<p>My friend's college advisor told him that you are not obligated to attend a school at which you applied to early, and got accepted at, if the cost of the school is beyond your financial range. For example, I was wary about applying early to Tulane, for fear that I wouldn't get offered a scholarship and I'd have a whopping 42k tuition fee on my shoulders. My parents only make about 45k a year together, so this is by no means feasible. However, when he told me that, I became less reluctant.</p>
<p>Could someone clarify this point, and perhaps even elaborate on it? What are the specifics of it? Is there a binding law concerning this? </p>
<p>NOTE: I did not apply to Tulane; that was hypothetical.</p>
<p>Your friend’s advisor is correct. Early action allows you to compare financial aid offers at various institutions. On the other hand, early decision is a contract that says that you agree to attend the institution unless the financial aid offer is not sufficient. A very small number of schools (and Tulane is one of them) have something called “single choice early action” so you have to read the terms of the agreement carefully.</p>
<p>I apologise; I didn’t realise there were two different forms of it (EA vs. ED). I know now. So, how does EA work? Do you still apply at the college WHILE comparing their financial offers, or what? Does each institution have different policies concerning this? Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.</p>
<p>If you apply EA you can apply now (if you’re a senior, some of the deadlines have already passed) and get a quick decision, sometimes in December or a matter of weeks. If it’s regular decison, sometimes you may not get a decision until spring; depends on the school. You (or your parents) fill out the FAFSA on January 1 or shortly therafter, and the results of the FAFSA are used by the schools to prepare financial aid offers. Some schools also requires additional information, the “CSS profile,” which gathers additional information.</p>