I sent my Free Financial Aid application to colleges in January. However, now I am receiving email from private unicersities requesting additional documents due March 1 and 2. Does this mean I will receive less aid because it is the final deadline? I understand that applying for FAFSA in Jan means you receive more aid than someone who submitted at the March deadline. (According to my counselor) Thank you for your help
MAYBE. Only some money is awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. And no, the additional documents requested by March 1 or 2 does not meant that your FAFSA submission date will change to the later date.
Your January submission date was your submission date for the FAFSA.
However, you really need to update to reflect the numbers on your 2015 taxes ASAP…like NOW. And you need to get the information the colleges request to them on time, meeting their deadlines. The schools need this info in a timely fashion so they can craft your financial aid award to send with or very soon after your acceptances. If you don’t get these done on time…your aid package could be delayed.
Colleges know that you don’t have 2015 tax return information yet when you apply for aid in January. But you get in the queue for aid.
Hopefully your family has their tax returns filed now and the colleges need you to update the FAFSA to reflect actual 2015 income. Some colleges have additional forms and/or require copies of the tax documents.
Just try and get all of the required information to the colleges asap so they can make a financial aid package for you before decision time.