To start, what is a financial aid appeal letter?
A financial aid appeal letter is a formal request asking your child's school to reconsider its decision on your child's financial aid package. The letter is your chance to explain your family's special circumstances, financial situation, and anything else that has changed since your child submitted their FAFSA®.
Think of your child's financial aid award letter as an initial offer. It's not necessarily the final amount that the college will offer your child. You can therefore request (and negotiate for) more aid. This negotiation process is most commonly known as a financial aid appeal. It can also be called a Revision or a Professional Judgement.
If your appeal is approved, the school will generate a new financial aid package and send you their new offer.
According to a large number of colleges, there are five common scenarios for why you might consider appealing your original financial aid offer and request more aid:
1) Your child was admitted, but it’s just not enough.
2) Your child received a better offer at another school.
3) Your child's FAFSA® didn’t reflect some nuanced financial situation.
4) Your family's financial circumstances have changed.
5) You/your child made a mistake (or multiple) on their FAFSA®.
It's important to submit your financial aid appeal letter as soon as possible. Colleges have enrollment targets that they’re trying to hit each year. That means they’re trying to get a certain number of students to attend the school.
To help you generate a personalized financial aid appeal letter, we've created the Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator, which you have access to in a parent account.
Build your custom letter in 4 easy steps!
The Financial Aid Appeal Letter has tips to guide you as you create your letter and answers FAQs such as:
Where do I submit my financial aid appeal letter?
What happens after I submit my appeal?
To find out more about financial aid appeal letters, sign up or sign in to your Parent Account and navigate to the Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator.
We also recommend you check out these helpful articles about financial aid appeal letters: