<p>S accepted by UCLA and UCB and we live in CA. Also accepted by private east coast college at considerably greater cost, but offered some merit aid. As we have another S in private college we offered son; if school will provide aid so our out of pocket is same as UCLA, you can attend. S emails exact offer to private college financial aide office in April stating our proposition and claiming his first choice is private college.</p>
<p>Within 24 hours school emails back “official revised offer of aide” making
tuitions comparable, between UCLA and private college. S presents email to us and withdraws from UCLA.</p>
<p>One week ago letter arrives from private college reducing offer, with statement that tax return does not justify aid offer, although they have had tax return since early May and condition of offer was not predicated on any conditions. We would have been happy to accept UCLA, which has a better reputation, but is public. Their offer was not predicated on any conditions other than what we were willing to pay. </p>
<p>S is angry; feels deceived by financial aid office, and so far has not been called back. Any ideas welcome. For the record, their was no deception in
FAFSA of tax return.</p>
<p>interesting case
I don’t know what to tell you.
I didn’t realize private colleges reduce tuition to match instate public schools
Private schools often have an EFC that is different from FAFSA, as they also get information from PROFILE and their own forms.</p>
<p>I guess he attends UCLA? I would call them up quick!</p>
<p>Actually, I think you should post the name of the east coast college – so that others can be aware of this issue. Is it a large amount of money involved? Did the college go back to its initial offer (before negotiation)?</p>
<p>This is actually the rare type of situation that could justify a lawsuit, because the college made its offer knowing that your son would rely on it to his detriment, and withdraw from another college – so it caused your son direct monetary damage by making an offer that it did not intend to honor. What makes it different is that the school knew that your son was admitted to UCLA & UCB and had their financial aid offers in hand – and explicitly responded to a request that they match the offer. At this point I think legally they are bound by what they said, at least for the coming year – given the fact that you say there is no material difference between FAFSA and tax returns. </p>
<p>So maybe at this point a letter from a lawyer is in order. First I would suggest going up the chain of command at the college - make sure that you are talking to people in charge and that they understand the ramifications.</p>
<p>IMHO I would suggest that you - the parent - contact the financial aid office yourself - and request an explanation of what has happened and why as well - and then attempt to re-negotiate the financial aid package yourself - further documentation may need to be submitted - but that would be my first move. I would make all attempts to do this before I would send any letter from an attorney at this point.</p>
<p>This is one of those times when I believe it is more than appropriate for the parents to step in to work things out.</p>
<p>Call fin aid office back ask to speak with head of department. You have everything in print it should not be a probelm to get what you want. There’s wiggle room, always is, especially when they made a prior offer. </p>
<p>I’d suggest taking 30 minutes to jump up and down, scream and shout. With THAT out of the way, call UCLA and try to get their offer reinstated. (My D was a Katrina evacuee and got quick reinstatement at several schools she turned down in order to attend Tulane, so reinstatement doesn’t appear to be uncommon.) After that, you can start with the EC college. IMO they are obligated to honor the best offer sent to your son. But even if the college honors its commitment, your S may not be ready to forgive.</p>
<p>I think you need to pick your battles. Contact UCLA to see if he can be reinstated.</p>
<p>This is a case where yes, you can win the battle, but you will utlimately lose the war.</p>
<p>Okay, you call the school, tell them how your son’s decision was predicated on the FA offer hey gave. You threaten to call your lawyer , jump up and down and scream like a banchee, steak out in ront of their offices. They back down and honor their revised FA offer. You are good for year one.</p>
<p>Guess what?</p>
<p>Years 2, 3 and 4 you have to reapply and go through the whole process all over again where unless you have a major change in financial situation (and I hope not because most are not good), you will come out with a large chunk of money. </p>
<p>I am willing to bet money that even if the school backs down on year one, they are not going to offer to give you a comprable package the remaining years that your son has to be in school there. </p>
<p>This would bother me even more because I have already sent my son off the school and got a year under the belt and would have to go through the transfer process for a more affordable option.</p>
<p>Cut your loses, try to get him back into UCLA and keep it moving.</p>
<p>I also don’t know how pervasive making offers is by email, as our daughter entered college before they made admission decisions by email.
So in April S received offer-that makes tuiton comparable
I am assuming that by this point a contract had been signed and mailed back, and probably even initial payments sent?
