<p>I don't really understand. The deadline for most schools to enroll is May 1st. Most scholarships notify you in May if you've received it. If you're depending on scholarships, how in the world can you enroll not knowing if you'll get money to pay? Or am I missing something?</p>
<p>Most schools will give you your financial aid package (which includes scholarships) by April 1. Scholarships with later notification tend not to be school specific (can be used at any school). While that might affect which school you chose, that's the breaks.</p>
<p>Yeah.. I meant outside scholarships. I just don't know what the point of getting one is if you can't really use it. Or do you not have to pay by May 1?</p>
<p>Generally, you only have to pay a deposit of around $300 - $500 by May 1. You will have received your financial aid offers before then but, as you say, some outside scholarships will not have notified yet.</p>
<p>If there is a school you would love to attend, but - even after receiving their financial aid offer - can only do so if you receive an outside scholarship, contact them BEFORE May 1 and ask if you can have an extension until afer the notification date of the scholarship you hope to get.</p>
<p>In the meantime make your deposit by May 1 to a school you can afford (with the aid they have offered) even without the scholarship. It will be non-refundable, but you do not want to risk losing your options if the scholarship does not work out.</p>
<p>The rest of your your tuition is usually due at the time you register for classes in late summer, or even as late as when school starts in the fall.</p>
<p>If you receive outside scholarships after you get your aid package, send the college copies of the award letters and ask that the scholarships be applied to any "gap" they may have left, to your need-based subsidized loans, and/or to your work/study award. Beyond those items, colleges generally subtract your scholarships from any university grants they may have awarded you.</p>
<p>The point of getting one is that you pay less money. For example, if you're going to a school that costs 30k per year, and the school gave you 10k in financial aid (merit or need-based), you need to come up with 20k per year. If you get 5k in outside scholarships, you're down to 15k for that first year. If you had paid the 20k in cash, I would expect the school to return the overage to you or to credit it towards your next year. If you had a package of loans/work study/whatever, the college will revise your aid package accordingly.</p>
<p>I don't think you can choose your college based on potential outside scholarships, but they can be a really big help.</p>