Issue Date: May 3, 2009
MoneySmart |
WALECIA KONRAD |
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Revising financial aid
Have you fallen on hard times since you negotiated financial aid for your college student? University financial aid officers often take special circumstances into account.
With the tough economic climate and rising unemployment rate, more families will need to plead for a change in student aid packages. If you find yourself in that situation, Kevin Simme, head of College Funding Alternatives in Princeton Junction, N.J., has this advice on how to approach the financial aid office.
Do your paperwork. If the aid you've been awarded doesn't match your family's current financial profile, start with the college's formal appeals process (details usually are available on its website). Make your case clearly and strongly. If there is no formal appeals process, write a letter to the director of financial aid explaining your new circumstances.
Don't hide your emotions. A human being is reading your letter, so make the hardship of your situation clear as well as your student's enthusiasm for, and commitment to, this particular school.
Don't be afraid to follow up. Financial aid officers are inundated with requests. A phone call or, if you can swing it, a brief visit (make an appointment in advance) will give you the opportunity to lay out the specifics of your situation in a more personal way.
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