<p>Son just would qualify for merit aid anyway. The EFC was so high (often the price of tuition or higher), would it make any sense to bother with all the paperwork that filing these forms entails (as well as the stress)?
I know that some schools require you to file these forms to get ANY aid, including their "merit" aid (my friend says USC is one of these).</p>
<p>Would welcome experience & advice on this point. Haven't seen it addressed. </p>
<p>I know our pediatrician filled out tons of forms & several of his kids got scholarships for their college educations. His house is way nicer than ours & in a better neighborhood. <grin> Never quizzed him about HOW they got aid, but know his kids are URMs since they're part Hawaiian; we're not.
Thanks!</grin></p>
<p>I think that you should never eliminate your self from the FA process because the processes vary from school to school. If you file the fafsa, what is the worse that can happen? They tell you that you are not eligible (but you already know that). Some schools offer non-need based aid/merit money and require that you file the FAFSA in order to receive the aid. SO to me you have nothing to lose and something to gain.</p>
<p>Also, some schools require the completion of the FAFSA even for merit aid awards. In addition, while you hope this won't be the case...if your family has some financial hardship (loss of job(s), expensive medical bills, illness, etc) during the academic year many colleges will reconsider your finaid award once you have a FAFSA on file. It seems to me that this is better done now, than during a time of crisis.</p>
<p>P.S. DS is a student at a major university that requires the FAFSA for merit aid...we have to do it EVERY year as a requirement for the renewal of his merit aid.</p>
<p>"We went to the pediatrician today for son's physical (son will be senior this year). The pediatrician has a daughter who just graduated from Boston U, daughter who is a junior at Redlands & his son who will be freshman at NYU (turned down USoCal), & will be helping daughter apply to colleges this fall, including USanDiego. He says that he believes that (given son's scores & grades) my son should easily get in at NYU, USC, and most schools in spite of his lowly class rank. He believes my son has a good chance for substantial merit aid, like the 50% merit awards his kids got (who went to different private high school). [Like many here, we will not qualify for any need aid, but would love it if he got some good merit aid. (He should be at least a commended National Merit, if not higher--he's "on the bubble.")] "</p>
<p>Is this doctor also an avid fisherman ... you know the type of fisherman who catches fish that get bigger every time he tells the story? </p>
<p>While having multiple children in college at the same time does change your EFC by a good margin, the story about merit aid is very suspect, and especially at schools that are not known to be generous. For instance, NYU may be one of the stingiest school in the country. </p>
<p>I would trust the good doctor to keep your children healthy, but leave the college discussions in the waiting room.</p>
<p>We're no where near 250K, but still would have difficulty coming up with 50K/year, like most families. Don't think that would apply if we made 250K/year, but who knows? We can only dream of what that might be like.</p>
<p>Anyone who files the FAFSA can qualify for a minimal student Stafford Loan, perhaps not the kind of "financial aid" you might have in mind, but certainly much better than borrowing a loan on your own.</p>