<p>From what I understand, you must check a box on the college application if you are going to apply for FA or not. At some point later you file the FAFSA forms. Can one say they are not going to apply for FA, but later apply anyways? Do you have to provide a reason why you changed your decision/intention?</p>
<p>Some schools will not let you apply for institutional FA later, if you didn’t apply at the beginning (unless something serious happens like death of a parent). You can still apply later for federal aid if you qualify.</p>
<p>The reason some colleges have this rule is this. Sometimes students are offered admittance because they don’t need FA. Schools don’t want kids pretending that they don’t need FA just to gain admittance, and then asking for aid later. For instance…sometimes a family might think that all they have to do is pay for the first year, and then ask for aid for the other three.</p>
<p>“For instance…sometimes a family might think that all they have to do is pay for the first year, and then ask for aid for the other three.”</p>
<p>At some schools this is allowed; each school sets its own policy. You may have to ask each school, if the web site doesn’t explicitly say.</p>