<p>How does a student go about negotiating a FA package, and is it even possible? Daughter has acceptances from multiple schools, but has narrowed it down to schools A, B, and C. For now, we will leave out C, as they haven’t sent their FA package yet.</p>
<p>As far as A and B go, A was most generous and the yearly COA will be 10k per year lower than school B. School A is in top 10, and B is in top 20. Does daughter have leverage with school B to ask them to match school A? I am only mentioning ranking numbers if it is a tool to negotiate with. <em>My</em> personal favorite (of course my vote doesn’t count) is school C. I suspect it is with D as well, but she doesn’t want to get her hopes up until the FA comes in.</p>
<p>So how much leverage does a student have to negotiate with schools, and if how would she go about it?</p>
<p>As a LOL side note, she called her state school today and asked when her FA package would be online. They told her they don’t even start working on them till the summer. Huh?? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>When is school C supposed to get your daughter the FA package? Is it soon?</p>
<p>If it is you can hold off until then.</p>
<p>Does package A or B have merit in it or is it all need?</p>
<p>Is that $10K for COA based just on tuition, fees or is it everything? As in rent, food, travel, supplies, misc? Because sometimes there is elasticity in it?</p>
<p>For example, COA at son’s school COA is based on rent being estimated at $1250 per month and food at $500. In reality he spends $350 rent and $125 maybe on food, if that. Utilities are $40 for the month. Obviously his COA is NOT what they estimated it to be.</p>
<p>However, when looking at other school’s packages some UNDERestimated what rent would be (at least 2 of his schools) so his COA would have been MORE than what was estimated.</p>
<p>Does she want school B more than school A? Is that why you would want a new package from school B? Is the COA to begin with more at B than A? </p>
<p>Others will have a lot more advice, but the one point I can offer is - personal relationships can make a difference. At this point in the year, it’s probably too late to gain anything, but if your daughter has had good, consistent contact with the local rep for each university, there might be some leverage there, and obviously who knows her as more than just the application. I got extra money from my #1 choice, because the local rep had known my interest and I was able to talk about the FA package I got from other places without being threatening. I don’t know for certain, but based on the timing of our conversations I can only assume she went to bat for me.</p>
<p>School A has 40k per year merit that is renewable with adequate progress (my phrase, can’t remember what theirs is.) School B is need based.</p>
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<p>That is for COA.</p>
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<p>Thanks for the heads up on that. She got her school C package today and it looks like they did underestimate the rent/utilities slightly.</p>
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<p>$125 per month on food? WOW, I’d love to know his secret!</p>
<p>After receiving package C today, it is looking like they may be the one. Although it does come in slightly under school A $ wise by just a bit, the reasons for choosing it are not coming down to that. She went by gut feeling for UG and is trusting that again for this. It looks like another 4 years of long, dreary, snowy winters. At least all the cute winter gear she has accumulated over the past 4 years won’t go to waste. :)</p>