<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I'm an International Student and have decided to go to Grinnell this fall and just had a question about finincial aid.</p>
<p>I did not apply for financial aid when I applied but I am wondering if anybody knows whether Grinnell (with their generous endowment) has options for students to apply for financial aid (both need based and merit based) AFTER the 1st year. </p>
<p>Is that possible?</p>
<p>Don’t know about the merit aid, tho it would be logical if it was possible because they can hardly know which students are “the smartest” who would deserve it.
But I think it is not posible as for the need-based aid. Anyway, you should check out their website.</p>
<p>Unless the procedure has changed in the past couple of years, you do not apply for merit aid. An offer for merit aid comes with your offer of admission. Once you have merit aid, it continues for your four years, so long as you maintain your GPA (I think the requirement is 2.75.) I don’t believe new offers of merit aid are made to non-first years, no matter how good your first year performance. The merit aid increases to keep up with the increase in cost, so if Grinnell’s cost goes up 3%, the merit aid rises 3% as well. </p>
<p>Need-based aid for US students is reevaluated each year based on their familiy’s financial circumstances as of January 1, but I suppose its possible the rules are different for international students. Check with the financial aid office, if you are not sure.</p>
<p>I know that Grinnell sometimes reconsiders your financial aid offer after a year if you can prove that your financial situation changed significantly. I do not know if that only applies to students who have been on some need-based aid from the beginning, though. In any case the financial aid office really works with families to keep students in college, so your best idea is to contact them.</p>