<p>I was surprised to see that Lehigh required 2009 tax statements and W-2's to be submitted by mid-February for financial aid consideration. This may be nearly impossible in our case and I am guessing it is difficult for many families. Given the complexities of our current tax code and the fact that all required W-2s, etc. are usually not available until late January, this does not seem like a reasonable requirement.</p>
<p>Any comments or feedback to help me understand why this deadline is so early?</p>
<p>Priority deadline because a lot of people apply for Financial Aid. This is to make sure they get their spendings done with on time and situate their finances with the incoming freshmen, as well as those re-applying. If anything you can use last years tax forms and the Financial Aid office is VERY, and I can attest for it, VERY helpful and understanding to any concerns you have. So the best thing to do, is that if you have any problems, to go to them and make sure you do what you have to do to get the aid you need to attend the school.</p>