Run the NPCs anway; you may be surprised. Even if you think you can be full pay, some of the more generous schools out there may deem your student worthy of need-based aid.
Some schools require that the FAFSA (or other forms) be filed in order to qualify for merit aid. If you definitely won’t be applying for need-based aid, don’t check the box.
The OP says they DO need help paying for college, but that their income is usually too high (they think) for need based aid.
I still say…if the student NEEDS financial help then apply for aid. You never know what you will qualify for.
And if the student is eligible for merit aid…that student will still be eligible for it even IF they apply for need based aid.
At some schools, you do need to fill out the FAFSA to be considered for merit aid, but I think this is uncommon. (Someone correct me, please. We never encountered this.) At other schools, there is a separate application for merit money (and this isn’t considered need-based aid, so the box on the common app doesn’t apply.) At still other schools, the top applicants are simply offered merit money as an incentive to get them to enroll. This was a stunning and beautiful surprise, I can tell you!
So here is the question I am reading between the posts:
If you do not qualify for need and therefore check no you will not be applying for financial aid…could a school interpret that to mean you don’t need merit money either? Or conversely, could they interpret it to mean since you don’t qualify for need, you will more likely want merit? (Just cause a family doesn’t need aid doesn’t mean they want to pay full costs either.)
Or does one not relate to the other? My friends and I have discussed this many times to no conclusion. But. CC knows all!
If the merit award at that school does have a need component, then yes, you might be hurt by not completing the FA forms.
I have one daughter at one type of school that awards merit by stats and is an admissions office decision with FAFSA not required for that (or Bright Futures or Fl Resident’s Grant). My other daughter at a school that requires FAFSA before any type of aid from the school is granted, including the automatic merit aid from stats, department awards, or any of the alum grants. Most of the alum grants are need based aid and awarded by the FA office.
There isn’t one answer, but I think generally the automatic merit aid is controlled by admissions and FA forms are not required. That answer doesn’t help if your child is at a school that doesn’t follow the general rule and requires the FAFSA or CSS to get any merit. You have to see what the policy is at your school.
Look, the check mark is for not applying for need-based aid, right? I don’t think that the financial aid professionals are going to think that a check in that box means that a student isn’t interested in merit aid.
And if you “need” merit money, doesn’t that by definition mean that you have need, and should probably be applying for need-based aid?
For some, merit is icing on the cake, takes a bite off full pay. And many families who “can” full pay are still stretching to do so. So “needing” merit (can’t get into the most generous meet-full-need schools) and simply wanting the discount can be different.
I don’t think that anyone really wants to spend $250,000 if they don’t have to.
Oh heck no
I know plenty of people that are full pay but can certainly use the merit. Two or three full pay kids and your talking 3/4 million bucks out of pocket if at a private schools. Even very rich people don’t want to give it away, especially if their kid has earned the merit. We don’t qualify for need, but I check the box and deal with the forms to make sure I am not jinxing merit, that’s how I see it. Once you have done it the first time, the second time is easy.
We don’t qualify for need, didn’t check the box but got merit aid from every private and out of state public school that admitted my DS. There are some schools that require you to fill out the financial aid forms in order to get merit aid but I don’t think they are in the majority.