We received invaluable advice from one of our readers last week. The reader discusses an expensive mistake she made in regard to her child’s education and why April 1st is a magic date. Please read:
“As a member of the upper middle class and mother of 4 children, 3 of whom will be attending college next year, I want to thank you for the hard work and time you put into this web site. I also want to make you aware of a situation that we experienced that may help others.
My daughter was named a National Merit finalist last year and had applied to 3 schools, an Ivy League school and two private schools. The Ivy League school was her dream school but when it came down to making a financial decision, the private school made more sense because they had offered her a partial scholarship.
This year, when touring this same school with my son, the admissions rep told the group that National Merit finalists receive full tuition. When I got home, I called the financial aid office and questioned why my daughter had not received a full tuition scholarship. I was told it was because she did not inform them of her status by April 1.
My point to all of those families out there….be sure to thoroughly investigate all financial aid scholarships for every school your child lists as a potential choice. It was an expensive mistake that we made.”
Thank you so much to this reader for reminding all of us to double-check all scholarships, especially National Merit scholarships. We advise all parents and students to mark off deadlines on a calendar, or even better to be safe, hand in all scholarship applications early. Remember that deadlines DO change, so call the financial aid office at the school or call the scholarship institution directly. One day can make a huge difference in finances as the reader above clearly states.
Please let us know if you have any advice or if we can learn from any mistakes you’ve made. We welcome any and all advice.
~ the WPC team
© White Picket College, 2010 – College Funding for the Upper Middle Class
