laurakpeters

I actually did e-mail financial aid a formal request for review, explaining that some specific personal situations, and that the FAFSA is psychotic and clearly doesn't understand the cost of living in the Bay Area. They reviewed my letter and awarded me $7k in additional Perkins Loans and also $5k in FWS, which I originally didn't get -- even though I received it at the other schools to which I applied. So, not a huuuuge amount but definitely a help! I would encourage you to reach out to them if you have a financial situation not captured on your FAFSA. This at least made me feel like HGSE wants me to be there, which I think might have been half of my frustration

Has anyone else e-mailed or called Financial Aid? Anyone had any luck with getting more money? I am so, so frustrated at my measly aid package... HGSE has always been my top choice but I am freaking out about money, especially after being offered so much at Columbia. I also can't believe I didn't qualify for work study since I did qualify at Teachers College. Anyone having luck with this?

I feel you. I'm so confused about their methodology. I was also accepted into Teachers College and given $23k in merit-based and experience-based (Americorps) awards plus the $20,500 in Unsubsidized loans, $7k in Work Study, and a $12k PLUS loan. TC seems to be calculating need based on the tuition PLUS the cost of living, which is why the grants and loan offerings add up to well over their $43k tuition. I don't see anything that comes close to the $70k Harvard states as our total budget in my measly offering of $8k in need-based grant coupled with the Stafford loan. Has anyone been able to talk to them about their allocation process? Is this just because they're Harvard and don't actually give a sh*t if I come there next year or not?