Just wondering if financial aid awards are indeed coming out sooner this year. Obviously they wouldn’t be ready before acceptance letters and for many RD schools that’s still going to be the end of March or thereabouts, but EA schools? Rolling? Are they sending FA out any earlier than normal this year?
Some Pitt applicants have posted that they received their financial aid letters already.
When my D applied two years ago, we got hers in April.
As a continuing student, she got her financial aid information in June of last year, so I don’t really expect to get it sooner this year. The EFC is only a few dollars different, because 2015 income was used for this and the last FAFSA.
Already received FA letters from three schools to which my son applied EA in early November. One came via email in December, the other two in January. Merit awards were received with the acceptances, with FA letters following about a month later (didn’t get FA from two of them but at least they let us know that promptly).
FAFSA was submitted around 11/4.
Really nice to have complete info on a few schools so early in the year.
Sample size of one, and this is for returning students:
Previous practice before prior-prior year was implemented was for FA paperwork to be submitted no later than April 30, with award letters released in June.
New practice is for FA paperwork to be submitted by mid-October with award letters released in early January.
D received her financial aid letter from Georgetown a few days ago. I’ve heard anecdotally that financial aid used to be released for accepted EA students in March, so this year was earlier than the norm.
We have received FA letters already from all 6 EA acceptances. Some almost immediately after acceptance and the last just today.
Just a point of reference. DD was accepted EA to two schools in November 2005. She had her financial,aid award to both of those schools by January.
So…this may been when some of these schools were awarding aid anyway.
BUT…these awards are not based on estimates! No more updating the fafsa and when you get your taxes done…and hoping your award doesn’t change! This is the real good news about using prior prior!
Yes, we received all of our FA info already, too.
Good point @thumper1 . D got some packages with EA acceptances her year also, but they were not final until later.
Yes, normally letters go out in March. Because of the earlier FAFSA filing date (Oct. 1, 2016) the letters are going out a month earlier than usual. That’s what TEXAS A&M, Univ. of Michigan and Georgia Tech have told me.
The Wall Street Journal has an article today on this. According to the article, the majority of need based offers are being sent earlier: 31% of need-based offers are being sent 2-3 weeks earlier and 26% are being sent 4-8 weeks earlier, 20% around the same time and 24% sent later (compared to last year).
Thanks for that, found the article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-timing-for-applying-for-college-aid-offers-opportunities-and-pitfalls-1486652403
It does raise a couple of points: