We are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or their Federal Student Aid (FSA) office.
Through FSA, you can file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form online for free at fafsa.gov.
Your financial aid offer isn’t always final. You may be able to ask your college for more money by submitting a financial aid appeal.
"My daughter just told me she got an email thanking her for the letter and info on her specific situation and increased her scholarship from $6k to $8k a year. So it helped for sure!"
Andrea, Going Merry Parent
"The school got back to her and they augmented her scholarship by $3k/academic year."
Patrick, Going Merry Parent
"Hey. They wrote back and added $1k for the Green and Gold Scholarship. Renewable every year. Thank you. You found $4k for us!!"
Logan, Going Merry Student
"I wanted to circle back and let you know that we received an additional $3000.00 grant. Thanks again for your help it was greatly appreciated!"
Ellie, Going Merry Student
A financial aid appeal letter is a formal request asking your school to reevaluate your financial aid package due to changes in your financial situation or special circumstances. This letter allows you to explain any significant updates since submitting your FAFSA®, such as job loss, medical expenses, or other hardships. If approved, your school will reassess your eligibility and provide a revised financial aid offer to better meet your needs.
Requesting a financial aid appeal can be a powerful strategy to reduce college costs, potentially saving you thousands of dollars per year. Many students report a financial aid appeal helped them pay for college after receiving significant increases in their financial aid packages after submitting an appeal.
According to a large number of colleges, there are five common scenarios for why you might consider appealing your original financial aid offer and request more aid:
Submit your financial aid appeal as soon as possible to allow the college enough time to review your request and respond before your deposit or decision deadline. Aim to send your appeal at least two weeks before this date.
Be mindful of each school’s decision day and the FAFSA® deadline, as some appeal reasons are only valid before these dates. However, significant financial changes, such as job loss or unexpected expenses, may still be considered even after the decision deadline.
1) You got admitted, but it’s just not enough.
2) You received a better offer at another school.
3) Your FAFSA® didn’t reflect some nuanced financial situation.
4) Your financial circumstances have changed, and you Student Aid Index (SAI) is too high.
5) You made a mistake (or multiple) on your FAFSA®.
Answer questions and watch as your appeal letter writes itself in four simple steps with our Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator.
Our Appeal Letter Generator makes it easy to request a financial aid adjustment in just a few minutes.
Navigating financial aid appeals can be confusing, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our team of experienced financial aid specialists is here to guide you, answer your questions, and help you submit the strongest appeal possible.
Writing a financial aid appeal letter doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. Our self-guided tool helps you draft a professional appeal in minutes, so you can take control of your financial aid—quickly and independently.
Thousands of students have used our expert-backed appeal templates to successfully request additional aid. Schools have awarded students thousands of extra dollars, helping them close financial gaps and reduce their college costs.
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We are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or their Federal Student Aid (FSA) office.
Through FSA, you can file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form online for free at fafsa.gov.