<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I’m not sure if anyone here will be able to provide me with information that I need, as I live and will attend school in Canada. However, this is the only forum that I have found that discusses the issue of financial appeals, and I would appreciate an educated opinion. </p>
<p>I come from a very low-income family (single working parent in skilled trade, four child home, no financial assets). I cannot expect family financial contribution for my post secondary education. Fortunately, I will be able to live at home for the duration of university; however, my family’s financial situation is such that I must contribute in some part to household finances. We just moved cross-country from British Columbia to New Brunswick. I was previously set to attend university in Fall of 2010, but had to defer admission due to a sudden loss in the family. </p>
<p>I can really no longer afford to attend university in my home province – I would have struggled in any case with the price of tuition, so the price of residence is out of the question. Happily, I have the opportunity to attend a university in New Brunswick that is even better suited to me. I met with an admission counsellor before I applied, and she guaranteed me a minimum scholarship based solely on my grades. The scholarship is awarded to students with a calculated admission average of 90% or higher – my average is 95.5%. </p>
<p>In addition to my grades, I provided two letters of reference from two veteran teachers who told me that they counted me amongst the top five students they had ever taught. I provided evidence of the many academic honours I had achieved in my final year of high school. My high school was extremely successful and competitive, and BC is second in the country for quality of education. I compiled a summary of activities. I summarized my capabilities and passions, both of which I felt set a place for me in the highly active extracurricular scene they pride themselves on.</p>
<p>Today I received my scholarship offer. They chose to offer me the minimum amount – the amount guaranteed by a 90% admission average.</p>
<p>A little background on both the universities at which I am accepted (and although the numbers I’m about to give may seem petty in the US, they mean the world to me):</p>
<p>The university in NB is a liberal arts school consistently rated as the best undergraduate university in the country. It has the highest per-student endowment in the country, at 49,000. It has an enrolment of approximately 2,600, which is kept low as a part of the university’s appeal. Tuition is 6,700 per year. </p>
<p>The university in BC is often counted as the best comprehensive university in the country. It has a per-student endowment of 7,000, and an enrolment of 25,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduates. The admission requirements are actually slightly more stringent than at the NB university. Tuition is 5,200 per year. </p>
<p>From the BC university, I was offered 5,000 a year based solely on my grades, with 3,300 renewable annually with a 3.50 GPA. From the NB university, I was offered 1,500 renewable annually with a 3.7 GPA. </p>
<p>You may know that BC is a very wealthy province, and NB one of the poorest. I feel that the university may have overestimated my financial capability for this reason. In fact, my family moved to BC when trades work was scarce in the East. We moved away because, after 18 years, the cost of living had far outweighed the work opportunities, and my family was left in debt.</p>
<p>In my application, I didn’t want to blame my background or make excuses for what might be seen as a lack of accomplishment. My parents (the world’s best, actually) were never able to afford music lessons and sports, and without higher education themselves they were not able to prepare and coach me for application to university. I have, on my own initiative, developed a number of skills and passions, and I am dearly hoping that university will give me the chance to expand. I am afraid, however, that they are not quantifiable, and I can see how that might give reason to doubt the prospect of my contributions.</p>
<p>Mental illness runs in my family, and I have spent the better part of my life depressed and at times suicidal. Depression took my mother. Still, I have intellectual and creative capability that I have put to good use in an academic setting.</p>
<p>I know that extenuating circumstances, such as those I have described, can be weighed against a perceived lack of demonstrated ability. As I said, I was reluctant in my application to make excuses for myself or use my hardships to gain sympathy and reward. Now I have to hope that a better explanation of my background may yield better results.</p>
<p>So, my questions:</p>
<p>Why would a university, seemingly better financially situated and with higher tuition, offer such meagre financial aid?</p>
<p>Now that the scholarship decisions have been made, is it really worth appealing? If so, what, of the information that I have here described, might actually help my chances? </p>
<p>Thank you,</p>
<p>Kate</p>