Does need-aware mean they will know how much you want?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi, I'm an international student, applying for US a college. I need a significant aid; I've made a list of colleges. Most of them are need-aware, so I was wondering, will they just know "Did I apply or not for FA?" OR "the amout I need"???</p>

2

<p>They will consider the amount that you need. </p>

<p>That suggests that if they have to decide between several students with similar stats, then the ones who have less or no need need may get chosen over the ones with lots of need.</p>

3

<p>Most applications, especially to private colleges, have a check box or question asking if you are planning on asking for financial aid.</p>

4

<p>^^^</p>

<p>True…but I don’t think that’s all that is entailed with “need aware” schools. I think “need aware” schools will view a student who needs a “free ride” (at $200k+) differently than the student who only needs $10k to meet need ($40k over 4 years). I would think that an int’l student who needs a free ride would need exceptional stats in order for the school to justify committing $200k+ to educate this student.</p>

5

<p>Most schools that are need aware for internationals would require financial information at the time of application. This is for example the policy for Duke University</p>

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6

<p>thank you guys, I understood now. and what is need-sensitive then? is THAT when they do not know how much I need, they just know YES/NO?> (did I apply for FA)</p>

7

<p>They first want to know if you need FA or not. They then make a decision of if they want to provisionally admit you. At that stage they will check to see how much aid you need and how much aid they are able to give. Again the process is fuzzy but if there are say for example there 50 candidates they like and would have given admission if they were US students. But when they look at the aid requirements, they may decide they will only take 20 out of the 50 (some may get full aid, some may get partial aid, so a higher ranked candidate needing full aid may not get but another candidate with less FA requirements may get in.) The remaining 30 are rejected. </p>

<p>Again this is a very generic process, every school may do it differently. The bottom line is, that for a need aware school for internationals, before they send an international an offer, they will check to see if they can provide aid. If they cannot they provide aid, they will not send the offer. Now if you do not need aid, then some schools will not subject you this process.</p>

<p>On the other hand schools like MIT are need blind for internationals, but they restrict the number of internationals. So they will take say only 25 internationals, but they will provide aid for any one who needs it. That makes the international pool very competitive as some very strong International students may get rejected as they not make it into this pool.</p>

8

<p>*what is need-sensitive then? *</p>

<p>I don’t think there is a difference between “need sensitive” and “need aware”. I think they’re the same. </p>

<p>I think they would both look at how much need there is. Again, a school can more easily give $10k per year to a student rather than $50k. </p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that a domestic student who gets a full ride need-based aid is getting some federal grants as well. An int’l student with full need doesn’t get those grants, so that student would cost the univ even more money.</p>

9

<p>Most schools that are need aware do look and see how much aid the student needs to attend. They can accept 5 kids who need $10K vs 1 kid who needs the full $50K. They have a budget they need to watch. However, the very tip top applicants that the school truly wants will probably get the lion share’s of the aid, It is a balancing act and is determined by the schools’ priorities and funds available. This situation also exists for many US transfer students and at schools that are need aware for all students.</p>