There’s nothing harder than getting into your dream school and then not having the funds to pay for it. This blog answers common questions such as: Learning the difference between financial aid and merit offers in my college acceptance letter. How to appeal a financial or merit award from a college. And, how to know how much to ask for.

Last week’s blog covered how to read your award letter, but what can you do if the amount you are on the hook for is higher than what you can-- or want to-- pay? Ideally you will have sussed this all out before applying to schools, but the reality is that a school isn’t always transparent about expected family contribution, and even when it provides a cost calculator, the school doesn’t necessarily stand by it.