring off-campus jobs at restaurants, retail stores and offices
• Driving for rideshare apps
• Freelancing (writing, editing, graphic design or social media management, for example)
• Babysitting or pet sitting

5. Think About Private Student Loans

Your eligibility for federal student loans should be outlined in your financial aid award letters. If there's still a funding gap, private student loans could help you cover the difference. These are available through financial institutions—not the federal government.

Despite some drawbacks, the right private student loan could help you cover your college costs if there's a shortfall of federal aid. Just be sure to think about how student loans will affect your finances going forward. As of 2023, the average U.S. consumer had $38,787 in student loan debt , according to Experian data.

6. Modify Your College Plans

If your funding gap feels insurmountable, you could think about modifying your college plans. That may mean choosing a different school or starting at a community college before transferring to a university. Either option could greatly reduce your out-of-pocket costs, especially if you're able to live at home. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average local community college student pays roughly $141 per credit hour—compared with $390 per course at an in-state four-year public college (not including room, board and other fees).

The Bottom Line

There may still be ways to pay for college if financial aid isn't enough. Scholarships, grants, part-time jobs and private student loans can all help cover the gap—or you might choose to attend a more affordable college. The right path for you will depend on your college goals and financial situation.

No matter where you go to college, building a strong credit score is a key part of long-term financial wellness.

This story was produced by Experian and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.