I think people here are being a bit harsh to this teenager. I don’t know any parent with that income and assets who would share that information with strangers, but OP seems a bit naive. In addition, the overwhelming message given to parents is the need to file the FAFSA, even in affluent areas. These parents might have been under the impression that it was required. In addition, I don’t think it’s a problem for this student to be considered for merit aid. That’s what the Merit part means—it is unrelated to financial need.