Denied of financial aid...what should I do?!?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi all!</p>

<p>I am currently in my last semester at a 4-year university. Like many other students, I depend on financial aid to pay for tuition, books, food, transportation, etc.</p>

<p>Last year, I made a terrible mistake to switch a concentration in my major at the last minute. This ultimately extended my graduation by one full semester, as the new concentration requires 3 extra classes. At my school, EVERY major is impacted so they don’t want students loitering more than 4 years. As a result, my school recently denied me of aid (for my last semester).</p>

<p>**To receive aid, I now have to write a personal statement that addresses the reasons for my excessive units.</p>

<p>My question is: what is the best way to address the problem? (I don’t think stating that I want to be in this new concentration is enough to get by the financial aid committee).</p>

<p>I send you my kind regards in advance for any feedback!</p>

2

<p>All you can do is explain why you needed to switch concentrations. (“I thought it would be fun,” for example, would not be a good explanation. :wink: ) Be as persuasive as you can be, while keeping your statement as brief as possible. They just want an explanation - not your life story - so keep it to one or two SHORT paragraphs. Really, no more than that!</p>

<p>And be prepared for them to say “no.” Come up with an alternate plan to pay for the additional classes, such as working full time and going to school part-time. It’s not ideal, I know, but it may be your best option. So, start thinking outside your comfort zone, and see if you can’t come up with a way to do this on your own if you need to.</p>