Free template
Financial aid appeal letter template
Two fill-in letters to ask a college to review your aid offer: one for a change in your family’s finances, one for a better offer from another college.
Re: Request to review my financial aid offer · [Your full name], Student ID [number]
Dear Financial Aid Office,
Thank you for admitting me to [College name] and for the financial aid offer dated [date of the offer]. [College name] is the college I want to attend, and I am writing to ask you to review my offer.
Since we filed the FAFSA [and CSS Profile], my family’s finances have changed. [Say in one or two sentences what changed and when, with numbers.]
Letter A: your family’s finances changed · Letter B: another college offered more · Word, Google Docs and PDF
How to appeal your financial aid
- Ask how they handle appeals. Call or email the financial aid office. Many colleges have their own form; use it if they do.
- Gather proof. A layoff letter, pay stubs, medical bills, or the other college’s offer. Put your student ID on everything.
- Write one page. Say what changed, with numbers, and how much your family can pay. Keep it factual and polite.
- Follow up. Ask when you will hear back, and whether your deposit deadline can wait until then.
General information, not financial advice. Each college decides appeals by its own rules.
Questions
Can you appeal a financial aid offer?
Yes. Colleges can review your aid when your family’s finances have changed since you filed the FAFSA or CSS Profile, for example after a job loss or large medical bills. This is called a professional judgment review. Some colleges also review offers from other colleges.
When should I send an appeal?
Soon after you get your offer, and before you pay the enrollment deposit, which is often due May 1. Ask the financial aid office about its own deadline and whether it has a form.
Should I mention another college’s offer?
Only if it is true and the college says it reviews competing offers. Attach the other offer and compare costs after grants and scholarships, not loans.
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