To appeal or not to appeal

Seniors,
Your financial aid award letters should be rolling in now and it's just about time for you to make your big decisions. But, did your schools offer you as much as they could have? Should you appeal their total award package they offered you? Some say no, some say yes, most say "it depends." I lean toward the last option myself. This NY Times article does a great job of explaining exactly when you would really need to appeal for a greater financial aid award package: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/your-money/paying-for-college/for-many-families-college-financial-aid-packages-are-worth-an-appeal.html?_r=1

You should appeal your award package if there is some sort of financial discrepancy that is not otherwise noted on your FAFSA.

• Are your parents wages being garnished due to debt collections? 
• Is there a family member who is receiving costly medical care for a serious illness/disability?
• Has a parent lost their job within the last year that is not reflected on their taxes?
• Are they paying for parent or family member in a nursing home?

Any of these reasons would need to be clearly documented and able to be given to the school as backup if needed. Some schools will also considering appealing your package if you have a greater package from a comparable school. 

I suggest parents and students read the article. It's really informative and full of stats and info you might not have thought about before regarding financial aid.

-ms. miller pecora