College Award Letters - They're In The Mail

At this time of year colleges are beginning to mail out their financial aid offers to next year's freshman class.

Be very careful what you read.

You did NOT receive a stone tablet where everything is carved in stone.

Here's what you're not seeing at the bottom of the letter because it's invisible:

"This is our first offer."

This is not at the bottom of the letter if your EFC (Expected Family Contibution = what you're expected to pay) exceeds the college's cost this year. But it's there if your EFC is below the college's cost of attendance.

This all means one thing: you can appeal the award letter. Yes!

Colleges think you're dumb enough NOT to notice that you can appeal their "award," which is really the bill made to look like a huge favor thrown in for good PR.

Don't be deceived. Colleges have appeal budgets that are not disclosed on their websites. Not for a moment are they going to signal to you that if you don't like their offer, you can always ask for more.

Bottom Line: You can ask for more. It doesn't mean you'll get more, but many colleges will offer a little bit more to make you feel good. It's a "touchee-feelee" thing with those people.*

What do you stand to lose if you don't ask?
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*"those people" is a term that Robert E. Lee used when he referred to his enemy during the Civil War. It's a term we use here in the same manner. In other words, the colleges are not your friends as much as they would like to portray themselves with all that glossy mailbox literature you receive.