# Scholarship Reconsideration Request: [School name, intake year]

> A workbook and letter structure for asking an MBA programme to reconsider a scholarship or fellowship award: how to
> find out whether the school reviews awards at all, what evidence it accepts, a net-cost comparison with Excel
> formulas, timing, tone, and a letter skeleton with short fictional fragments. It is for admitted applicants who have
> a documented reason to ask (a competing award, a change in finances, information the school did not have). Source
> basis: public financial aid pages of leading programmes (checked October 2026) and principled negotiation (Fisher
> and Ury 1981), written in our own words. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked *Example*. This is a
> planning aid, not financial advice, and many schools do not negotiate awards at all.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Fill section 1 first. If the school states that awards are final, or that aid is need-based and assessed only from your financial information, follow its process (usually an appeal for changed circumstances) and do not send a competing-offer letter.
- Build the net-cost comparison in section 3 from the written award letters and official cost-of-attendance pages.
- Ask once, in writing, through the channel the school names, before your deposit deadline.
- Write it yourself. Check the school's AI policy (mba/mba-ai-use-policy-check).
- Related templates: mba/mba-admit-decision, mba/mba-funding-scholarship-plan, mba/mba-decision-roi, mba/mba-budget-during-program, mba/mba-loan-repayment-plan, mba/mba-negotiation-planner, mba/mba-offer-negotiation, personal/loan-comparison
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: One copy per school. Keep the award letters and every message sent and received. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | AID-[School]-[YYYY]-001 |
| Applicant | [Your name, applicant ID] |
| School and intake | [School, intake YYYY] |
| Award letter date | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Deposit or reply deadline | YYYY-MM-DD |
| School's stated review process | [Appeal form / email to aid office / no review] |
| Version | [0.1] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Reviewed by | [Mentor or trusted reader] |

## 1. Does the school review awards?

<!-- Guidance: Read the financial aid pages and your award letter for words such as "final", "appeal", "reconsideration", "special circumstances" and "need-based". Record what you find with the date. -->

Schools fall into three broad groups, and the right approach differs for each:

| Type of award system | What a request can do | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Need-based only | The award follows a need calculation; a competing merit offer is usually not a factor | Correct or add financial information through the school's appeal or special-circumstances process |
| Merit-based, with a stated review process | The school may review an award when given new information or a competing offer | A short, documented reconsideration request (this template) |
| Merit-based, awards stated as final | The school will not change awards | Do not ask; plan funding with mba/mba-funding-scholarship-plan |

Published examples, as of October 2026: Harvard Business School states that admission is based on merit while
financial aid is awarded on demonstrated need, that you apply for aid only after admission, and that need is
assessed from factors such as prior income, assets, background and undergraduate debt
([HBS need-based tuition assistance](https://www.hbs.edu/mba/financial-aid/tuition-assistance)). Stanford GSB
describes its fellowships as based solely on demonstrated need, with admission decisions made before, and without
regard to, the financial aid application
([Stanford GSB tuition and financial aid](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/tuition-financial-aid)).
At schools like these a competing merit award is not a reason to change a need-based fellowship, but an error or a
change in your finances may be. Policies change; check the school's current pages and your award letter before you
rely on them.

| Question | Answer for your school | Source and date read |
|---|---|---|
| Is the award need-based, merit-based or both? | [ ] | [ ] |
| Does the school state that awards are final? | [ ] | [ ] |
| Is there an appeal or reconsideration process? Form or email? | [ ] | [ ] |
| What evidence does it accept (competing award letters, financial documents)? | [ ] | [ ] |
| Deadline for requests | [ ] | [ ] |
| Is the award renewable in year two, and on what conditions? | [ ] | [ ] |

## 2. Process and timing

<!-- Guidance: The window is short: after all award letters arrive and before the deposit deadline. A request after you have paid the deposit carries little weight. -->

