If you say “yes” in financial aid in the Common app but then later something changes that you don’t need it anymore, can you un-apply for financial aid by contacting the admissions or something like that? (or vice versa)
Yes, absolutely. Colleges are more than happy to hear about a prospective student that doesn’t need financial aid 
@howdoipayforthis Does it work the same the other way too? If I first say that I don’t need FA on the app but later realize I actually do?
You can always fill out the FAFSA, even after you start school. The schools can set their own rules about applying for school aid after admissions.
@twoinanddone Does this answer change if I’m an international student? I just fill out CSS, no FAFSA for me
If you need financial aid, contact the places that you have applied to immediately, and change that information on your application. Ask each of them separately about the correct forms to file. Do not be surprised if each place has different requirements.
@happymomof1 But it is possible to make a change right? Like it’s not an unchangeable definite thing?
While it generally is possible at most schools to get information like this corrected, it is also possible that some schools have different application / admissions requirements than others, so please reach out to them ASAP to get this corrected. If the only FA available for students in your situation is scholarship (vs. need based aid), sometimes applicants need to apply for those by a certain date.
@geekgurl - Of course you can make that change! But if you are going to, you need to do it as soon as you can. Otherwise you might get admitted without the aid that you need.
Need aware schools do not play this game, so if you need aid,ask for it on your application. Don’t tell a need aware school you don’t need aid to gain admission, get admitted, and then ask for aid later. It doesn’t work that way. (In response to your vice versus question)
@jnkam24 No I didn’t mean to get admitted without aid + ask for aid later (that sounds like cheating imo and I know a lot of schools specifically write on their website about how they won’t allow it), but if I submit an application today answering “no” for financial aid and something changes later in January or February (before the decisions), will it be possible to change?
As an international students, most schools have policies in place that if you do not apply for financial aid at the time of admissions, you will not be eligible for financial aid later. Keep in mind that there are only 5 schools in tthe US that are both need blind and meet 100$ demonstrated need for international students. Your ability to pay will be a factor in the admissions process.
If you change your application that you will not need aid, be prepared to be full pay for all 4 years.
Are you an international student?
If so, i would strongly suggest that you apolynfor aid as an incoming freshman. Many, if not all, colleges do not allow international students to apply for institutional need based aid in subsequent years if the student doesn’t APPLY as an incoming freshman.
This is because the colleges don’t want very needy international students to somehow cobble together the money for year one…and then need a LOT of their institutional aid to return for years 2, 3, 4.
So…apply for aid now. Just do it. You don’t have to accept aid or even be eligible for it…you just need to apply.
I’m not sure why you would NOT apply for aid. Please explain why you wouldn’t apply for need based aid?
@thumper1 For some schools I’m worried that applying to aid might decrease my chances of admission and merit scholarship might be a better option. Tbh I’m not that sure about that either, but I want to apply to at least one school without FA aiming for merit scholarships. But I’ve seen some people say that merit scholarships are more competitive than international FA admissions too so I’m not very sure…
What schools are you applying to that will give huge merit awards for an international student…beside University of Alabama.
You know…if you need financial aid to attend, you need to apply for financial aid. What good will an acceptance do you if you can’t pay the costs to attend? You might as well be rejected.
The admissions tip for being full pay could cost you a LOT of money over four years. A lot.
Adding…I’ve looked at your queries for colleges. MIT, Harvard, Duke, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Swarthmore, UNC Chapel Hill, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, Dartmouth, Cal, U of Michigan, Amherst?
Where do you think you are going to get merit aid? Most of these schools give NO merit aid at all. A couple do give merit aid, but it is highly competitive.
Duke does…but here is what they say:
Swarthmore does but…HIGHLY competitive. They do offer need based aid to international students. That is a safer bet if you need aid.
Frankly, I think you are being very optimistic. These schools all have very highly competitive international applicants most of whom have the credentials to qualify for the limited merit aid they offer…for the couple of colleges on this list that offer merit aid because most of the schools on your list…don’t offer merit aid. At. All.
Do you have any sure thing colleges on your application list because the schools you have inquired about on this forum are not a sure thing for international students in particular…whether they can pay full freight or not.
One more thing…you mention engineering as your potential major. You have until tomorrow to submit an application and scholarship application to University of Alabama. If you really are a competitive applicant for those tippy top, and highly competitive colleges you are inquiring about…its very possible you could garner significant merit aid from University of Alabama.
The school has an excellent engineering program, and facilities.
But the deadline is tomorrow so get cracking…Or you will miss it.
@thumper1
Originally I thought I’d aim for merit scholarships for Swarthmore, Duke, and JHU, but after more research I think I’m better off with FA at Swarthmore and Duke (and apparently most of Duke’s merit scholarship is first year only). Still debating over JHU bc they seem to have a pretty long list of scholarships on their website. Not sure if Bloomberg’s endowment will make a difference in whether I should go for their FA or merit aid.
You can apply for both need-based aid and merit-based aid at the same college/university. You don’t have to choose just one or the other. It is not unusual at all for students to have aid packages that include both merit-based and need-based components.
@happymomof1 But if I apply for need-based aid don’t I get less chance for admissions…bc it’s need aware for me…?