<p>On many college applications that I am completing, there is a "looking for need based aid box" to be checked off. I am an only child with parents that do not have a mortgage. They are about middle class, making a little over 100k. They do not have a 401k or a retirement fund, but do have 1 or 2 houses as investment. I feel that because of those investments, the EFC will be extremely high. I do not think that I will qualify for any aid, so would it raise my chances if I decided to forgo looking for need based aid? </p>
<p>They have strongly encouraged me to apply to private universities, many of which cost over 30k, if not 40k. I don't feel comfortable taking such a huge chunk out of their income for undergraduate when I also want to go to medical school. Is there any chance of financial aid from colleges? Should I tell them that I don't mind going to a public school?</p>
<p>Here is my opinion. The answer to your question depends on whether you are applying to schools who are not need-blind admissions. Some schools do give preference to kids who don’t need financial aid, because they don’t have a lot of it to give out. </p>
<p>If, however, you are applying to need-blind admissions schools, then there is certainly no danger and possibly a benefit to applying for financial aid. You may actually qualify for something that you don’t know about yet. </p>
<p>So- check your schools- check their websites and various college guides, or call their admissions office and ask if their admissions are need-blind.</p>
<p>One more point- many schools who give “merit” scholarships- which have nothing to do with need- still require that you submit the FAFSA forms as a criteria for getting merit money. Don’t ask me why- they just do. </p>
<p>Regarding a state school- by all means if you are interested in a state school, definitely apply.</p>
<p>You won’t get aid if you don’t apply for it. In the end, if you think you will benefit from the possibility of getting aid, then check the box. </p>
<p>Re: the need for FAFSA to be filled out for merit aid…many schools (I’m told) require this because IF the student qualifies for need based federal aid (like a Pell Grant), some schools would like to use that money first, and then their own institutional funds. Without the FAFSA, there is no way to know if the student qualifies for this federal aid.</p>
<p>Just checking the box is not going to hurt your admissions chances. Schools that are need aware look at how much need the student has. So you might as well check the box. If you need the money,you wont get it unless you do, and if do and don’t come up with need by their definition, it won’t affect your app.</p>