<p>I know this has been addressed in different ways on other threads, but I'd like to re-state it. A parent told me today that "if you apply ED you won't get financial aid." Really? I understand the logic that the school will offer you less because they think they can, but "less" is not "none." We are considering ED only on the basis that if we don't get enough aid we will decline. Otherwise, why would we apply ED (aside from the obvious hope of early/advantaged admission)?</p>
<p>Anyone get good FA with ED?</p>
<p>The main consideration is that you can’t compare offers. </p>
<p>Also, schools don’t have to offer “preferential packaging”/ merit aid to “sweeten the deal” with ED students, because colleges know these applicants will enroll if accepted.</p>
<p>Your child should be considering ED because that school is the tippy top choice they have AND you feel confident you can afford to send her there.</p>
<p>One of the reasons to decline an ED offer of acceptance is because your aid is insufficient. BUT…and it’s a big BUT…when you apply ED you are applying with the understanding that you WILL accept the offer if you are accepted. You should be well informed about your aid prospects…do the net price calculator on the college website. If the aid is insufficient, you might want to consider apply regular decision. By doing so, you could have financial aid offers from peer schools that might be able to be used to help you get a better aid package at the school your child wanted to apply to ED. There have been numerous reports here of students taking financial aid offers from peer schools to their first choice/less aid school, and have had an increase offered.</p>
<p>You can’t do that with an ED offer and ED aid offer. You have no comparisons and no leverage using other offers.</p>
<p>It’s not that you can’t get good FA . . . it’s that (1) you won’t have the opportunity to compare offers and (2) you won’t have the ability to negotiate (e.g. “School X offered me more . . . can you match that?”). So, you end up having to make the decision whether to accept or reject an offer based only on your best guess that you’ll do better if you wait. If it’s the kid’s dream school, that’s a tough call . . .</p>
<p>Because different schools can take the same financial data and come up with entirely different assessments of your family’s ability to pay, the process is not as straightforward as one would hope.</p>
<p>Make good use of the schools’ net price calculators, and if you decide to go with an ED application, make sure you’ve set very clear guidelines as to what kind of FA offer is acceptable (and what would not be acceptable) . . . and make sure your student understands those guidelines.</p>
<p>This is exactly the issue I am dealing with as well, because I know that I probably won’t get into the college I’m thinking about doing ED to if I don’t do ED.</p>