Appealing Fin Aid @ Cornell and Dartmouth

Colleges & Universities Cornell University
1

Hello fellow CC posters!

I received news recently that I had been admitted to both Cornell and Dartmouth. Unfortunately, my excitement was dampened very quickly when I received my financial aid package.

Both Cornell and Dartmouth have offered me zero aid. Our EFC for Cornell on the Collegeboard website came out to only 50k per year. Attending either school would mean paying 72k a year, which is basically impossible for my family. Even though my dad makes 180k plus yearly, this price isn’t achievable for us, because we have a ridiculously high mortgage, on top of other financial factors.

Attending Cornell or Dartmouth would mean that I would graduate with 140k in student loans (parents have saved up around 140k so far). I really dont want to accumulate loans from undergrad, as I plan to attend law school in the future.

None of the factors on the appeal application apply to me. We have no outstanding medical bills, no unemployment, etc. For these reasons, I am afraid that my appeal will have no effect on my FA award.

Other than file an appeal, what can I do to increase my financial aid? How likely are Cornell and Dartmouth to increase my aid?

Would it be useful to pay money to a financial college consulting company to negotiate fin aid?

Any tips and all help would be appreciated, thanks!

2

Did you use the Cornell FA Calculator prior to applying? Many have found it a reliable estimate of the FA that the school has given. http://finaid.cornell.edu/cost-attend/financial-aid-estimator Unless the amount of the schools own FA calculator is much different then the award given, it is unlikely that a consulting company can negotiate better for you.

3

They won’t use a high mortgage as an excuse lol…some people sell their houses and downgrade because of their college.

No a consulting company can’t do anything lol…never even heard of that.

“I really dont want to accumulate loans from undergrad”

Your going to have to.

Best case scenario, ask them for 20K a year. This will allow you to be in debt only 60k.

Get more greedy and then um…they will screw you.

4

Maybe check with FA for any endowed named scholarships? Sometimes there are alumni designating scholarship money if you meet certain criteria and it could be non need based

5

You used the College Board calculator, not the Cornell calculator? Run the Cornell NPC now. Also, what was your Fafsa EFC? If the Cornell NPC shows something different from what you were offered, then you can point that out to them in an appeal.