Very, very bad $ news

[opalcat]

Ok so today I got the letter from the school saying that my residency petition had been denied. This means that in the fall I will still have to pay out of state tuition*. That's around $7,500. My financial aid total (pell grant + subsidized + unsubsidized loans) is $7,616. Then I got the merit scholarship, half of which applies to fall semester.

Comments

[gingy]

That stinks.

[saxface]

Can you fight their decision? Write them a letter back asking for a meeting with the head of the department and explain your situation? Even though universities are now mostly run like corporations you can still find some sympathetic people who are willing to help and who want you to succeed without huge financial hardships. It's work and you might end up crying in someone's office, but challenging them can pay off (speaking from experience).

[opalcat]

It's spelled out very clearly in their rules that this disqualifies me, so I don't see how I could fight it.

[saxface]

I understand, totally. But I guess that's why my friend Rachel calls me an "excitable ethnic" - I'd challenge it whether it's in the rules or not. For example, my daughter was wait-listed at her pre-school this summer because the full-time/full-year kids have priority and the class was totally overbooked. But my bitching and moaning worked and I somehow got her in (well, due to an extremely sympathetic person). But I can see how not making waves is appealing, too. Good luck.

[opalcat]

Well it never even occurred to me that it might be fightable. Do you really think there is a chance in hell? Because if there is I can go be as pathetic as they want in an appeal...

[opalcat]

Right but I got financial aid from the school in Georgia, and that disqualifies me :/