<p>My understanding is that the scenario of being offered MORE money sophomore year is pretty rare. Most schools will guarantee that your aid will remain fairly constant if your family financial situation does not change, but some schools offer the best packages freshman year to lure new freshmen, and then offer worse packages (more loans) in future years. Don’t count on getting a better package sophomore year, and be sure to find out exactly how things tend to work and what is promised by any school you are strongly considering.</p>