So I applied ed to a school and my parents told me to say that I would be applying for need-based financial aid. After I submitted my application, they told me that I didn’t qualify for need based financial aid.
What should I do to tell the school that I applied to? Will this change my chances of getting into the school?
Do I still need to submit the FAFSA?
How do your parents know that you absolutely will not qualify for need-based aid there? Did they run the Net Price Calculator for that institution? If so, are they dead certain that the results were correct?
You need to have a nice long talk with your parents. If you are admitted, are they truly ready, willing, and able to pay the full price? If they aren’t ready, willing, and able to do that, then what is holding them back from filing the financial aid paperwork? Do they want you to withdraw that ED application entirely? Do they want you to ask to be moved to the RD pool?
@happymomof1 they told me that we have too many assets to be considered for need based financial aid (mostly because we’ve been saving money for college). They are certain that these results are correct. The issue is not with the FAFSA, we can still submit that even though we don’t qualify for aid. Rather, the issue is that on my application I said I would be applying for aid which is no longer true.
Then you can file the FAFSA just in case you decide you want a student loan, ot you can contact the admissions office, and tell them that you don’t need any aid. This kind of thing happens all the time. The admissions office will be able to update your file.
@happymomof1 Thank you for your advice!! This was super helpful.
Does your ED college use JUST the fafsa…or do you need to also complete the Profile?
You could also contact the college and tell them you won’t be applying for aid…if you really want to do that.
@emilymontgomery Midd is truly need blind, applying for financial aid does not affect your chances for admittance. You would be shocked at what assets people can have and get aid, and you also cannot apply for aid in subsequent years if you do not apply at the outset (well, sometimes you can but it can be quite difficult).
I think you’ve got it backwards. Schools that have a policy denying need-based aid to students in later years who did not apply for need-based aid as an applicant are definitely in the minority, and as far as I know, Middlebury is not one of these schools. And I don’t see how it “can be quite difficult” to apply for aid in subsequent years after not having applied as an applicant, assuming the school allows this. Generally, an established student applying for need-based aid for the first time would follow the same procedures that thousands of other rising sophomores, juniors and seniors would follow.
@BelknapPoint Thanks for the clarification. I had asked CC about how applying for Fin aid affects your app, he said that need blind is really blind until the waitlist (they are neutral about your finances except if you are a big donor to your school, which they write in the CC rec). But need aware schools do take that into account when you apply. I mentioned not applying for need in the first year to those schools if it comes down to a school D is absolutely loving and he cautioned that might jeapordize getting aid in later years unless you can show that your circumstances have drastically changed. Is this your understanding?
Some schools, more likely to be need aware than need blind, do have an explicit policy that restricts need-based aid only to those students who first requested such aid as part of the college application process. Other schools may soften this a bit by stating that a first time need-based aid application in a subsequent year must be predicated on a downturn in the family financial situation. However, I think it’s safe to say that a need-blind, meets full need school (like Middlebury) will not put any hurdles in place of an enrolled student who is applying for need-based aid for the first time.
If a student needs financial aid to attend a college…then the student should apply for financial aid. An acceptance without sufficient aid to attend would be just like a rejection…the student would NOT be able to attend the college.
The bump for NOT applying for aid really isn’t a huge one…the student still has to meet the admission requirements relative to the other applicants applying to the school.
For need blind schools…and most are need blind…financial aid status doesn’t matter at all.
For need aware schools…they will consider your need when considering your application for admission…but that doesn’t mean you won’t get accepted if you have financial need…that’s a tossup.
Some schools like Middlebury are NOT need blind for the waitlist students. But that’s a whole different matter. Are you suggesting a student NOT apply for need based aid at Middlebury because they MIGHT be placed on the waitlist?? Really?
I’d like to clarify my post with a few details.
For need aware I am not referring to Midd. While I would be thrilled if D were offered a space there I need to act like she is an RD applicant to a range of schools until we hear otherwise. Some of the schools D has on her list are need aware (Bates, Colby, Haverford) and much of this would only come into play if ED does not pan out. Most universal reaches are need blind.
For others I am not suggesting anything; people need to evaluate their finances and risk tolerances and make their own decisions. We have applied for aid at Midd.
Our finances are complex and we have temporary workarounds that if absolutely needed could be used. They are complicated and I don’t wish to disclose in public. But our situation is not as black and white as your first paragraph.
Is there really a ‘bump’ for not applying for aid at need blind schools like Midd, or just need aware schools?
Really Midd is not need blind for waitlist? CC made it clear that a reason to ED2 a match school was that it would be very very hard to get off any waitlist as a Fin Aid candidate. As of now D wants to ED2 another reach and it breaks my heart to say no to that just to not go into the waitlist pool…