@PepperJo, my daughter attends Fordham. She was awarded merit aid there without us filing the FAFSA or CSS, but we needed to file the FAFSA in order for her to claim her merit award once she decided she was attending. There was no need component to her award, but some of the merit awards can give a larger amount if you demonstrate need.
@PepperJo, Marquette required FAFSA for merit aid when my son attended.
Thanks, Fordham is on my daughter’s EA list. Why did they make you fill out a fafsa after?
That’s interesting, because Marquette’s website actually says it can ONLY offer merit aid if you don’t fill out the FAFSA.
We asked BU that question…why…
Because they wanted to be sure that if a student was Pell eligible, that they got the Pell.
@PepperJo it was a condition of claiming the merit award. I don’t know why. We didn’t fill it out until after May 1st deposit. None of the other schools where she received merit awards required any filing at all. She is now a sophomore, and we had to fill it out again for her to maintain the merit award.
@PepperJo my S attended in 2011 and ended up with 3 scholarships from MU which totaled over the cost of tuition, but they only gave him up to tuition. I assume the reason they wanted FAFSA filled out is because as others said, they wanted to give him Pell if he was entitled to it to save the merit for others.
That is the strangest thing ever! Looking at its website, I don’t see that req’t.
Yeah, I don’t see that either. In fact, the Marquette website says this:
Scholarships are one component of a student financial aid package. For optimum financial aid consideration, be sure to file the FAFSA (fafsa.ed.gov). We STRONGLY recommend completing the FAFSA and submitting it to the federal processor (with income estimates if necessary) by January 15 for consideration of all financial assistance.
https://www.marquette.edu/explore/scholarships.php
Maybe @PepperJo can provide a link to the language that she is referring to.
Probably a misreading of this:
https://www.marquette.edu/explore/financial-aid-fafsa.php
I interpret that, particularly in the context of the page, as “without the FAFSA, merit is all that’s available.”
@allyphoe
That is exactly what I read. Not sure how that’s a misreading? I interpret it the same as you.
But that doesn’t mean that if you DO file the FAFSA, you are then eliminated from merit aid. If you file the FAFSA, you are eligible for federal aid, loans, need based aid, and merit aid from the school.
I think the misinterpretation/misreading is because of the word “only”…had I placed it AFTER the word “aid” there would be no confusion. However, my interpretation doesn’t change. If one does not file FAFSA, they can ONLY be considered for merit.
That is true at any school. You can only get federal aid if you file the FAFSA. Most schools will not consider you for any of its own aid after you have been considered for federal aid. Even at school like Princeton or Amherst, you must file the FAFSA and CSS or you will not get any need based aid.
That means…you must file the FAFSA to be considered for need based aid…otherwise the only aid you will be considered for is merit.
So…at Marquette…if you want need based aid consideration as well as merit, you must file a FAFSA.
It says NO WHERE that you won’t receive merit consideration if you file the FAFSA.
In other words…if you file a FAFSA, that’s fine…and your kid will be considered for BOTH need based and merit aid. No exclusion for merit aid if you file the FAFSA.
ETA…just have to say…this is true everywhere. If you don’t complete the financial aid forms (FAFSA and if required the Profile or school form), you won’t be considered for need based aid. Schools do Not award need based aid to anyone who doesn’t complete the financial aid application form(s).
I believe @PepperJo’s later post acknowledged that the ONLY was in the wrong place.
You all are saying the same thing.