Financial aid acceptance and ill-timed potential health crisis

I know a young man, a high school senior, who will be seeing doctors tomorrow to have a health issue diagnosed. It potentially could be very serious. (I don’t want to give too many details here.) He has already placed a deposit at a college. Is an applicant usually supposed to separately accept the financial aid award and, if so, does that usually need to be done by May 1? If yes, and the student accepts the award today, is he compelled to pay any money to the school if the health problem results in him not being able to attend the college this fall? Thank you.

@rosered55, I think he pays a deposit today (which he could lose if he doesn’t enroll this fall) but accepts the financial aid award seperately. We put down a deposit for our son’s school, but still only have an estimated financial aid package, not the final one. Has the family checked the college website to see if he can defer for a year if necessary?

If he can’t go to school in the fall, then all he’d lose his an unrefundable deposit. He wouldn’t “owe” the school any money…and they can’t/won’t force him to go.

He could ask to delay enrollment for a year (health reasons) and ask if this “old” deposit could be applied to next year.

Thank you for the information. He has paid the deposit and I think they know that isn’t refundable. I’ll suggest they check the website to see about deferral.

Actually. Don’t give up on the deposit refund. If this is for serious medical reasons, the school might (note MIGHT) bend on that as well.

Thank you for the suggestions about the deferral and the refund. Bad news today from the doctor, so the family will be pursuing both those things.

Good luck to your family.