Negotiating Financial Aid Package at Duke -- HELP?!

twoinanddone
Mon, 02 Apr 2018 05:52:49 +0000

Schools that offer similar merit awards will compare them, but you said you didn’t get merit at Duke. Some schools only give merit, others only need based aid, so you have to compare similar programs. You said most of the Duke merit awards are specifically need based or require residence in North Carolina. A USC merit award wouldn’t be the same.

Your first point is that you want Duke to qualify you for need based aid because of a drop in income. I don’t think they will qualify you with those facts. Your family is still high income even with the drop in income. The other two schools did not give you need based aid so their is nothing for Duke to compare as to need.

You can try to get Duke to consider USC/Rice offers for Duke merit aid. Duke has to decide if those are peer schools AND if they have a similar type of aid. I do consider them peer schools, but it’s up to Duke to decide.