Is it ok to ask for more scholarship money?

[kayay]

I recently just got accepted to BC as a transfer student and I received an award letter. I am very grateful for the scholarship because part of the reason for me leaving my previous msw program was due to financial issues because they gave me no scholarships and I was paying everything with loans. I was hoping I would receive more money from BC because last year when I applied, I received a more generous scholarship. last year, I decided to attend an out of state msw program to have a new experience in another city....clearly a huge financial risk, but i then realized that it would be best for me to go back to boston and just go to school while living at home. How can i ask for more financial aid?

[pippapants]

Yeesh, that's tough. You are always free to ask for more money, but you have to do it in a very professional way, and in this situation, I don't think you have a lot of leverage.

 

Often when you are negotiating a financial offer, you are doing from a place of need ("I am very interested, but I need more money to make your program financially viable") or from a place of comparison with other offers ("I am very interested in your program, but finances are a concern, and X program has made me a more competitive offer").  In your case, you turned down a generous offer last year in order to attend an out-of-state program last year, and they probably realize you are looking to get out of that program and come back in state, right?

 

I don't necessarily think it's a *bad* idea to ask them to reconsider your scholarship award, but I would be careful about how you ask it. Recognize that this is a school whose more generous offer you've already turned down in the past. It's a very touchy situation.

[kayay]

Yeesh, that's tough. You are always free to ask for more money, but you have to do it in a very professional way, and in this situation, I don't think you have a lot of leverage.

 

Often when you are negotiating a financial offer, you are doing from a place of need ("I am very interested, but I need more money to make your program financially viable") or from a place of comparison with other offers ("I am very interested in your program, but finances are a concern, and X program has made me a more competitive offer").  In your case, you turned down a generous offer last year in order to attend an out-of-state program last year, and they probably realize you are looking to get out of that program and come back in state, right?

 

I don't necessarily think it's a *bad* idea to ask them to reconsider your scholarship award, but I would be careful about how you ask it. Recognize that this is a school whose more generous offer you've already turned down in the past. It's a very touchy situation.

 

thanks for the help.

 

 i withdrew from the program because of financial difficulties and i returned home to help my family because they're having financial difficulties and couldnt afford for help me to continue living out of state, i endlessly searched for employment and assistantships. I'm currently unemployed and looking for jobs to help my family and to try and save up for school this semester. i'm in tons of debt from undergrad and still owe my previous msw program a hefty bill that i probably have to continue paying off for the next 5-6 five years. i'm around 60k now in loans, 30k was just from my [previous msw program-hence why i left.) ive been applying to assistantships and jobs to help for school but it has not been easy. I'm not expecting them to give me a full ride, just a little more, but they're most likely going to tell me to take out more loans, which is going to add to my financial situation.

[pippapants]

I'm not sure what BC is like, but at my university there are a bundle of assistantships across campus that offer tuition waivers to graduate students -- in student affairs, academic dishonesty, greek life, residential life, etc. A lot of them like social work students, too. Anyone can apply for them, they're half-time appointments (20 hours per week), pay 60% of health insurance, and come with a $1200/mo stipend. Even though I live out of state (like 2 miles over the border), mine covers almost everything.

 

Never say die. Keep trying for some kind of GA. Good luck.