<p>Question: Is an Early Decision admission offer binding if the college concludes you can afford to pay the tuition/room & board without aid, but you believe you cannot? ...</p>
<p>WHAT DID "THE DEAN" SAY?</p>
<p>Thank you lots for this article. Sheds some well thought-out light on a topic I have historically found a lot of disagreement on.</p>
<p>You’re welcome. And you’ll continue to find disagreement because a lot of folks are convinced that ED is a bad choice for students who need aid. And indeed, it sometimes can be. (For instance, it’s not always a great idea for those gunning for merit aid.) </p>
<p>If the net price calculator estimate is accurate for that family’s circumstances (generally wage earners, not business or farm or rental property owners, and where the parents are not divorced) and they’re reasonably sure they can pay what is expected, ED seems fine. If the offer comes in as expected, you’re good.</p>
<p>For families where the net price calculators are known to be inaccurate, it is a lot dicier. These are rather precisely the circumstances where different colleges may take very different views on what the family’s contribution ought to be, and you really might want to see all the offers on the table to pick the one that is best for your situation, and perhaps to use one to leverage another.</p>
<p>Early decision is always binding no matter what the financial package is. That is why you must be careful in applying anywhere early. You must go to the school no matter what and it is binding.</p>