NEW · COMPARE
Financial Aid Counter-Offer Engine
Compare competing offers and draft an institutional aid reconsideration request.
NEW · COMPARE BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Turn competing offers into a clear reconsideration request.
Compare the same year and living plan, separate gift aid from debt, check a federal net-price benchmark, and draft a respectful request for more institutional aid.
01THE SCHOOL YOU WANTPreferred schoolOpen +
Use the same academic year, enrollment level, housing plan, and residency status across offers. If a school’s cost of attendance is entered, the tool uses it instead of adding the itemized cost fields.
02YOUR LEVERAGECompeting offer 1Open +
Use the same academic year, enrollment level, housing plan, and residency status across offers. If a school’s cost of attendance is entered, the tool uses it instead of adding the itemized cost fields.
03YOUR LEVERAGECompeting offer 2Open +
Use the same academic year, enrollment level, housing plan, and residency status across offers. If a school’s cost of attendance is entered, the tool uses it instead of adding the itemized cost fields.
SIDE-BY-SIDE DECISION
What each offer really covers
| Offer | Annual cost | Gift aid | Net price | Loans | After loans | Gift-aid share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred school | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Competing offer | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Competing offer | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
Why work-study is separate: it is normally earned through paychecks after a student obtains and works an eligible job. It is not an upfront grant against the bill.
OFFICIAL PUBLIC CONTEXT
Check the College Scorecard benchmark
Search the preferred school. The federal average net price is a historical student average—not a quote for you, a “discount rate,” or proof that money is available.
YOUR RECONSIDERATION REQUEST
Make the request specific, honest, and easy to review.
Before sending, attach:Preferred-school offerCompeting offerSchool’s appeal form, if requiredOnly relevant supporting documents
READY-TO-EDIT DRAFT
Subject: Request for Institutional Aid Reconsideration — [Your name] Dear Office of Financial Aid, My name is [Your name], and I am writing to respectfully request a review of my financial aid offer for 2026–27. I would be excited to enroll if the remaining cost becomes manageable. I am attaching my current aid offer and a competing offer so the costs and non-loan aid can be reviewed together. I respectfully request consideration for approximately $0 in additional institutional grant or scholarship aid, or the maximum amount available, to help close this difference. If an exact adjustment is not possible, please review my eligibility for institutional merit, need-based, retention, completion, or emergency funding and let me know what documentation or school-specific form is required. I understand that additional aid is not guaranteed and that the institution makes the final decision under its own policies. I would be grateful for a written review of the available options and next steps. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Your name]
This is a request—not a promise or entitlement.
Schools use their own policies and make the final decision. Never invent an offer, hardship, deadline, or amount. A special-circumstances review concerns documented changes affecting FAFSA information; a competing-offer reconsideration may be handled under a different school policy.