College Costs Series: Understanding & Challenging Your Aid Package

Описание: Congratulations! You’ve received your college acceptance letters — but the financial aid offer at your top-choice school isn't quite what you expected. Before you let your "dream school" slip away, it's time to learn how to advocate for the funding YOU deserve.

The college financial aid process doesn't have to end with your initial award letter. In this session of our College Costs Series, we will pull back the curtain on the "appeals" process, showing you how to strategically request more aid.

Whether your family has experienced a recent financial shift or you simply want to leverage a better offer from a competing institution, we will give you the tools to bridge the gap.

What We Will Cover:

*Deciphering the Award Letter: Learn how to identify "gift aid" (grants and scholarships) vs. "self-help aid" (loans and work-study) to find your true out-of-pocket cost.

*Special Circumstance Appeals: How to formally request a "Professional Judgment" review if your family has experienced a significant change, such as job loss, medical expenses, or divorce, that isn't reflected on the FAFSA.

*Competitive Appeals & Matching: Strategies for using offers from other colleges to negotiate a more competitive package at your preferred school.

*Budget & Dependency Appeals: Understanding how to challenge your Cost of Attendance (COA) or request a dependency override in unique situations.

*The Appeal Timeline: Knowing when to reach out to the financial aid office to maximize your chances of success before funds run out.