*This post is sponsored by Going Merry.
Financial aid is one of the top stressors on our students’ minds when we ask them to start thinking about their post-secondary plans.
On one hand, we don’t want financial aid or a family’s financial situation to hinder where the student can go to college (especially if they’ve worked so hard to get there); on the other hand, we want our students to also be responsible with their finances, scholarship opportunities, and debt.
I’m seeing more and more students become debt-averse these days (for good reason!), so it’s important as high school counselors that we provide them with the resources they need to make educated decisions for their financial future.
Oftentimes, parents want to know how they can help in the college search process, but it’s also important to remember how “student-driven” it can and should be! The financial aid piece of the college puzzle can feel daunting to conquer on your own though as a teenager. “How do I fill out the FAFSA?” or “What if I don’t get as much financial aid as I need to go to my dream school?” or “How can I appeal the financial aid package I’ve been given?”
One way we can help, of course, is by educating students on financial aid options as soon as they begin the college search process. (I’d say earlier, but most aren’t tuning into those conversations until they’re confronted with the reality right in front of them!)
If your students are asking questions like the ones I just mentioned, I want to point you in the direction of a free resource that will make that “money talk” less intimidating and more approachable especially when they come up against inevitable roadblocks.
In a world that’s moving towards more AI-generated content, it would only make sense to incorporate it into the college search process in an ethical and meaningful way that benefits students.
Enter: Going Merry’s Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator.
Tools like this Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator can help students become more independent advocates for themselves in the college application process. And isn’t that what we’re hoping to help them do?
The Financial Aid Letter Generator will help facilitate your students' independence.
Sometimes we’re teaching skills in a classroom lesson so that students know how to address written envelopes or write a professional email. Othertimes, we’re role playing what a student will say on the phone with a college admissions representative as they’re checking the status of their final transcript.
We spend lots of time as high school counselors teaching self-advocacy and building out the skills students need to be independent when they leave the walls of our schools. (Then we cross our fingers and hope what we did was enough!)
The Going Merry Financial Aid Appeal Letter Generator is just one more way that we can inch students toward achieving that independence when they have questions to raise about their financial aid package that’s been offered. It’s the perfect tool to equip them to responsibly use technology in the college search, application, and decision process.
Your student’s financial aid appeal letter should be as unique as they are. If they have a specific situation that a financial aid officer needs to consider, this free letter generator will help them communicate their needs in a meaningful way that’s still true to their voice.
The Financial Aid Letter Generator is easy to use.
As a busy high school counselor, you do NOT have time to learn something overly complicated. I’m extremely thankful that the Financial Aid Letter Generator is super easy to test out for yourself, and it’s simple to show students how to use it, too.
Once you’ve logged into your free Going Merry counselor account (maybe you already have an account from using their scholarship platform), you’ll be ecstatic to see that your student can create a letter in just 4 simple steps: enter basic information (name, location, high school, college); explain why they’re choosing this university; share the reason(s) for the appeal; and download a PDF copy of your letter before sending it along to the proper decision makers.
There are plenty of icons to answer common student questions along the way so they don’t get stuck as they format their customized letter.
A financial aid appeal letter can truly make an impact on behalf of a student.
Student financial aid packages are often met with disappointment and resentment. But then students are left with crushed dreams thinking “What next?” and lacking next steps. Why leave any stones unturned in the college process?
There are plenty of reasons a student may want to consider writing a financial appeal letter after receiving a less-than-enticing financial package from a college they were hoping to attend.
If finances are the most important factor in a student’s decision, they may solely be choosing the school that offers the most aid. With a compelling appeal letter, the student may have more desirable options on the table for the “right fit” college for them.
A family’s financial situation may have changed since they first filled out the FAFSA or applied for admission to the school.
I often give the example of my student whose father started cancer treatments during her senior year of high school. This unexpectedly changed her family’s income as he was out of work, and they had more medical bills on the table during this stressful season. While this student was already navigating an emotionally complex situation, she also had to communicate with the financial aid offices of her college acceptances to ask for more money. With no experience of how to navigate this, she turned to me, her high school counselor, to walk through this with her.
A well-written financial aid appeal letter can encourage a student to reach their dreams despite circumstances that may be outside of their control.
By putting the right tools in students’ hands, we increase awareness of the post-secondary options that are available, and we broaden students’ access to these opportunities.
You got into this role to make a difference in your students’ lives, and this free financial aid resource is yet one more tool to eliminate barriers in helping students reach those post-secondary goals.
