How much of a difference does asking for financial aid play in admissions?

<p>According to their website's information Stanford, not being needs-blind,takes the students ability to pay for the school without financial support into account when admitting students.</p>

<p>My question is to which extent?</p>

<p>I'm a transfer hopefuly (from Canada no less) and Stanford is absolutely my first choice. Now I would really need financial aid, but my mom god bless her is willing to take a bank loan if I really need it for my studies.</p>

<p>So, I'm wondering if it makes a significant difference in their application decision. Does asking for it put me at clear disadvantage? I would hate to get deferred and think that if I hadn't asked for aid, I might have been accepted.</p>

<p>Stanford is need blind for US citizens and permanent residents.</p>

<p>If you are an international student, your need for fin aid will be considered. However, if your family can't afford it, it is not a good decision not to apply for fin aid. Will your "mom god bless her" be able to pay back those loans without major hardship? Just because she is willing to do this for you, does not mean it's the right thing for you to take her up on it.</p>

<p>Yes, I know what you mean. In the event that it came to that I would probably put the loan on my own name. But still, you said it would be considered. How much?</p>

<p>I recently heard of something about undergraduates with low-income not paying any tuition. I'm assuming that is only for US residents, no.</p>

<p>Also, please don't put my mom in quotations. I know its not meant to be inflammatory in any way but it bugs the tar out of me.</p>

<p>undisclosed,</p>

<p>I put the quotation marks because I quoted your text (that made it obvious that you appreciate your mom and care about her). I am not sure you realize what it means to take/repay this size of loan. For a loving parent, it is very hard to shot the door on the child's dream. But you are a "big child" now. So just try to be responsible when deciding to accept this kind of offer. You can get an excellent education at many different schools without putting your mom in this kind of debt. But if you present it to her in a way that she things that your future and your happiness depend on your being at Stanford, she may be willing to take on an unreasonable burden in order to make it possible.</p>

<p>Only Stanford administration will be able to answer your question of "how much" they consider fin aid. There are many internationals at Stanford that do get fin aid - so obviously it is not impossible. But you can try to call them and ask.</p>

<p>I am pretty sure that no-tuition-deal is for US citizens only. (If your family falls into that category of income, I can't imagine how you can possibly think of going there without fin aid).</p>