<p>So I'm dealing with the section of the CommonApp that asks:</p>
<p>"Do you intend to apply for need-based financial aid?"</p>
<p>My dilemma here is that, in terms of income and the fact that my sister is only just now graduating from undergrad after 5 years of attending school, we technically would need some financial aid (FA). However, with our assets, it's not to the extent where I'd want to risk getting accepted over FA.</p>
<p>If this bit of information helps at all, I would be 'covered' (using the FAFSA4caster) for about $6000/annually - which, although helpful, isn't really a big deal for my parents to pay - especially if it could be the make/break for getting accepted.</p>
<p>(And I do believe that schools claiming to be need-blind aren't exactly telling the whole truth)</p>
<p>So I'm pretty sure my grammar sucks right now because I'm exhausted but:</p>
<p>TL;DR: If I'd LIKE to have FA (and do qualify for a bit), but would PREFER getting ACCEPTED over getting FA, should I check 'Yes' or 'No' for the "Do you intend to apply for need-based financial aid?" section of CommonApp?</p>
<p>IF I COULD GET ANY ADVICE I'D LOVE YOU FOREVER.</p>
<p>Check into which of the schools you’re applying to are and are not need-blind. If it’s a school that is need blind and/or you are fairly certain you will be accepted, I would go ahead and say “Yes”. If the FA would honestly not make a difference to your family to the schools that factor need into your acceptance, then I would select “No” for those specific schools only. It asks you separately for each individual school.</p>
<p>You could always answer no and apply for FA later on. My S, who attends a community college did not fill out FAFSA until the spring of his freshman year. What we got actually was for the whole (2010/2011) year, and we just applied it all to his spring semester. When we reapplied, we got half of the money for the fall semester, and will get the second half for the spring. So, if your parents CAN pay for the 1st semester, you can always fill out a FAFSA later on and it will be retroactive.</p>
<p>You can hedge your bets by selecting some schools as those to which you answer “yes”, an those to which you answer “no”. If a school is definitely need aware in admissions, it is likely that you are going to have problems asking them for aid later. Such schools are very aware of students who do what you are thinking of doing, and who then apply once they are at the school for aid. You can call and ask specific questions. THings have changed quickly, so schools that were need blind may not be 100% so anymore, so do ask them. From what college counselors have told me in the last ten years, those that straightforward say they are need blind in admissions are. Some hedge and refuse to answer and may have situations where they are not needblind. Most all schools are not need blind to international students and transfers and waitlisted students. </p>
<p>You can still fill out FAFSA and get your eligibility for any state and federal aid for which your school is not sponsoring such as subsidized and unsub Direct STaffords and Parent Direct loans, and state loans. You can also inquire about work study when you get there. If your FAFSA EFC supports it, and the school has some unclaimed hours, you may be able to get some at that late date.</p>
<p>Why would you want to be accepted if you can’t afford it? If you need FA, say so.</p>
<p>Ahhh, Erin’sdad… Op wants to keep the cake and eat it too. That’s how the expressions came to be. By splitting the schools into those two categories, OP can decide in April exactly what is more important. Busting the family bank for a school that s/he really wants, or going with a more affordable option. A lot of people around here feel that way. THey are suspicious of asking for aid at schools even if they out and out say they are need blind. If they get in, they figure they’ll try to swing it that first year and apply for aid the next when they are already in the door. Colleges are wise to that by the way. A truely need blind school generally won’t care and the student would have just lost out on that first year of aid, but those that are not need blind penalize those who do not apply for aid that first year, and if there isn’t a significant change in circumstances will either not take the aid application, have a sit out period or the student is just last in line for whatever aid is left which would be self help. So you .literally pay when you play this game at those schools where it would have made a difference if you applied for aid. Most of the time, the amount of aid is what makes the diffrence more than asking for aid itself. It’ looks really good for a school’s stats to be able to say it met 100% of a student’s need, never mind that the student’s need was about $5K. Accepting 10 such kids is a nice up beat on the profile, and far better use of the money than accepting one very needy student who has a need of $50K. The financial aid goes further and also there isn’t as much risk. With high need kids, there is always more risk that even more needs come up. THere just isn’t as much margin. A famly with need of under $15K or so, generally has more built in buffers. So really for the OP if the need is low,it isn’t going to make a difference even at most need aware schools. But it gives peace fo mind to know that the school doesn’t know you have need and that it isn’t a reason to be turned down. </p>
<p>So if turned down by those schools, it isn’t cuz you were needy, if that makes one feel better!</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, then indicate that you will be applying for it. The reality is that an acceptance without needed aid is worthless. You would not be able to attend. Unless your family can be a full pay, apply for aid.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that some schools will not allow you to apply for institutional aid in subsequent years if you don’t apply as an entering freshman.</p>
<p>Thanks to all the above posters for their depth of information!</p>
<p>It turns out that the majority of the schools that I’m applying to are, in fact, need-blind so I will be reporting ‘Yes’ in these cases.</p>
<p>Thanks again for all your help (every single word)!</p>