Financial Aid and Admissions

<p>I know that the official stance is that there is little to no connecition between the office of financial aid and the office of admissions, but the fin aid office recently requested that I send them my tax returns. Is this, at all, indicative of whether or not I will be accepted?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>i'm pretty sure all applicants have to send them....</p>

<p>Really? I was under the impression only accepted students have to send them in... I could be wrong though... it's been awhile since I applied... haha</p>

<p>I'm not really sure if all applicants have to send them or if it's just accepted students, but my thought process was: Why would they inquire about someone that they will reject? </p>

<p>I know it seems like I'm being hopeful, but does anyone have the time to provide a package to over 10,000+ financial aid applications when only about 2,000 of them will be accepted by the admissions office?</p>

<p>Everyone probably has to do that. I can't imagine they'd let the cat out of the bag that easily!</p>

<p>Well Georgetown uses IDOC, so everyone that applies for financial aid has to send their tax returns</p>

<p>yeah... i had to send in my tax returns to schools i haven't been accepted to yet.</p>

<p>Tax returns are required of all applicants that are interested in financial aid before knowing about admission. I would assume that the financial aid office will only actually look at the information for the students that are going to be accepted. However, being asked for tax returns is not an indication of acceptance. They simply need your information so if you are admitted, they can formulate your package in a timely manner. At this point, I would assume admissions is still working crazily to get through all the applications. The financial aid office will be working hard to get everything done in time, so they need the information for all applicants available to them.</p>

<p>Since Georgetown uses the IDOC system they can download the tax forms when they are good and ready. This means that they have the option of being able to match the applicant with the IDOCs. So when they are ready they can download the info should you be selected. The issue becomes having the FA prepared so that they can notify at the same time as acceptance. </p>

<p>OP: did you not submit tax forms through IDOC?</p>

<p>i submitted my FAFSA on jan. 31 and i have heard nothing from Georgetown...or any of my other schools for that matter...</p>

<p>If I'm not mistaken, I think IDOC only applies if you file the CSS Profile because IDOC is a College Board program. So if the OP is only applying for federal aid, I don't think IDOC has anything to do with that.</p>

<p>Yeah, everyone has to send them in, cause if you are accepted, they send you your financial aid award with your admissions offer, or within a week or so.</p>

<p>hah i applied for financial aid and we didn't send the idoc because my parents haven't finished their tax returns. i didn't get asked to submit the idoc though. this sucks. i mean i won't get worked up about it, but gtown's my number one. hopefully it's a good sign for you though!! :)</p>

<p>them asking for your documents has absolutely no effect on admissions decisions.</p>

<p>I was just wonderinghas anyone got a FA package yet?</p>

<p>well, we still don't have a decision in the first place</p>

<p>Re IDOC: I have the impression that most schools will use the tax forms just to verify what's on the FAFSA and CSS. FAFSA and CSS have enough info to put together an FA offer. I have the impression that most of them verify after students accept, and may tweak FA accordingly. There is a requirement that schools verify the submitted financial info of 30% of students applying for aid. (Common sense would suggest that places with huge applicant pools and low acceptance rates do a lot of this after May, since putting together packages has to be their priority.)</p>

<p>Our forms missed the March 1st IDOC deadline and I called a couple of schools to find out if this was a problem. They said it wasn't, just to get them in as soon as possible.</p>

<p>So I don't know if it is a good sign that they contacted you! I'm hoping it was. Good luck! :)</p>

<p>Yes, I did have to submit the tax returns through IDOC. I think it is wishful thinking to believe that fin aid and admissions are connected. But, we'll see in a few days! Good luck!</p>

<p>Hey! I was at GAAP Weekend, and when we were there, they informed us that the financial aid packages were sent out that morning (it was Friday, March 28)! Just wanted to let you all know! WHOO HOYAS!</p>

<p>I'm on the Eastern coast and I still haven't gotten anything.</p>

<p>I was at GAAP weekend as well and attended the financial aid meeting. The FA officer who was presenting told the parents that the packages would be sent out "in the next few days", so I would anticipate receiving them by the end of the week.</p>