Draft your appeal letter
Answer a few questions and we’ll generate a one-page, editable Word document you review and send under your own name. The letter states one dated change with dollar figures and asks the office to review your aid. We never guarantee an amount.
What changed for your family?
What to expect, from the only figures we can trace.
- In Sallie Mae's annual How America Pays survey, roughly one family in three with an aid offer asks for more (31–40% across 2022–2026), and about two in three of those report getting something (66–73%). For some, the 'something' was a larger loan.
- The one measured average gain is about $3,500 a year (2020 student survey). Counselors who handle appeals usually cite $3,000–$5,000 and say private colleges say yes far more often than public ones.
Sources: Sallie Mae / Ipsos, How America Pays for College 2026; CollegeFinance 2020 student survey (average gain $3,497). AidVerdict drafts an editable letter you send under your own name. We never promise a dollar amount. Drafting assistance, not financial or legal advice.
AidVerdict is drafting assistance, not financial or legal advice. You send the letter; we are never a party to the negotiation. Verify details with your school.