Introduction
Students who are enrolled in college obviously want to better themselves in one form or another. However, not everyone can pay for it and thus many opt for higher education through a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These financial assistance incentives for students fall into two broad categories: Needs-based awards, and Merit-based awards. But what happens when you are denied both? Can good excuses for Financial Aid Appeal be used as part of a broader strategy for continuing higher education?
Good Excuses for Financial Aid Appeal
Options are available! Regardless of your Financial status, the important thing is to act quickly before your collegiate institution has run out of aid. Typically, your college will send you an alert notification, email or letter stating what aid you have received and what that financial aid covers, as well as when it runs out. If your situation has changed, remember that no institution will volunteer to give you financial aid. You have to have a clear “ask” and a specific “why”. The following article will highlight good ideas for excuses which students can employ to appeal their financial aid situations.
Steps to Easy Financial Aid Appeal Excuses:
A great deal of the time, college institutions will provide templates for appeal letters. These are valuable when attempting to figure out the best format for financial aid appeal. The bonus of financial aid appeal templates is that when financial aid officers receive queries in these formats, it saves them additional effort – a subtle way to win them to your side.
Make sure you are addressing a specific person. Use proper business manners, addressing them as “Sir” or “Ma’am” in conjunction with their name. You should be appealing to someone with a title whom works within the college financial offices.
Aside from those two extremely important points, keep in mind these key steps in determining good excuses for financial aid appeal.
- Say “Thank You” over and over.
- It is extremely important to kill with kindness and appear humble!
- Ask for specifics.
- This requires research on your part, for you must determine your exact financial needs in order to ask for a specific dollar amount.
- Documentation.
- Have print-outs, receipts of financial aid, and any other available proof in regards to trying to convince the financial officer.
- Designate your special circumstance or hardship.
- This is perhaps the most important step vis-a-vis good excuses for financial aid. List in detail your limitations regarding your race, your orientation, your age, your income or perceived inequality with regards to other students’ financial status in relation to your own.
How Does a Good Excuse in Financial Aid Appeal Benefit You?
Once you have won an appeal for financial aid, this information is stored within the student database. Typically, this database would then flag your profile as ‘additional financial needs’ or ‘special circumstances’ in regards to continuing education.
What this means is that government subsidies, higher education loans and grant programs will be more easily and readily available to students with these good excuses for financial aid. It’s easy to see how this benefits life-long learners, or short-term students who want to take advantage of educational services.
How Much Financial Aid Can You Get from a Good Excuse?
Depending upon your sexual orientation, racial background and ethnicity, religion, or age – there are a great deal of financial programs.
How much one can receive in financial aid will depend largely upon the institution, the amount of aid available, and the specific background and special needs of the student.
You can realistically expect at least $1000 if your financial appeal is granted, and probably quite a bit more. This will usually be a percentage of the cost of a single course, or the cost of the entire degree or diploma program.
Conclusion
Good excuses for financial aid appeal include taking a look at your special circumstances, and finding out what is unique about you and your situation. Comparing yourself to the body of other students can highlight any racial, income, or orientation disparity, thus increasing the likelihood of appeal approval. Once you have a good excuse for financial aid appeal, be polite, prepare with proper documentation, and don’t be afraid to ask for a specific amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the primary forms of student aid?
- What is the best way to initiate financial aid appeal?
- Why designate specific needs within a financial appeal?
- How much can you get from a successful financial aid appeal?
Answers
- Needs-based (financial), and Merits-based (academic).
- By addressing a specific person within the financial aid office and using an appeal template.
- By providing these good excuses for financial aid appeal, specific needs promote the possibility of approval.
- Some colleges grant an additional $1000, just for asking. The exact dollar amount will be a percentage of the overall cost of the course.
