How to ask for (and get) more (merit) money

Paying for College
1

Ok, before someone condescendingly tells me to just search “How to ask for (and get) more money” on this site, let me assure you I’ve already done so! The top thread is the same question with one reply telling the OP to search this site for the answer. I browsed for another 30 minutes and only found a little info that directly applied to my situation.

So, if you’re offended to see this question again, please just move along!!!

My DS’ situation:
Accepted to UT
Accepted to Dean’s Scholars and to Plan II
Made semi-finalist for 40 acres full ride but no further
Carried 3.99/4.0 UW at rigorous nationally known high school (attended on 70% aid)
SAT 1600/2330
NM Scholar

He is hoping to triple major in math/Plan II/history and has the study habits and brain to do it. He’ll have 9 AP’s and 3 post-AP’s to help get a running start.

Received full tuition scholarships and entry to honors programs at 4 other schools (UH, Baylor, OU, Westmont).
Baylor and UH give about $6k extra above tuition/fees, leaving their net cost at about $10,000.

DS wants to go to UT… Believes it the best academic opportunity, which I agree.
UT costs $26,000 to live on campus for COA

Received $10k from Plan II merit
Received $1k from Deans Scholars (I’d heard these were lower, but surprised how low given he got into CNS first)

Net Cost at UT = $15,000

EFC $25k so likely nothing but $5k unsub parent loans coming. Have an unusual rental property situation which is tying up our ability to pay more while penalizing us about $5k on our EFC.

Need $15k above scholarships except for first year with NM only need $12.5k

Have $5k cash to put in yearly.

How best to ask for about $8-10k more merit support at UT?

  1. Is it better to email, call, handwrite, or visit in person?
  2. Is it best to ask for merit from two sources already giving it? Or other depts?
  3. is it best to speak with Financial Aid office, or Admissions Office?
  4. has anyone in similar situation found success in asking for more? Please share details.
2

For your #2, why would you limit it to one choice? If you can ask for more merit from the two sources already giving it and the department, wouldn’t you do both? You may have maxed out on the merit, but you never know.

Merit is usually handled by the admissions office, other aid (both need based and often things like alum awards or specialty awards) done by the financial aid office.

If I were you, I’d do it all. If you can go in person, make an appointment and do so. Ask everyone. If he’s in a certain department, ask them. All they can do is say no.

3

The net cost ($15k) - $5k (parent contribution) - $5500 (federal student loan) - $3k (student summer work earnings) = ~$1500. I think that’s a pretty good package. I don’t know if a college will give aid that reduces your EFC. And many expect a student contribution too.

What does this mean? If you own property that generates income, I don’t think colleges will give you extra grant money so you can hold onto it.

4

I had success in asking for more by contacting both admissions and the department. The wording was something along the lines of: this is absolutely our first choice - we just cannot make the numbers work without additional scholarship money. A couple of differences from your situation:

Our EFC was much lower: my son was actually eligible for a small Pell Grant.

We were asking for more money from a school (Michigan State) that was academically less prestigious than his other options (Northwestern, Amherst).

The end result were scholarships that added up to a full ride with money left over.

We did have to send copies of the FA offers from other schools.

5

@austinmshauri thanks for your reply. The loan isn’t a student loan, it’s more likely a parent loan. I like the summer work, and yet it is trickier to get 40hrs/week than hoped for. Maybe he can get 2 part-time jobs… Unsub parent loans not such a great idea… would really like to avoid these kind of loans… pretty leveraged already. Re rental property: I cannot dispose of it for 2 more years due to a lease to buy option on it. We actually live in a rental. Got into situation to help a divorced mom with 10 kids…

@twoinanddone thanks for the encouraging words. I will proceed as suggested!

6

Your net cost is 10k lower than your EFC. Even with the “5k hit” that you’re taking on the property, your net cost is still 5k lower than that.

Extraordinarily generous package. You can ask for more but I highly doubt they’ll give it.

7

@austinmshauri @twoinanddone do you have kids at UT currently?

8

most interested in the question of “HOW to best ask…” I understand we are talking about 50/50 or worse chance…

9

@greeninohio Thank you very much for you comment! Some hope there, although our position is weaker. Did you email, or visit in person, and was the student with you, did you pitch it, or did the student pitch it?

10

Some parents have had success telling colleges that it’s their child’s #1 choice but they’ve received more generous offers at peer schools and politely asked for a professional review. You can try, but make sure your child knows what your plan is if it doesn’t work out.

11

@austinmshauri Good advice! Thank you!

12

Your son is automatically eligible for an unsub loan of $5500 since theoretically you have no financial need. This will leave you paying ~$10,000.
Your only chance is to get an increase in merit $$ which would be from admissions. What is UT’s criteria for a full tuition scholarship,because that is essentially what you need. From what I was able to peruse the Plan II honors scholarship has a financial need component attached to it.

If the COA for UT is 26k and your EFC is 25k, you may not end up getting an increase.

13

@jjloehr , I actually handled it through email. I had email addresses for the Associate Dean of the Honors College and the Assistant Director of Admissions and contacted them directly. I also contacted the School of Engineering directly after hearing about some small scholarships that were available through them. I agree that our position was somewhat stronger in that my son was likely in the top 5-10% of the applicant pool. I doubt we would have had the same success with Michigan or UNC as opposed to Michigan State.

My cousin is also the Associate Director of Resident Life at MSU and lived across the street from the AD of the Honors College and preceded the AD of Admissions as an RA in one of the residence halls. I don’t know if he “pulled any strings,” but it certainly didn’t hurt.

Both of my parents and I are MSU alumni, as well, so the family connection played prominently in my emails. Again, I have no idea if that angle helped…but it did give me an emotional appeal to structure my emails around.

Good luck.