I don’t see how they can break a contract * for this year*</p>
<p>I would have your lawyer call their lawyer- if your numbers are identical to the numbers they have had ( and why did it take till early May for them to get tax return? they are due 4-15 and if they hadn’t had it before that, they should have had it by the federal due date)</p>
<p>I am wondering if they changed your FAFSA EFC, you might want to go online and check- butI agree with Sybbie, in that you might get money for this year but…</p>
<p>sybbie’s point about the financial offer for the remaining years is a good one unless they already guaranteed all 4 years (even though their guarantee didn’t have much substance).</p>
<p>At this point, even if the private relents, after all this, does your S even want to go there any more - you said he was angry about it? Would you cringe every time you need to deal with their financial office or the school? </p>
<p>I suggest trying UCLA/UCB again. They’re not bad alternates.</p>
<p>What if the numbers UCLA based their offer on were not confirmed by actual tax return. Not suggesting cheating, just that many probably estimate wrong. Would UCLA have honored the package?</p>
<p>Emeraldkity, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that there’s some fine print somewhere that lets the college change its offer, and that it would be honored in court. (That’s the way things are going these days.) But my advice would be to call the private school, keep talking until you get to a person in a position to make a decision, explain the situation, and then give them a chance to do the honorable thing. It’s possible (even likely) that the change in the aid package was made by someone who didn’t have a full understanding of the situation. It’s always best to make sure that someone is actually doing the bad thing you see them doing intentionally, and give them a chance to make it right, before turning to your next option.</p>
<p>How about presenting the financial aid office at the private with what you’ve just told us here? Seems like they need to explain why they’ve made changes, but also might be willing to go with their original offer when they see that you’ve made a major change predicated on what they told you s would receive. I can’t see involving lawyers - why add that bill to the tuition you’ll be paying to one or the other colleges and ultimately, do you want s. at a school that can’t find a workable solution (I think they should keep their word).</p>
<p>In my experience with two different well known universities, revised fin aid package letters are not unusual, due to the effect of reporting outside scholarships, and yes, even mistakes! If there is a need based portion in your FA package, there is probably not much in the way of wiggle room. If there is only Merit aid, your chances of getting an adjustment may be better. Anyway, the FA officer should be willing to go over the figures with you so that you understand exactly why the change was made.</p>
<p>I am really suprised that a private school even considered negotiating a FA offer with a public university especially if the student is in state at that public university. </p>
<p>Private schools running over 40K and even as in state with room in board at UCLA at about 25k, there is a ~15k difference off the top. </p>
<p>Your wrote:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>with instate tution at UCLA at about 6K and tuition at the private LAC at 25-30K, it seems like you must have gotten one big bump in merit/need based aid to make these 2 schools comprable. I am a little confused. Did the up your merit aid or is upping the merit a consideration? Even should they up the merit, be sure to read the “fine print” with the merit money.</p>
<p>Motherof4pearls brings up a good point.</p>
<p>Does this school only deal in need based aid or does it also offer merit?
Was the adjustment in the form of need based aid or some kind of merit money?</p>
<p>Does the LAC calculate aid based on info from the FAFSA & the Profile? How does UCLA calculate aid? Is it based just on the FAFSA or they use the the FAFSA in addition to their own individual forms?</p>
<p>Thank you all for the diversity of advice. It really is comforting. I called an official and presented the circumstances as calmly as possible. Will hear back soon.</p>
<p>scidoc, on the thread regarding wisdom teeth, you implied that you were a surgeon. Or did I misunderstand your post?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If so, it’s hard for me to see how you would qualify for any need-based aid – maybe I’m missing something, but this seems like a pretty strange situation to me.</p>
<p>I think she is both a doctor and an engineer?( or has an engineering degree anyway)
I also beleive I read that her son had accepted a BA/MD program at Brandeis.
but even doctors could have kids that qualify for need based aid, and merit aid isn’t always dependent on need, although if she is a surgeon, unless she has had time to have a passle of kids, I can’t imagine they would need much aid.
HOwever as others have noted Their offer was not predicated on any conditions other than what we were willing to pay. *
What FAFSA expects you to pay, and what you are * willing to pay- may be very far apart</p>
<p>I always file our FAFSA late, because we are unsubsidized, we save a few bucks in interest, and to maintain the institutional grant. Come late Sept '05, we get award letter for subsidized Stafford, workstudy, and a very nice financial award beyond the grant. </p>
<p>Emailed school and said this can not be correct. We don’t qualify, didn’t request additional aid, and DS didn’t want “work” for minimum wage on top of his other senior obligations. No reply.</p>
<p>Called school, to which they replied the awards are correct. Re-called the school and finally got someone of importance, who said that she will look into it. Weeks go by. I send more emails. Months go by. Finally get a phone call in early Dec. (probably because ED/EA ove), that there was an input error and school will correct the Stafford status to Unsubsidized, rescind the workstudy but honor the financial aid award. I told them that this was not necessary since we didn’t need the award and the money was already budgeted. No negotiations- They gave DS the award. </p>
<p>We have returned some of the money in the form of donations-but not all of the money; DS still has 2 more years in a new grad school and I want to see how the expenses turnout. </p>
<p>just lurking about to read whats happening.</p>
<p>Well, here is how it played out. All of your advice was useful in making us a little more patient and aware of next year. Financial aid officer was on vacation for a week, so what we inferred as disrespect was not completely fair.</p>
<p>Somehow some small amount of income which was not taxable was counted. Financial aid was pleasant, I did not personally make the call,
opting for more equinimity. A compromise was reached where we both gave a little. Had I not been reminded that we have to face this office three more we might have been overly demanding.</p>
<p>As to the original discussion, we agreed to pay UC tuition and room and board, so the intent was to have our out of pocket expenses remain approximately the same.</p>