I still remember seeing the letter of my financial aid offer more than 20 years ago for my incoming freshman year of college. The dollar amount that was my family contribution stunned me. I had no idea how my mother — a single parent and cafeteria school worker — would be able to afford paying anything for my college education.
I wrote the university a letter explaining my family’s circumstances and received an updated financial aid award package a few weeks later that listed my family contribution as zero.
