I didn’t fill out my CSS profile for UVA until after the March 1st deadline. The financial aid office is saying that they may not give my application another evaluation until after May 1st (acceptance deadline) and there’s no guarantee that they will be able to meet 100% of my need. I want to accept, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay for it! Any advice? Does anyone know what the chances of actually getting 100% of my need met might be?
Why does your application need another evaluation
You applied as full pay, got accepted, but now you want 100% need covered? Did you do this strategically?
Thanks for your response. I filled out my FAFSA on time and received my initial award that consisted of the maximum amount of PELL grants, student loans, and work study. (My estimated family contribution is zero). I submitted my CSS profile for school grants past the March 1st deadline.
You’re smart enough to get into UVA. So first of all congratulations!
You are smart enough to know that the school accepts a lot of qualified students - some are full-pay and do not fill out the CSS profile, while others need FA and filed properly. There might even be one or two others in your situation.
You are smart enough to realize the school only has a limited amount of FA in its budget each year, and that they are telling you the truth that they cannot promise that they can get through your application in time for your May 1 acceptance deadline.
Are they saying that they won’t look at your FA application at all before then because you submitted the profile too late? Or are they saying they’ve already disbursed all of their aid for the freshman class, so pending enough students declining their acceptances, you just have to wait and see?
How much do you have to send in by May 1st with your acceptance? That’s the amount you are gambling with.
Also, I presume you’ve run the NPC, so how much aid are you looking for? Do you need them to give you the full amount? Or are you and your family able to contribute some, or maybe even most of it, just not all?
They’re saying that they will get through all of the other applications that haven’t been evaluated yet, and then come back to mine. Once they come back around, it may be past the May 1st acceptance deadline and there may not be enough funds left to cover the full amount. This makes sense, and I completely understand! I’m curious though if anyone has been able to still get 100% of their need met after the deadline.
Anyone, ever? Sure. But the question is do you? I think not. Your FA based on FAFSA will stay the same, but anything else will be after every other student is reviewed.
So far you’ve received $6200 from Pell, $5500 in loans, and probably about $2500 in work study. Can you afford UVa without more? Do you have other offers for full COA?
If you accept by May 1 and the aid doesn’t come through, and you’ve turned down all other schools, you’ll have to take a gap year.