Waiting it out to increase scholarship offer?

[quietman]

Hello,

I have been admitted to one of my top MA choices, but the scholarship offer I received is significantly lower than I hoped. I have been given until late April to accept the offer, and I'm wondering if holding out on accepting admission could lead to more money being offered, with my thoughts being that it would suggest to ad coms that I'm not yet sold on the program and need more persuading to attend, and by that point perhaps additional funds will be available due to others turning down offers.

I'm not sure if there's any validity to these thoughts, and it may vary by program, but I'm curious to hear some input. Thanks!

[TakeruK]

If your plan is to simply say nothing until as close to the deadline as possible in hopes that they will raise your offer, I'm afraid that it is very unlikely to work. They can't read your mind!

It is perfectly fine to wish that your scholarship offer will be higher. But the school won't know this unless you tell them! You need to start the process sooner rather than later because if there is a limited amount of money they have to "top up" offers, it might already be used up by late April.

However, before you begin, you really need to decide which school is really your top choice. I would not go down a path of negotiation with a school unless you are prepared to take the offer if they meet your needs. So, once you are sure you want to attend this school, contact them and let them know that you are interested in their offer but you are worried about the financial offer meeting your needs. If you have a competing offer from another school that is higher, then use that offer to leverage your negotiation (be sure to use two comparable schools though). If you have nothing to leverage your request other than you simply want more money, then you can certainly still try that if you wish but it is unlikely to be successful.

[quietman]

Thanks for the response!

I don't have any competing offers (due to lack of applications--I was told by ad coms at the program that my app was very impressive), but as it stands I can't attend (the exchange rate is killing me), and I'd hope that from their perspective this would amount to essentially the same thing as me going to another program. I have already brought up my concern with finances, though I haven't outright stated that I'd like more money (how would I tactfully do this?), and that I won't be able to attend if I don't get some more.

I think the program is a great fit and I'd definitely attend with some extra money.

 

Edited March 4, 2017 by quietman

[TakeruK]

12 hours ago, quietman said:

Thanks for the response!

I don't have any competing offers (due to lack of applications--I was told by ad coms at the program that my app was very impressive), but as it stands I can't attend (the exchange rate is killing me), and I'd hope that from their perspective this would amount to essentially the same thing as me going to another program. I have already brought up my concern with finances, though I haven't outright stated that I'd like more money (how would I tactfully do this?), and that I won't be able to attend if I don't get some more.

I think the program is a great fit and I'd definitely attend with some extra money.

 

Okay in that case, it is totally fair to be honest and say that you aren't able to attend with the current scholarship offer. I am not an expert on negotiating so it's up to you which tactic to use. If I were in your shoes though, since you are simply unable to attend without an increased offer, I would feel comfortable being direct and honest about it. That is, you should ask for a specific minimum amount.

It sounds like you are an international student, based on your comment about the exchange rate. This means that you need to also prove that you either have enough scholarship money from the school and/or from your savings to pay for the cost of the first year in order to get your visa/status approved. I would look at the school's published "Graduate Student Budget" or "Cost of Attendance" and ask for that number. It's the number you'll have to show in order to get your visa. I would explain that I don't have enough savings and must rely solely on school funding to pay for your degree. If you do have some savings, then say how much you can contribute and ask for the difference between the cost of attendance and your savings.

However, note that most US Masters programs don't expect to be able to pay for all your costs. They expect you to pay a lot out of pocket as well. So, what you are asking for may not be possible for them to provide. But if you are honest and polite about it, you have nothing to lose. After all, if they say no, then you can't attend, and if you don't ask then you certainly can't attend. 

Therefore, you need to let them know that you need more money to attend and precisely how much more. Be polite and show understanding that your request may not be possible. If it's not possible, then you'll just have to decline and try again in the future. If you do try again in the future, maybe consider applying to PhD programs in the US (they don't use the same Masters->PhD system that most other countries use). If you need to do a Masters in your home country first, then do that since it might be more affordable (but note that most US PhD programs accept students right out of undergrad; but this depends on your field which I do not know). 

[quietman]

Thanks for another very helpful response!