Aid leverage

[arlie]

How do you go about asking a school to offer you more aid because you were awarded a Full Scholarship to another school?  What methods work best?

Comments

[crankyasanoldma]

They can't always do anything to change your package. BUT

[arlie]

This is for law school and the full ride is at a Tier 3 school, while I want my Tier 4 school to offer me more money.

[rocza]

My favourite story so far has been hearing from people complaining about getting offers into programs that are worlds apart from their undergraduate degree, but little to no funding because the department has little funding and the money went to students who do have the background.

Money has to be divided up somehow, and as much as it sucks, if you're changing fields, you should be prepared to have to prove yourself before you get free rides. (The idea that people should be entitled to a free education still irritates me. If you're not TAing or RAing, then you don't deserve a free ride, and get over yourself. Grrr...)

[arlie]

Well I was a poli sci major and did well on the LSAT. That's why they have all offered aid. I'm just trying to use it as leverage to get more from some others before making a decision. I don't want to have to make the decision on the cost.

[rocza]

So don't make the decision based on cost. Make it on where you want to go, and if you have to take out loans and such to do it, join the large percentage of students who do just that in order to achieve their goals.

Which doesn't mean you shouldn't try to negotiate a better aid package, only that if you don't want to make it based on cost, then don't make it based on cost.

[pansette]

Although one could argue that EVERYONE is entitled to a free education.

I'm just a silly little socialist, though, so don't listen to me...

[rocza]

That's a different argument, though. ;)