<p>If you don't need financial aid or scholarships to pay for university are you still allowed to apply to scholarships / ask for financial aid? On most websites I looked at it said only for those who need it so I'm not sure if I can still apply... Free money is never a bad thing right?</p>
<p>Nothing in life is free…there are a lot of scholarships if you have the right stats and/or have a need. Apply apply apply. </p>
<p>Need has various meanings. You can apply for whichever scholarships you wish. Just be aware that you might have to write an essay and show financial need (fafsa, tax info). If you don’t qualify for their level of need, the work might be for nothing. But it never hurts to try.</p>
<p>Don’t get scholarships and financial aid mixed up. Scholarships are merit-based; FA is need-based. </p>
<p>Some schools require that you file FAFSA in order to be eligible for merit scholarships. I suppose they just want to make sure they’re not giving away money to a billionaire’s kid. </p>
<p>There are a number of reasons to file FAFSA even if you don’t think you need to. First, it will make you eligible for federal student loans. And second, in these economic times, it’s hard to say that you’ll NEVER need aid, and most schools won’t allow you to apply for FA in later years if you didn’t apply the first year. </p>
<p>There’s no downside to filing. It’s really not all that burdensome once you’ve gathered up the documents.</p>
<p>I think you’re reading too much into what is said on those websites. </p>
<p>You are welcome to apply for need-based aid (if you like).</p>
<p>And, you’re welcome to apply to any merit-based scholarships that you like. Many schools do not require that you apply for need-based aid for merit scholarship consideration, so check your schools’ websites to be sure. :)</p>