Be Realistic
Be honest and keep your request within reason. For example,
you probably shouldn’t expect a more prestigious university to
compete with an offer from a less competative school; if you are
going to use another college’s offer as leverage they should be
fairly comparable. You also shouldn’t expect the financial aid
office to offer more due to high mortgage payments or other
regular expenses that are within your control to change.
Timing is Everything!
It can be most beneficial to ask for more money in the window
soon after receiving the school’s offer but before sending in any
deposits (May 1 is the national deadline so you have time!). The
reason is twofold:
appeals process. If this is the case, keep records and be sure make
note of the names of the people you speak to as you go; they’re
a wealth of information and are almost always eager to help, so
you’ll want to get to know them by name!
5 minutes =
$ 4000
• Extra scholarship money may be depleted if you wait too long
to make your request, and
• Once schools have sent an acceptance letter to your teen, they
become somewhat invested in them. But once your teen has
committed with a deposit, schools may feel less pressure to give
any extra incentives to draw them in.
Angie Hayden is Managing
Editor of Potential Magazine
and mother of two girls. She is
always on the lookout for ways to
pay for college.
Know the Process
Keep in mind that while a quick email did the job in our case,
every school is different and your teen’s school may have an
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Mathnasium of Montgomery
334.356.1570
mathnasium.com/eastmontgomery
3441 Taylor Road
Montgomery, Al 36116