Negotiating Fin Aid at Grad School?

[guest]

Hi everyone! Do any of you know anything about negotiating financial aid at grad school? I was admitted to a couple programs and received approx $5,000 to $10,000 for each, but the programs are still very expensive. Have any of you ever just called the school and mentioned more generous packages at other schools (ie, "X school gave me $10,000, you gave me $5,000, but I would rather attend your school.")? What about calling and asking about TA-ing or working for the school somehow, like helping in the admissions office? I figured it can't hurt to try, right?

Do any of you know know any good places to look for financial aid? I do know about Fastweb, but I can never find anything that looks valid and it's hard to refine the search results (all I get is stuff for undergrads or demographics that I don't fall into). If any of you can recommend good options for grants, scholarships, etc., I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!!!!

[prude]

I have a friend who called and told her first choice school that her second choice was just more economically feasible based on a comparison of the financial aid packages. She asked if the school could do anything to bring up her offer to match that of the other school....you could ask for a tuition waiver....or about dean's scholarships/fellowships.

Her first choice school managed to wrangle up the extra bucks for her...so it doesn't hurt to ask.

[guest]

I actually did this at the grad school I attend now. I had multiple offers, and my first choice (the school I'm at) had a smaller aid package than my second. I told people at my school that this was my first choice, if it weren't for the money, but I was concerned about that. They managed to up my aid package by a couple of thousand dollars, so in instance like that, I think it definitely doesn't hurt to ask. If they said no, I probably still would have gone to that school, but it was great to negotiate. However, I also know many people who have mentioned it and nothing happened. Especially in this economy, departments have less money to play around with, so I know my department can't do this as much as they used to.

Also, I think you should only do it you clearly have a favorite and that one has poorer package. If you say, "you're my favorite school and I'm just concerned about the package not being enough" you pretty much really should go there if they fix it and even out the packages. Especially if you're in a semi-small field where you may need to deal with these colleagues. My advisor still talks about prospective students who said he was the top choice, and he spent all this work to get them a matching package, and then they still chose someone else. He's head of the department, and there's no way they'd ever get a job here later.

[guest]

I agree with the "it can't hurt to ask" advice. Though in my experience (& I applied to schools before the recession)- aid packages are pretty firm. I have heard that flexibility can vary from school to school- and even by point in the admissions cycle. In departments where there are a few preferential "named" scholarships or other limited opportunities, admission committees often find themselves looking to give these opportunities to second-round candidates when the first round turns them down. It's really a roll of the dice... Let them know you're interested and maybe you can get your hat in the ring!

At my first choice school, incomplete aid packages are par for the course. TA and RA-ships are not offered until the start of the fall semester (and even then, they only pay 2-4K a semester with no tuition remission benefits), and the only folks who leave without loans are those who came in with gigantic trust funds. Even the best packages, combined with skilled seeking of TA-ships and communal living, leave my colleagues with at least $35K in debt. Outside scholarships can help mitigate this significantly, but from what I have seen, applying to them can be a part time job in itself. I left with $40K in debt, but wouldn't trade the experience of attending my first choice school for anything! I knew it was the right place for me- and that means a lot. I was offered a full ride at my 2 second choice schools, and I often daydream about what life would be like without loans- but I know that experience and benefits I gained from the school I chose were simply unparalleled. The bottom line is that you have to ask yourself how much debt you're willing to swallow- and highball how much a particular program is going to leave you with. I had colleagues who came in to my program with a certain threshold for "debt pain"- only to exceed it when expected TA-ships didn't come through. I also had many colleagues who received NO aid and left with 60-90K in debt. For me, with this particular degree, that level of debt would be unimaginable (esp on top of undergrad loans). But for them it was worth it.
It can't hurt to ask- the fin. aid folks are certainly used to hearing the question!

[guest]

Thanks for the advice!

I spoke with my top choice program and they doubled my scholarship! Now this makes the program not only my top choice, but also the cheapes out of everywhere I was acceptedt!!! Yay!!!

[prude]

and you freaking deserve all of it! congratulations!!!!

[unhyp]

Congrats! That's a veritable feat- I don't think I've ever heard of someone successfully negotiating 2X their original offer. I hope it makes the program worth it for you!

[SpringFlowers]

w00t!