<p>I've considered applying to some UCs and USC, but the problem with college is the high cost. I plan on applying for financial aid and/or merit-based scholarships, but I have recently heard from some people that applying for financial aid while applying for college may lower your chances of admission since colleges are, after all, a "business." I've also heard that applying for fee waivers for college applications also show that you don't care enough for the college to actually pay for the application. Is all of this true or is it all just full of s*it?</p>
<p>Full of ****.</p>
<p>Almost all colleges are "need-blind" to US Citizens, which means the admissions dept. won't even look at the financial aid situations of any of their applicants until after they've decided to admit them. By the time they know whether you're asking for money or not, they've already committed to admitting you. Applying for financial aid will only hurt your chances at a college if you're an international student. USC offers merit aid to something like 35% of undergrads, and need aid to over 40%, which is VERY generous.</p>
<p>"Almost all colleges are "need-blind" to US Citizens"</p>
<p>WHAAAT!?...where did you hear this from? That is ridiculous. Most colleges ARE NOT NEED BLIND, US citizens or not. There are roughly 3400 universities, colleges, and CC in the the U.S. Only a handful of the elite billion-dollar-endownment club are needblind. For example, Tufts (ranked 27th in USNews) is not need blind, they are working toward it, but they are not right now [1]; Brown is not need-blind for transfer students, and it has only been need blind since 2002 for freshman app [2]; In fact ONLY the following schools are need blind:</p>
<p>Amherst College
Boston College
Brown University
California Institute of Technology
Claremont McKenna College
Columbia University
Cornell University
Cooper Union
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Georgetown University
Grinnell College
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Northwestern University
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rice University [3]
Stanford University
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
Vassar College [4]
Vanderbilt University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University
[5]
If you have the credential to get in to those schools, then you are almost promised scholarships at lesser schools.</p>
<p>[1] <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2005/09/26/story8.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2005/09/26/story8.html</a>
[2] <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E2DF1E3EF937A15751C0A9649C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FOrganizations%2FI%2FIvy%20League%5B/url%5D">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E2DF1E3EF937A15751C0A9649C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FOrganizations%2FI%2FIvy%20League</a>
[3] <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_n13_v13/ai_18880702%5B/url%5D">http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_n13_v13/ai_18880702</a>
[4] <a href="http://misc.vassar.edu/archives/2005/04/financial_aid_a.html%5B/url%5D">http://misc.vassar.edu/archives/2005/04/financial_aid_a.html</a>
[5] <a href="http://www.ticas.org/ticas_d/Need_Blind_Policies_0402.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.ticas.org/ticas_d/Need_Blind_Policies_0402.pdf</a></p>
<p>going back to my original post.. umm.. does that mean it's full of s*it or is what I said legitimate?</p>
<p>For schools that are not "need-blind", then yes, applying for aid may lower your chances of getting in. But it's not the fact that you've applied for aid that's important; it's how much aid you might need. Schools are not "all after the money", but they do have a limited pot to give out, so they do have to be careful about how much they give to whom. </p>
<p>But look at the flip side: what good does it do you to be admitted, but not get sufficient aid to make it affordable? Very few schools are need-blind and also promise to meet 100% of your need.</p>
<p>As far as merit aid is concerned, that too can be looked at as a "business decision" - in order to boost their reputations, the schools have decided to entice the best and the brightest of their applicants to attend by giving them merit money. By definition, applying for merit scholarships does not lessen your chance of admissions; if you are qualified for those scholarships, you'd probably be admitted anyway.</p>
<p>So while there is some truth in what your friends said, it's not nearly as black and white as they make out.</p>
<p>well.. what I heard from someone was.. you can apply for financial aid after you get accepted, therefore, bypassing that whole judgment thing they have on you. Is that true? Oh and my other question wasnt answered about the application fee waiver.</p>
<p>Colleges are advised by consultants to think about how to offer financial aid in a way that BENEFITS THE COLLEGE. </p>
<p>That is, once you think about it, just a way for the college to survive and thrive. If the college's policies help you get a useful deal for you, great, but don't assume the college is giving you something for nothing. It is trying to survive as it competes for students, and you are trying to get into a college that is both desirable and affordable in competition with other students.</p>
<p>hm..well.. going back to before, if I apply for college and get accepted. Would it be better for me to apply for financial aid AFTER i get accepted, or during the application process?</p>
<p>If you need it, it's best to apply as early as you can. If you don't need it, why are you asking about it?</p>
<p>If you wait until after all of the admission decisions have been made, all available financial aid money may well be gone. Also, if you wait too long to get the data to the college, they may not be able to give you a decision until after the deadline for guaranteeing your spot in the class is past.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about the application fee waiver question.</p>
<p>Make sure the list of schools you are applying to include "financial safeties".</p>
<p>Every school has a deadline for applying for financial aid. These dates are all before acceptances go out. Schools must give an estimated financial aid award when they send out acceptances so that students can decide where to go. They cannot wait to get your information until after decisions are made; there's no time.</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, follow the schools' deadlines.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that there are a bunch of schools not on the "need blind" list posted by Reddune that are very much desirous of attracting the type of student that could possibly be accepted by the more elite need-blind schools.</p>
<p>If a strudent is attractive enough, these "second tier" schools will frequently offer generous merit and need-based aid packages in order to attract those students to the school. Some consider it "buying" smart students, but the fact is, the chance of being accepted to and offered a generous aid package at these non need-based schools increases the better your stats, ECs, etc.</p>
<p>I think there is a chance applying for financial aid may lower your chance of admittance of some schools. But there are a lot of schools, including those that aren't need blind, where it doesn't affect your chance.</p>
<p>If you are an instate CA resident then financial aid shouldn't be a significant factor in your decision since the cost of attendance at the UCs is so reasonable. If you are out of state, then forget about it, the FA at the UCs for out of state residents is terrible regardless of your stats.</p>
<p>The bottom line is if you need the financial aid, then you should follow the deadlines and apply as early as you can. If the school is not need blind, private, and expensive, then your chances of acceptance and receiving FA increase the more your stats are attractive relative to the recent classes of admitted freshman at that school.</p>
<p>this may be related question - when college give out the estimated financial aid do they give out for first year or only is there a commitment for the duration of the course (subject to whatever conditions they might add)?</p>
<p>You have to reapply every year for need-based financial aid. From what I have read, there is no guarantee that grants will not become work-study in subsequent years, but those with more experience may wish to comment on that.</p>
<p>If your family's income increases each year, it will affect the package. If a sibling starts college, it will help you, probably. If your family's income decreases, that should be reflected in a better f.a. package.</p>
<p>So, no there is no commitment for the course of study in a strict sense.</p>