<p>I have a son who is being recruited by a top LAC. We are concerned about the financial support but have been assured by the asst. coach that if the package is not enough we can break the commitment and move on. I thought that ED was binding no matter what. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of this?</p>
<p>ED is a binding commitment which neither you or son should take lightly. Keep in mind when you apply ED you are basically saying in exchange for an early decision you will commit to attending regardless of the financial aid package.</p>
<p>Before committing you can contact the FA office to give you an early read based on your income/assets what they can estimate as far as your FA is concerned and how does s/he think it will be packaged. I would also suggest using some of the financial aid calculators (college board) using both the institutional and federal methodologies.</p>
<p>The turning down the ED commitment and the moving on is not as easy as the coach is making out. When it comes to elite schools they do share ED lists. Usually if you are breaking an ed commitment it will be broken to attend a more affordable option such as your state U. </p>
<p>In addition you are putting your GC and other students who are interested in this particular college on the line because when a student is accepted ED they are suppose to withdraw all exisiting applications and not make any new ones. Your GC processing other applications after your son was admitted ED puts his/her integrity on the line and colleges have blacklisted schools in the admissions process for doing so.</p>
<p>If you do a search there are a number of threads on the parents forum and college admissions that address early decision . In addition there are a number of posters who are parents of recruited athletes on the parents forum who can give you some more sound advice. I would consider posting the question there also.</p>
<p>That coach is a disgrace and should be fired</p>
<p>MountanD, you will find that kids don't go for ED precisely because they may get stuck with a bad financial aid package. Our GC told us that ED is absolutely binding. The coach you talked to is a big LIER. Hmm, do you want your son to be associated with such a person?</p>
<p>Well, perhaps the coach has had experience with athletic recruits that were admitted ED and then reneged on their commitment with no apparent adverse affects. The school cannot force you to attend their institution. Nevertheless, it should be viewed as a binding commitment not to be taken lightly. Also, I believe insufficient financial aid is a valid reason for breaking an ED commitment, so strictly speaking the coach has not lied to you.</p>
<p>If you read the letter currently on the Dartmouth board written by Dartmouth's pres, it says two-thirds of the athletes there and at competing schools enter ED. Hard to believe they all didn't care about fin aid. If it's a need blind school the issue really becomes loans vs. grants. If it's not need blind it's scarier.</p>
<p>Maybe you need to ask the coach more questions or get something in writing. I'd hate to see your son miss the opportunity.</p>
<p>ask your question on the parents forum. There are quite a few parents who have kids who are recruited athletes and can better answer your questions based on their experience.</p>
<p>Woah, slow down guys. While ED is binding, yes, the only loophole is Financial Aid. If they do not offer enough and you cannot afford to go, then you will be released from the commitment as no further financial aid will be available RD. After you are released because of financial issues, then you can apply to other places. It's not as simple as, "no thanks", but it does happen quite often.</p>
<p>This is a bit of a conundrum and I appreciate all your replies. You don't want to miss the opportunity, yet I don't want to get stuck for 100% of the bill. I'll post on the parent's forum too.</p>
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they do not offer enough and you cannot afford to go, then you will be released from the commitment as no further financial aid will be available RD.
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<p>Remember it is the school not the family that dictates what is considered affordable.</p>
<p>"While ED is binding, yes, the only loophole is Financial Aid."</p>
<p>You are adding a condition that is not in the contract. These are not conditional contracts. Yes, in practical terms one cannot be forced to attend a school, as by definition in the case of a personal service contract (to the extent these can be construed as such) the breached party cannot force the breaching party to actually perform the service -nor can the college in practical terms blacklist the students in combination with other colleges w/o running afoul of anti-trust issues </p>
<p>The problem with the statement by the coach is that it is constructively an invitation to act in bad faith when one sees a better deal somewhere else. We know this to be the case because in binding ED situations the university or college will have actually know the precise capabilities of the parents in terms of financial matters -and they are rarely going to accept binding ED unless the acceptee can in fact actually attend the college</p>
<p>Tell us where a binding ED contract states the student's subjective determination of the "package is not enough" negates the underlying contract</p>
<p>what????
coaches don't lie???? say it ain't so.</p>
<p>I seem to recall reading on the recruiting posts various coaches telling/promising kids that they are the #1 pick and then the kid winding up with a big "admission denied" small envelope.</p>
<p>coaches can and will evade the truth depending on circumstances. caveat emptor. trust but verify.</p>
<p>The schools that we looked at universally said that financial reasons were the only acceptable excuse for backing out of ED.</p>
<p>Brown claimed they had one or two a year. </p>
<p>I would assume that this is also a chance to negotiate a little.</p>
<p>people, calm down.</p>
<p>this is not a life or death situation, and you're not going to hell if you turn down an ED decision for financial reasons. Of course, no one should sign and ED contract lightly, but if your family has legitimate financial reasons for backing out of the contract, a college is forced to comply. And, for the most part, I think they understand.</p>
<p>Once again I ask: tell us where a binding ED contract states the student's subjective determination of the "package is not enough" negates the underlying contract</p>
<p>Totally unrelated to athletics, the topic of ED came up at a top LAC in Minnesota this summer in a group question and answer session. I was surprised that the adcom said, as expected, that financial aid was understood to be an acceptable reason to decline ED, but then added with further questioning that the student who just declined ED could, under certain circumstances, be reconsidered for admission at a later date. I had thought that declining ED meant you were out of the running for that particular school. So, ED is not quite as rigid as I had been led to believe. However, I would assume that if you decline ED for financial reasons, you most likely have closed the door to that school.</p>
<p>I still do not understand what the OP thinks will be in his kid’s financial aid package. He has stated that his EFC will be high and the school gives no merit aid. So likely the finaid will not be much.
What are you expecting/hoping for and is it realistic? My impression is that the few who do break the ED contracts really are “poor”. You do not seem poor, you just want a good package and want to know if you can get out if you don’t like what you get.</p>
<p>At some schools, an ED acceptance with a need-based financial aid component is considered an offer, declinable without consequence if the aid is insufficient, e.g., if the family is expected to liquidate an asset, but is unwilling or unable to do so.</p>
<p>should you let the adcom know that you have applied for ED with financial aid only to protect yourself in the event of losing a job?</p>
<p>if you don't file the profile or fafsa and do lose your job, you are out of luck trying to get aid at many schools.</p>
<p>rlm919 - I'm the OP so let me qualify a bit. What threw me off on this whole ED offer was the fact that the coach said we could back out if we didn't like the financials. I always thought it was more or less a contract. I never even considered backing out until it was suggested to me by the coach making the offer.</p>
<p>We have a high EFC, at best will only get a little bit, and we know that going in, however, if the coach says we can back out, why not apply ED? This is what I'm wondering about, if its really on the up and up. </p>
<p>Most recruited athletes know by Christmas whether or not they are going to get a package as most schools have a Jan 1 deadline for application even for RD. ED admissions decsions are usually known by mid-December. Apply ED to this school, lock up a spot in a great school and good team. Keep the other options open and back out later if someone comes thru with a package by Dec 31.</p>
<p>I never suggested backing out, the coach did, and if so why not take advantage? I was just soliciting info from other posters to see if they have been made similar offers and if so, how was it handled.</p>