Negotiation of need based grant Forum

[dlyxy]

I have got one of Ivy law school acceptance with no scholarship. I applied need-based aid and did not get need based grant. My family will provide me with $28,000 per year. I have to borrow $140,000 loan in order to finish three years of law school. Should I write to the school to negotiate some financial aid grant? Could I get anything?

[buckilaw]

I doubt you will get anything if your parents can contribute 28k. Applicants who recieve need based aid typically have EFC's of zero and were eligible for pell grants in undergrad.

[StillHerexxx]

If your parents are coughing up that much cash, you probably do not qualify for need based grants. I, like most people, had an efc of 0 and still received nothing in need based.

[LoyalRebel]

How does this grant work? If I get the maximum Pell Grant as an undergrad, can I expect some sort of need based grant in law school?

From what I understand, uou have to file an individual FAFSA for law school. How are parents income and ability to pay factored into this?

[buckilaw]

How does this grant work? If I get the maximum Pell Grant as an undergrad, can I expect some sort of need based grant in law school?

From what I understand, uou have to file an individual FAFSA for law school. How are parents income and ability to pay factored into this?

How much need based aid you can expect to recieve differs from school to school. Some posters have said that school's that require the need based access form tend to give more in need based aid; this seems plausible but don't take it as gospel.

With an efc of zero and recieving the maximum pell grant, I would guess that you will likely be eligible for at least some need based aid.

Some schools require your parents' financial information when determining need based aid and some do not. I'm fairly sure you do not include your parents' financial information on the FAFSA; however, you may need to include it on the need based access form if you are sending the form to any schools that require your parents' financial info.

Hope this helps.

[FiveSermon]

If your parents are coughing up that much cash, you probably do not qualify for need based grants. I, like most people, had an efc of 0 and still received nothing in need based.

+1

[ptblazer]

How does this grant work? If I get the maximum Pell Grant as an undergrad, can I expect some sort of need based grant in law school?

From what I understand, uou have to file an individual FAFSA for law school. How are parents income and ability to pay factored into this?

It really depends on the school and there is a difference between need based aid and grants. Pell Grants are obviously need based, but are federal/state in origin and rely entirely on fafsa. Need based aid is broad and some schools offer scholarships based on need in addition to merit. For example, if you are looking in the T10, you'll have a better chance of getting some need based aid.

Most schools don't offer much, if any, grants to graduate students. Usually that money is held for undergrads. Also, I know that at least some schools you are competing for grant money against the entire graduate student body, not just the law school. From what I've been told, grant money is awarded on a first come basis. This is because the only way to determine need is EFC and lots of people have an EFC of 0.

Some law schools require you to submit parents information as part of the FAFSA. If you aren't sure I would check with your schools.

[buckilaw]

How does this grant work? If I get the maximum Pell Grant as an undergrad, can I expect some sort of need based grant in law school?

From what I understand, uou have to file an individual FAFSA for law school. How are parents income and ability to pay factored into this?

It really depends on the school and there is a difference between need based aid and grants. Pell Grants are obviously need based, but are federal/state in origin and rely entirely on fafsa. Need based aid is broad and some schools offer scholarships based on need in addition to merit. For example, if you are looking in the T10, you'll have a better chance of getting some need based aid.

Most schools don't offer much, if any, grants to graduate students. Usually that money is held for undergrads. Also, I know that at least some schools you are competing for grant money against the entire graduate student body, not just the law school. From what I've been told, grant money is awarded on a first come basis. This is because the only way to determine need is EFC and lots of people have an EFC of 0.
Some law schools require you to submit parents information as part of the FAFSA. If you aren't sure I would check with your schools.

The reason schools use need access is to get information that is not on the FAFSA relevant to determining financial need.

[ptblazer]

How does this grant work? If I get the maximum Pell Grant as an undergrad, can I expect some sort of need based grant in law school?

From what I understand, uou have to file an individual FAFSA for law school. How are parents income and ability to pay factored into this?

It really depends on the school and there is a difference between need based aid and grants. Pell Grants are obviously need based, but are federal/state in origin and rely entirely on fafsa. Need based aid is broad and some schools offer scholarships based on need in addition to merit. For example, if you are looking in the T10, you'll have a better chance of getting some need based aid.

Most schools don't offer much, if any, grants to graduate students. Usually that money is held for undergrads. Also, I know that at least some schools you are competing for grant money against the entire graduate student body, not just the law school. From what I've been told, grant money is awarded on a first come basis. This is because the only way to determine need is EFC and lots of people have an EFC of 0.
Some law schools require you to submit parents information as part of the FAFSA. If you aren't sure I would check with your schools.

The reason schools use need access is to get information that is not on the FAFSA relevant to determining financial need.

You're right. I was talking about schools that didn't use need access. I was just assuming that if the person completed the need access form, they knew whether a school had need based aid or not. Many schools don't use need access and FAFSA is the only need based information they get.

[dlyxy]

Thank you all for replying my question. Now I know that people with an EFC of 0 are eligible to get need based grant and lots of people have an EFC of 0. How much family income or assets could get an EFC of 0?

[ptblazer]

Thank you all for replying my question. Now I know that people with an EFC of 0 are eligible to get need based grant and lots of people have an EFC of 0. How much family income or assets could get an EFC of 0?

I don't know a specific income level, but it would have to be pretty low. When I was applying to undergrad my EFC was in the neighborhood of a few thousand and honestly my single parent couldn't afford to contribute any money to my education.

[PippaBalz]

New Question! (Same general topic, but am too lazy to create new thread lol)

Accepted at Tulane, FAFSA number of 00000. No help from parents, grandparents, etc. General money sit. well represented by super low FAFSA number.

Really want to go but my scholarship award was just emailed to me as: $0. Is this not strange? I read on TLS that Tulane gives over 50% of its incoming students scholarships of *some* kind, and surely, I would qualify for a need based one?

I am currently doing an international law internship in Australia and cannot call them, so am going to email. But, I guess my essential questions are:
(1) WTF..?
(2) How should I go about putting it when I email? I am thinking of the direct but flexible route: as in, "I have no money. My family has no money. In order to fund my education and my life, I would be taking out $200,000 worth of loans. Do you have any suggestions on how we could make this work? I am very intent upon attending Tulane, but, simply cannot without some form of financial assistance. I am happy to look to outside scholarships, federal work-aid, etc. for help but, would hope you might consider my predicament when potentially reassessing my need-based scholarship number, which currently stands at: $0." Not what I would actually write but, that would be the summation of the message.

Thoughts?
Any help is appreciated! Australians do not understand the trials and tribulations of US law school financial aid crap...! lol

[ptblazer]

I would first ask if Tulane offers scholarships based on need, but don't be surprised if merit scholarships are the only form of aid they offer. Need based aid can be relativley rare outside the T14. They may consider need and merit when awarding scholarships, but having an EFC of $0 doesn't really make you standout and merit is almost always going to be more heavily weighted. Unfortunitly, many people applying to graduate schools have an EFC of 0, especially those coming straight from undergrad. Some schools have a seperate form for assessing a person's need, so you should check to see if Tulane uses another form.

Definitely email the admissions department (and soon, end of April is getting pretty late) and let them know of your situation, it can't hurt. But lots of people have to fund their education with loans, so they may not respond with scholarship aid.

Another option to consider is retaking the lsat and applying early next cycle. This is what most people here would advise that you do. I don't know Tulane's timeline, but it seems like you applied pretty late, so it could just be that they ran out of money to offer. Good luck.

I just took a look at the schools you applied to. If those are the schools you really want to attend, you should definitely retake the lsat.

[PippaBalz]

Thank You! Great advice.