# Explain a financial aid offer to a student and family

Breaks down a college aid offer into net cost, grants vs. loans, and next steps, with a clear reply to the family.

- Topic: Customer Support
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Education, Finance, Customer Support, Analyze, Explain & Teach, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/explain-a-financial-aid-offer-to-a-student-and-family

## Prompt

```text
Help me explain a financial aid offer to a student and their family.

**Cost of attendance:** [tuition and fees, housing, meals, books, transportation, personal; direct vs. indirect]
**Aid offered:** [PASTE - grants, scholarships, work-study, federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, Parent PLUS]
**Student's situation:** [e.g. first-gen, independent, special circumstances like job loss or a parent's death]
**Family's question or concern:** [PASTE their message]
**Deadlines:** [acceptance, verification, deposit]
**What we can and cannot do:** [e.g. professional judgment review, appeals, institutional scholarship limits]

Produce:
1. A plain-language breakdown table: free money (grants, scholarships), earned money (work-study), borrowed money (loans), and the net price the family pays.
2. Direct costs billed by the school vs. indirect costs they will spend but not be billed for.
3. What each loan means: who borrows, interest and fees to [CONFIRM CURRENT RATES], and when repayment starts. Note they can accept less than the full loan.
4. Whether a special circumstances or professional judgment review fits their situation, and what documents they would need.
5. Next steps with deadlines in bold.
6. A reply email (under 250 words) answering their question warmly and without jargon.

Rules:
- Never promise more aid or guarantee an appeal outcome.
- Use only the figures I provide; mark gaps [ADD].
- Keep personal financial details confidential and send only through secure channels.
- Federal aid rules and loan terms change each year; mark any rule or limit I did not supply as [CONFIRM] against current Federal Student Aid guidance.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE their message
- acceptance, verification, deposit
- CONFIRM CURRENT RATES
- ADD
- CONFIRM

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