Negotiate for better scholarships

pumpkin65
Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:43:47 +0000

I will never forget the day I heard one of my co-workers talk to someone at a well regarded NC LAC regarding his son’s scholarship offer there. The boy had been invited down to the school as a finalist for an excellent merit scholarship, and did not win the scholarship. He was instead offered a much smaller merit amount. My co-worker made an impassioned plea over the phone, talked at length to the representative about his truly wonderful son, how the college was the boy’s dream school; he nearly cried on the phone with this person. No mention was made of other scholarship offers, which I know this boy had. It was not a negotiation.

It worked. He was made a much larger offer, and attended the college as a result.

It taught me a lot about advocating for your child when it is really warranted. It was done in a nice way. There was clearly emotion involved, but it was not negative at all. I guess it also goes to show you that some colleges can find money if they want to.