<p>The COA for DD's EA school (private) is around 50K. We have a high EFC that DD won't qualify for any need-based aid. DD sent email to fin-aid office if she still needs to fill out CSS/profile if she knows she is not qualify for need-based aid, but want to be considered for merit-based aid. The reply was the choice is ours, but they highly suggest all students complete the forms. So I called in to ask for an elaborated answer the benefits of fill out CSS. </p>
<p>At the begining, I was told clearly that the merit based is determined by the student's application only. After back and forth a while, she followed up by they would also look at both the application and Profile, since the Profile would give them a full picture of the family's financial background. But when I asked if our ability to full-pay would limit the merit-based aid, she refered back to the the begining again. The two points she made were in conflict!</p>
<p>I've read before in this forum about enrollment management. So in order to maximize the chance of merit-based scholarship, should we fill out CSS/profile or not?</p>
<p>i’m anxiously waiting for an answer to this one too…8 schools my son applied to say they require profile, but like you we know we wont get need based aid, and are hoping for merit. i called the schools and 7 said “well you dont have to fill it out” but recommended still doing the fafsa, only one said they did require it even for merit aid…something about how their merit aid was tied to financial aid office. I really dont want to do it,</p>
<p>I don’t know the answer to your question, but I have a hunch:</p>
<p>It seems to me that colleges use merit aid mostly as a recruiting tool. So they would want to know if offering merit aid will sway your decision to accept in the first place. </p>
<p>If your family is making $2 million/yr and this is your only kid applying to college, you are probably not going to notice a $50K/yr difference in costs between two colleges. If, OTOH, your family is making $300K/yr you might notice.</p>
<p>So when a college is deciding whether to offer merit aid, they would be smart to offer it to the kid from the $300K kid even if the $2 million kid was more qualified.</p>
<p>So I’d say if a merit aid offer would be a significant factor for you (and if your income is closer to 300K than to 2 million), then you should fill out the profile.</p>
<p>^Interesting theory and one that makes sense. I’ve been debating whether we really need to fill out the FAFSA since we won’t qualify for needs-based aid. However, we are hoping for merit aid and we don’t make $2 million a year! :)</p>
<p>I think you answered my question. I guess we will be submitting the FAFSA or CSS/profile.</p>
<p>I forgot to say thanks to vicariousparent in last post. Thanks a lot!!! (This question haunted me for a while)</p>
<p>I’d better hurry up since the deadline is 11/15 for us. Same as MomLive, I guess I won’t even post this thread if we make $2 million. :)</p>
<p>MomLive, do fill out the CSS/profile at least. The Fin-Aid mentioned CSS/profile is only availabe to complete in freshmen year in her school. So if merit-aid is awarded, it’s good for 4 years.</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread. I bet this school uses this as an additional requirement (hurdle), not so much to look at the financial circumstances in detail, but to screen out those families who are not serious about requesting merit aid.</p>
<p>If merit aid is important to you, then you need to follow the requirement.</p>
<p>It’s a bit unfortunate, because filling out the CSS/profile is more work than the FAFSA, especially for divorced parents.</p>
<p>Also note, if your kid needs a Stafford student loan (even unsubsidized) you need to fill out the FAFSA every year. (My son’s modest loans are his contribution to his education.)</p>
I think that vicariousparent is right on the money (pun intended) – but its one of those things that the college would never let on publicly – that’s why they went around in circles answering your first inquiry.</p>
<p>I have no relevant knowledge on this, but my gut tells me that if you’re financially very well off, you should NOT fill out the Profile. At most schools merit aid is a tuition discount given to attract students for whom that discount will make a difference in the decision to attend. The better off you are, the less likely it is that the school will think their discount makes a difference. I know we will not be filling out either FAFSA or Profile unless the school requires it for merit aid. I don’t think they need to know, and I don’t want them to know, our financial situation.</p>
<p>We recently completed CSS/Profile forms for DD. One of the questions which fascinated me was “Enter the amount your parents think they will be able to pay for your 2010-2011 college expenses” </p>
<p>If all financial aid offices do is calculate a true analysis of need, I cannot fathom a reason for this question. But if financial aid offices are attempting to figure out how much – or how little – aid they need to give a student in order for them to attend, then this question makes all the sense in the world.</p>
<p>I would agree with those who feel the CSS/Profile forms allow aid offices to make subjective decisions.</p>
<p>The question IS strange, and no one is really sure how it is used. We answered it truthfully. I think the only time eyebrows might be raised on that one is if the family income is VERY high and the answer is VERY low…</p>
<p>I had to remember with twins, not to put the amount in that slot I put for their brother since I will be paying for 2 instead of one. I think they would have thought that strange too!</p>
<p>I am finally at the point for this infamous question “enter the amount your parents think they will be able to pay”. Come back to the board, you guys address it already. </p>
<p>i decided to put average amount of room/board of various schools son applied to. (as our game plan of college selection was to find schools where he had excellent chances of full tuition merit) hope that doesnt mess up anything but we wont qualify anyway so unless it affects merit aid that should be about right</p>
<p>S1 graduated HS in 2008 and this was a big question for us at the time. On one hand, filing the FinAid paperwork may ding a kid in admissions at non- need blind schools looking for fullpay students. At some point, we figured, there are a bunch of kids who are acceptance-worthy and decisions might be made with this consideration.</p>
<p>On the other hand, by filling out Fafsa/CSS, our family would be signaling our sensitivity to cost. Since we knew we would qualify for no FinAid, they might infer we would be very interested in merit aid offers.</p>
<p>The results: S1 was offered merit aid (including 1/2 tuition at WashU and CMU, and full tuition at USC Film School). He was also not admitted to a few schools that may have thought his Fafsa indicated he would not attend without merit money. Who knows?</p>
<p>For our family, the merit $$ made a significant difference and although filling the forms was a huge hassle and an invasion of privacy (heh), it turned out better than we might have hoped in the end.</p>
<p>And on yet the other hand (that’s 3 if anyone is counting), we know very wealthy families who sent their kids to schools that offered merit aid. It wasn’t a question of affordability. It was a clear message to the students that the schools wanted and valued them as top students. Their personal worth and self-esteem got very welcome boosts in their dad-can-buy-anything world. Colleges know the power of Merit awards.</p>
<p>madbean, how did you answer the ‘infamous’ question? (How much do your parents think they can pay?) Did you do as parent56 did and pick an average number? Or did you have another strategy?</p>
<p>Friends of ours have been filling it out for the past two years even though they “knew” they did not qualify. This year they were surprised with a nice financial aid package,so you just never know.</p>
You answered what I really wanted to ask the fin-aid but know better not to.</p>