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  A["Award letters received"] --> B{"Does the school review awards?"}
  B -- "No, stated final" --> C["Do not ask, plan funding"]
  B -- "Need-based only" --> D["Check for errors or changed finances"]
  D --> E["Use the appeal or special-circumstances process"]
  B -- "Merit review possible" --> F["Gather evidence, compute net-cost gap"]
  F --> G["Draft request, 200 to 350 words"]
  E --> G
  G --> H["Send before the deposit deadline, log it"]
  H --> I{"Decision received"}
  I --> J["Update mba/mba-admit-decision and decide"]
```

| When (D = deposit deadline) | Action |
|---|---|
| As soon as all award letters arrive | Fill sections 1 and 3 |
| D-3 to D-2 weeks | Send one request with evidence |
| D-1 week | If no reply, one short, polite follow-up asking whether a decision will come before the deadline |
| D | Decide with the award you have; do not hold the deposit hostage to the request |

## 3. Evidence and net-cost comparison

<!-- Guidance: Compare net cost (cost of attendance minus award), not award size: a larger award at a more expensive school can still cost more. -->

Evidence that schools commonly consider, where they review awards at all: a written award from a comparable programme;
new or corrected financial information (job loss in the household, dependants, medical costs, an error in the
submitted figures); and achievements since the application that bear on merit criteria (a higher test score). A
request without new evidence asks the school to change its mind for no reason and seldom works.

### 3.1 Worked example *(Example)*

Two-year figures in USD, fictional. Cost of attendance is tuition, fees, living costs and insurance from each school's
official budget.

| Row | Item | School A *(Example)* | School B *(Example)* | Excel (column B shown) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cost of attendance, two years | 246,000 | 229,000 | input |
| 3 | Award, two years | 30,000 | 70,000 | input |
| 4 | Award as share of cost | 12.2% | 30.6% | `=B3/B2` |
| 5 | Net cost | 216,000 | 159,000 | `=B2-B3` |
| 6 | Net-cost gap, A minus B | 57,000 | | `=B5-C5` |
| 7 | Gap per year | 28,500 | | `=B6/2` |

If School A, the applicant's preferred school, added USD 10,000 a year (`=B5-2*10000`), its net cost would fall to
USD 196,000 and the gap to USD 37,000. Knowing this, the applicant can decide in advance how much of the gap matters
(see mba/mba-admit-decision): a request should describe the facts, not demand that the school close the whole gap.

### 3.2 Your evidence

| ID | Evidence | Document | Date | Relevant to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV-1 *(Example)* | Award of USD 35,000 a year from School B | Award letter | YYYY-MM-DD | Merit review |
| EV-2 *(Example)* | Spouse's employment ended after the aid application | Employer letter | YYYY-MM-DD | Need recalculation |
| [EV-3] | [ ] | [ ] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] |

## 4. Letter structure

<!-- Guidance: 200 to 350 words. Lead with your commitment if it is real, then the facts and the evidence, then a clear, modest ask. -->

Principled negotiation separates the people from the problem and focuses on interests and objective criteria rather
than positions (Fisher and Ury 1981). Here the school's interest is enrolling students it wants within a fixed aid
budget; yours is attending at a cost you can manage. Objective criteria are the documents, not your feelings.

| Part | Purpose | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Thanks for the admit and the award; state that the school is your first choice only if true | 2 sentences |
| Situation | The fact that prompts the request, with the document named | 2 to 3 sentences |
| Impact | The net-cost difference or the change in finances, briefly | 1 to 2 sentences |
| Ask | Request reconsideration, without naming a demand figure unless the school's form asks for one | 1 sentence |
| Close | Offer documents, give your deposit deadline, thank them | 1 to 2 sentences |

### 4.1 Technique fragments *(fictional, for illustration only)*

Do not reuse these; write your own facts in your own words.

Before (demanding): "School B has offered me far more, so I expect you to match it."

After (factual, open): "I have also been admitted to School B with an award of USD 35,000 a year, and I attach the
letter. School A remains my first choice. I would be grateful if the committee could review my award in light of this."

