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Current information related to college admissions, summer programs and career opportunities


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Well done! If you have received several acceptance letters, now is the time to make some critical decisions about your future academic journey.


First, I recommend thoroughly reviewing all letters, including any letters for direct-admit programs like engineering, aviation, pre-professional (nursing, medical, law, etc) and making some notes. Your notes should not only be the "highlight reel" of what you like, but also the financial details and things you may not be so fond of, like freshman class requirements.


I highly encourage creating a separate spreadsheet for each school focused on the financial offers. Be sure to include institutional aid, anticipated federal aid (may not come until March/April due to FAFSA analysis) and external scholarships or offers. If you work for an employer who provides book stipends or other funding, be sure to note the qualifications in your spreadsheet. Maintaining a 20-hour work week while pursuing 14-16 credit hours may be challenging.


After you have the financial spreadsheet and the highlight reel, consider the negatives. Will the school be more than three hours from home? Will you be an out-to-state student requiring a car? Many of these may have been considered during the application stage, however, they come into focus once acceptance and aid offers come into the picture. It is not uncommon for schools to prohibit freshman from having a car their first year and also requiring first year students to live on campus. In 2024, housing was an issue at top schools so much so they partnered with off-campus complexes and private maintenance companies to increase accommodations. Purdue University (Lafayette), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and University of Tennessee (Knoxville) saw housing applications increase anywhere from 18 to 24% for academic year 2024-2025.


Can you negotiate financial aid offers? Maybe. For example, if you have an offer for $10,000 to attend a private, liberal arts school for a graphic arts program and you have a $5,000 merit-only offer to attend a large, public, state-school, it would not be appropriate to ask the latter school to increase their aid offer based on the program. However, it may be beneficial to compare merit offers from in-state and out-of-state schools and reference the difference in price based on residency. Perhaps the school will offer in-state residency for students who live in the residence hall AND if so, would the school be willing to match the merit aid offer? Referencing the academic program as well as the cost of attendance in making a decision is acceptable.


Jeff Selingo is well-regarded for answering the "Who Gets In" question. I refer clients to his work on the "buyer" and "seller" lists. There are colleges that "buy" students - in short, they offer aid based on a wide variety of reasons. In contrast, there are "sellers". Seller schools do not need to "buy" students as they receive an over-abundance of applicants and can sift through to accept only the top-tier. Think of the Harvard, Notre Dame, Penn and MIT, Ivy-league schools with a pedigree. If you are interested in learning more, I recommend reviewing the recent "buyer and seller" list here. This will help you evaluate your aid offers as well!


Finally, respond to all acceptance letters, especially those you are declining. The next four months are going to be exceptionally busy for admission and financial aid offices. By taking the time to respond with a professional email or return letter (depends on school), you are allowing these folks to make offers to students on waiting lists or fee up money for other students who are on the fence. Additionally, once you have accepted, make the deposit for your campus housing. In some cases, you may consider making the non-refundable deposit of $75 or $100 before you know...just because housing can be a huge issue if not reserved early.


Congratulations on getting accepted! Remember: professionalism and courtesy will take you far at your future alma mater! Have questions about program or school acceptances? Happy to connect - just reach out here.

woman speaking with men at a table

As acceptance announcements continue and the FAFSA deadline is quickly approaching, you may ALSO be swimming in financial aid offers. While it is possible to leverage one aid package against another, it takes some research and patience.


Here are some steps to negotiating additional funds at your top schools versus offers from other schools you may have applied to:


  1. Review all offers in great detail. Understand the amounts and how long the offer is available. Some aid may only be for the first year, other aid may only be for textbooks and paid out each semester. Make a note of scholarships that automatically renew as well. I recommend a spreadsheet with the appropriate columns for the information provided and be sure to separate in-state from out-of-state offers.

  2. Compare the offers from schools with the same applicant pool. It's one thing to receive a full-ride art scholarship, but it will not help you negotiate a full-ride for mathematics - the degrees and applicant pool are too different. However, if you have offers from computer science or engineering programs at schools who recruit from the same or very similar applicant pool AND offer comparable programs, you can definitely leverage offers.

  3. Connect with your specific department, in addition to the financial aid office. If you have been accepted into a program, including Honors, reach out to the counselor or undergraduate advisor and inquire about merit-based aid for incoming freshman. A well-written email expressing interest while you wait for your admission letter may go a long way in fostering name recognition.

  4. After speaking with the department advisor, connect with the financial aid office - try to speak to the same person each time. Build the relationship so when you begin the negotiation process, the advisor is aware of your interest in the school, the desired program (& you have a plan) and most importantly your grades/GPA, recruitability (if you will). When you have all of your offers and know what you are seeking, craft a letter to the director of financial aid.


Your letter may look something like this:


I would really like to attend ______ University, however, the additional $20,000 in tuition each year is difficult to overlook.


Or, After reviewing the offer from you and ______ University, there is a difference of $15,000 for the first year. Can this be reduced through endowments or other program offers during my sophomore, junior or senior years?


Ultimately, the cost of tuition and aid offers is related to the applicant pool, program interest and funds available. Schools generally budget for the upcoming school year in April - May, with the budget going into affect 1 July. If the previous year saw a surplus in applications and stretched housing availability, the upcoming year may be the opposite. High demand programs are less likely to offer aid for freshmen since they don't need to entice applicants; however upper level and graduate students may receive money as a way to maintain retention and graduation rates.


If you need assistance discussion aid packages or reviewing programs, please



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college campus with students

Following the recent presidential election, chatter is starting to surface around the Department of Education. Will President-Elect Trump change or even dissolve this federal agency? For parents of future students, consider the strategic options below as well as the resources evaluating financial strength of public and private institutions.


In light of the current landscape, colleges and universities across the United States are bracing for an uncertain future. At the heart of their survival is enrollment and funding, whether state or federal allocations remain or if private donations and endowments will become the norm. Student access and ability to pay for higher education attainment will determine if America maintains the status quo or improves our stature on the world stage. Colleges and universities may be facing a reckoning to address a funding cliff created by expiring pandemic relief funds.


To address the funding cliff in higher education, institutions should consider the following strategies:


Diversifying Revenue Streams

Seek alternative funding sources such as grants, partnerships with industry, alumni donations, and philanthropic contributions.


Cost Reduction Measures

Implement cost-saving initiatives such as energy efficiency programs, shared services, and operational efficiencies.


Tuition Adjustment

Evaluate tuition rates and consider adjustments to ensure competitiveness while maintaining financial sustainability. Perhaps in diversifying revenue streams, partnerships with local industry may pay tuition for cohorts in specialized area to fill high-demand positions with employment contracts.


Financial Aid Optimization

Review and optimize financial aid packages to attract and retain students while managing costs. Institutions need to be savvy and consider whether they are buying or selling - a reference to Jeff Selingo's work here.


Program Evaluation

Assess the viability and demand for existing programs, consider consolidating or expanding based on market needs. As faculty, this is a touchy subject; however, involving faculty in any program modification or collaborative efforts strengthens relationships and builds commitment to future success. Including faculty is absolutely integral to any strategic plan.


Strategic Planning

Develop long-term strategic plans that align financial goals with academic priorities and student needs.


By implementing a combination of these strategies, higher education institutions can navigate the funding cliff and ensure financial stability for the future. For parents, you can check out financial resiliency here with a report from Bain and Company on public institutions and those attending private colleges can take a look at the 2023 Forbes Financial Grades here. As we gear up for the upcoming FAFSA and financial aid packages for fall 2025, take some time to do your research!


Need help with a college financial aid package or preparing scholarship essays? Set up an appointment with me!

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