Our child is applying early decision to a needs-blind LAC, and we calculated we will receive no financial aid – 0 – for this year (which is in line with every EFC we have used on other LACs). However, over the next couple years we might need aid…(we freelance, and our other child will be going to college soon)…we were planning to send in our Fafsa and CSS profile but check “No” on whether we were asking for aid, but I heard that some colleges will not award aid for subsequent years. Should we ask for aid anyway?
If you are submitting the financial aid forms…you ARE applying for financial aid. Did you understand that?
For international students, more often than not, they are required to apply for aid as incoming freshmen…
BUT if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, there are a handful of colleges with restrictions on applying for need based aid in subsequent years. Call the college and ask if they have such a restriction.
But really…if you are submitting the Profile and FAFSA, you are applying for aid.
Ask the ED school what their policy is on awarding need-based aid to enrolled students who did not ask for aid as an incoming student. Any reputable school will give you an honest answer. If there is no restriction and you are sure that your child does not qualify for need-based aid for the next academic year, it would be a waste of time and money to apply for institutional aid this year.
@thumper1 @BelknapPoint Thanks. We were told by the financial college guy who came to the high school to send in the FAFSA anyway. We are probably not sending in the CSS profile. We know we won’t get aid and checked off the box on common app saying we are not asking for aid…
You can ALWAYS file the FAFSA and no school can restrict your doing so. The FAFSA may only get you federal aid and no school aid, but you can always file FAFSA.
What “guy” came to your high school? Was this a financial aid advisor from the colleges to which your kid is applying or some generic person presenting on financial aid.
You would get the most accurate info about your student’s colleges by contacting the colleges. Like I said, there are a handful with restrictions on institutional need based aid in subsequent years of you don’t apply as an incoming freshman. IIRC, Skidmore had a policy that you could not apply for two subsequent years if you hadn’t applied as an incoming freshman and that included the Profile. NOTE…you didn’t have to qualify for or receive aid…but you did need to apply. There are several more with limitations.
Call your kid’s schools. The policies vary.