Fragment, changed circumstances (Tomas Lindqvist, fictional applicant): "Since I submitted my aid application, my
partner's position was eliminated, which reduces our household income for the coming year by about half. I attach the
employer's letter and would be grateful if my need could be reassessed."

### 4.2 Your draft

Subject: [Scholarship reconsideration request, Your name, Applicant ID]

[Opening.]

[Situation, with document.]

[Impact.]

[Ask.]

[Close, with deposit deadline.]

[Your name, applicant ID]

## 5. Tone

<!-- Guidance: You will spend two years with these people. Write as you would to a future colleague. -->

Be courteous, brief and factual. Do not threaten to decline, exaggerate a competing offer, ask the school to match a
figure it has no reason to match, or send the request to several offices at once. Do not compare yourself with other
admitted students. A school that says no has not insulted you; thank them and decide.

## 6. Quality checklist

<!-- Guidance: Tick every line before you send. -->

- [ ] The school reviews awards, and I am using its stated process and channel.
- [ ] Each fact is documented, and documents are attached or ready.
- [ ] Net cost is compared, not award size.
- [ ] The letter is 200 to 350 words, polite, with one clear ask.
- [ ] "First choice" appears only if I would enrol with the current award or a modest increase.
- [ ] The request goes in before the deposit deadline, which the letter states.
- [ ] I wrote it myself and followed the school's AI policy.
- [ ] School names and figures are correct throughout.

## 7. Common mistakes

<!-- Guidance: The biggest mistake is asking a school that has said it does not negotiate. -->

1. **Ignoring the school's policy.** Sending a competing-offer letter to a school that states awards are final or need-based only.
2. **No evidence.** A request based only on hope or general cost concerns.
3. **Comparing award size, not net cost.** A smaller award at a cheaper school may leave you better off.
4. **Comparing non-peer schools.** An award from a programme the school does not see as comparable carries little weight.
5. **Threats or ultimatums.** "Match it or I go elsewhere" damages a relationship you may keep for two years.
6. **Misrepresenting an offer.** Overstating an award is dishonest and easily checked against the letter.
7. **Asking repeatedly.** One request and, if needed, one short follow-up.
8. **Asking too late.** After the deposit is paid, the school has little reason to act.
9. **Forgetting year two.** Confirm whether the award, and any increase, is renewable and on what conditions.
10. **Letting the outcome decide alone.** Feed the final award into mba/mba-admit-decision, with every other criterion.

## 8. Request log

<!-- Guidance: Record every message and the outcome. -->

| Date | Channel | Content | Response | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD *(Example)* | Aid office email | Request with EV-1 | Acknowledged | Award raised by USD 5,000 a year |
| YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

## Sources and further reading

<!-- Guidance: Re-check each school's financial aid pages before you send. -->

- Fisher, R. and Ury, W. (1981). *Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In*. Houghton Mifflin.
- Harvard Business School, need-based tuition assistance page, [hbs.edu](https://www.hbs.edu/mba/financial-aid/tuition-assistance). Checked 2026-10-28.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business, tuition and financial aid pages,
  [gsb.stanford.edu](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/tuition-financial-aid). Checked 2026-10-28.
- Each school's award letter and financial aid FAQ (the only rules that apply to you).
- Related templates: mba/mba-funding-scholarship-plan, mba/mba-admit-decision, mba/mba-negotiation-planner.

## Revision history

<!-- Guidance: One row per message sent or decision received. -->

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | First version from template |
| [0.2] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | [Request sent with EV-1] |

## Standard and licence note

Based on the public financial aid pages of business schools as published in October 2026 and on principled
negotiation (Fisher and Ury 1981). The text, figures and fragments are original and fictional. The template is not
affiliated with or endorsed by any business school; schools are named only to describe their public aid policies,
which you must check on the school's current page. Template licence: MIT.