Financial Aid Appeal Letter

In class, we discuss the changing criteria for financial aid, the income cut-off, and how students meet requirements for need.

Students who currently receive financial aid are asked to freewrite about the consequences of losing their aid if their income was suddenly deemed too high to qualify for aid.

Students who do not currently receive financial aid are asked to freewrite about the consequences of suddenly becoming eligible for financial aid if their income was suddenly deemed within the range of need.

Finally, students are asked to imagine that their scenario has become true: that they are either newly eligible or newly disqualified for financial aid. They have an opportunity to write a letter of application or appeal to either receive or retain their financial aid status.

Without engaging in any readings yet, students compose the first draft of their financial aid letter. They address it to the financial aid officer at their college, and attempt to make a case for their financial aid status. Students are encouraged to use ethos, pathos, and logos appeals, evidence, benefits, and audience appeals.

Students examine each others’ first drafts, noting successful and/or risky tone, evidence, appeals, and style. Together, the class discusses what qualities would make for a “good” letter.

From Money Changes Everything:

• “Wealth and Poverty” by Peter Singer
• “On Plumbing and the Meaning of Poverty” by Melanie Scheller
• “The Good Life” by the Roper Center
• When Spending Becomes You” by Juliet Schor

And this blog post: Why I Make Terrible Decisions, or, poverty thoughts

Students engage in and demonstrate reading comprehension in various ways, both in class and for homework: vocabulary, group quizzes, free writes, reading responses, etc.

Now, hopefully, their readings will have clear purpose: helping give them evidence, arguments, appeals,, support, and models for making their case for financial aid.

Students carefully select quotations that will help their letters, and summarize them with a focus on integrating the authors’ words into their argument.

Students re-draft with quotations,

Review for business letter formatting, tone, appeals, risky ethos, too much pathos, quotation structure, accurate summary, etc.

Students submit final, polished financial aid letters.