<p>I'm still a little confused about whether or not you check the box that asks if you will be applying for financial aid. We will probably not qualify for need based aid. However, we would like to investigate institutional loans.</p>
<p>I've heard that if you are a marginal applicant, your odds are better if you do not apply for aid.</p>
<p>check the box.
I cannot comment about increasing your chances about the box. We also were looking for institutional loans only. </p>
<p>The school verifies attendance and eligibility to the lender for PLUS and Staffords. The school also requires FAFSA for institutional merit and nonmerit grants. We have always check the aid box and consideration for Unsubsidized Stafford loan. School always have to decline us for the subsidized stafford first before they authorize what we ask for-the unsubsidized loan. </p>
<p>Until this year, when they screwed up and they gave us subsidized stafford, work study, scholarship grant. besides S institutional merit grant. If we didn't bring the situation up with them 3x, they wouldn't know that they have a problem. School dropped a "0." Problem is still not resolved.</p>
<p>i agree, check the box. in this day and age, many schools are need-blind. additionally, on-campus jobs usually only go to those who have applied for fin. aid. you might only get a loan or an on campus job, but for the little bit of effort it takes- it will probably be worth it.</p>