<p>How do ypu establish a “working” relationship with the Fin. Aid office?</p>
<p>bump…</p>
<p>What do you mean by “working relationship?”</p>
<p>What is a “working relationship” suppose to mean? If you think that knowing the finAID office and its officers will get you any better deal then you are dead wrong.</p>
<p>not a better deal, but, well i really don’t know what i mean. i will be a sr. just trying to have all my bases covered.</p>
<p>… what?</p>
<p>The only advice I know is to get to them early so they can spend more time on you.</p>
<p>Read their financial aid materials thoroughly, ask remaining questions early, and get your materials in accurately and early. If you get an aid award and accept it also send a thank-you note. The officers are really human beings and as is the case with most people appreciate being appreciated.</p>
<p>I will be a SR in high school, I’ve toured the school, the thing i didn’t get to see was the fin. aid office.</p>
<p>I guess I kinda get what you are talking about, only because of my situation right now. I’ve had to communicate with my financial aid office a lot recently to make sure all of my outside agency scholarships went through before the tuition deadline. I come from a tiny high school, and I feel like I know the administration there well and they know me. I think that kind of relationship could be important. Write letters when you need to, always thank them for their time, be courteous on the phone, always be nice to the secretary, that kind of thing. They will remember you. Like SevenNights said, it won’t help you with getting a better financial package, but it could cause them to help you faster and alert you of new scholarship opportunties if you need them.</p>
<p>This is what I would do to establish a “working relationship” -</p>
<p>This is similar to a friendship, so you have to give and take…
- Dont always ask for things - just call them (or stop by) to leisurely talk about your future plans, why you like their school, and what you have told other people about their school</p>
<p>(note: do not lie if you really dont like their school, etc, just say something else.)</p>
<p>You want them to know: A) you appreciate the work that they do
B) Your first name - what you want to do with your life, and that you are an assset to their college (you dont have to be a genius to be an asset)
C) you are passionate about your future plans
D) Your family situation - without sounding whiny or complaining</p>
<p>I would recommend starting this relationship at THEIR best time (like in the middle of a semester when the fin aid office is slower) </p>
<p>Be genuine, be funny, show your personality, show how YOU are going to make a difference. Trust me, a friend in a high place is VERY beneficial to you (I am good friends with a guy in the fin aid dept of a school I applied to but didnt go - its just good to keep those contacts for the future)</p>
<p>With that “working relationship”, you might be able to negotiate for a higher aid package, then again, you might not, but at least now if you have any questions, etc, you are known and therefore a priority to them in a crowd. </p>
<p>Try to stick out - do NOT just do what everyone else does - a ton of kids asking for more $ to the fin aid office is like telemarketers harassing YOU for $</p>
<p>Hope that helps…</p>
<p>Should I do it now in the summer?</p>
<p>Relax and work on your community service or ecs the summer before your junior year. Start the scholarship list the summer before your senior year.</p>
<p>If you are not a student of the school, you are not going to have a 'working relationship" with the school. They will answer any questions you have to the best of their ability. They can’t or won’t give you a concrete answer because they don’t have your paperwork and as a prospective applicant, student they will not place their employer (the college ) at any level of exposure by promising you anything that is going to come back and bite them. </p>
<p>Often they are dealing with financial guidlines. IF they operate using the Federal methodolgy, on calculating FA, they are going by the gov’ts guidlines. If they have insitutional funds, they may have a little more lattitude, but even then, you will not be able to explain your full tale of woe, until they ask you for information either as a student or as a recently admitted student awaiting a FA offer.</p>
<p>Should I do it now in the summer?>></p>
<p>Wabash, no. The time to “establish a relationship” with the financial aid office is after you have applied to the school - submit the required forms. After you are accepted you can then contact them to discuss specifics. But it makes NO SENSE to establish a relationship with a financial aid office at any school before you have even sent in an application. The idea that “making friends” with financial aid will make a difference is silly: while some schools will negotiate the terms of a financial aid package AFTER it is offered, most financial aid officers are not swayed by personal friendships or relationships. In fact, bothering the financial aid office with visits, phone calls, emails, etc. may indeed backfire as it can be viewed as a pain in the you know what. A few polite phone calls after your award has been issued is not a problem, trying to smooze financial aid beforehand is.</p>
<p>It is, however, fine to ask the admissions office any questions you may have about how financial aid is determined at a particular school you are considering.</p>
<p>ok thanks now i have a better idea.</p>
<p>LOL
I used to work in a Financial Aid office(in fact, two of them)
They’re never on the tours…maybe a group walks by the entrance at best…
Advice above is good.My other best advice when calling with a question or needing help don’t just take the answer of the person answering the phone…ask to speak to a counselor and always ask who you are speaking to so you have the name in refernce.</p>