@jasonkos
Nope.
@MAOnemom
Yeah? That’s awesome!
So, I searched the net and apparently there’s something like PFAA for Princeton. Is that easier to fill up than CSS?
@determined2300, as I mentioned before, I think it is hard to apply for aid once you haven’t indicated it on the CommonApp. I believe you have to call the FA office to sort things out.
PFAA is much easier than CSS imo.
@determined 2300-once you have indicated in your application that you dont need aid you cant approach them now and asking for aid and that reflect very badly on your credibility and the application iteslf
@manrosh ^ What is your basis for this comment? People’s circumstances change all the time. People get injured, or sick, or die, or get laid off or their employer goes out of business unexpectedly. Asking for aid later that you didn’t anticipate needing means nothing at all with regard to credibility, and will not even been seen by schools like Princeton that have need-blind admissions.
A few things I want to address here:
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Request for financial info to get the financial aid packages is usually NOT any indication of acceptances. Because many schools want that financial aid letter to go out around the same time as the acceptance letters, the fin aid offices need to be poised with all info needed to put together a package for those accepted, so they will checklist everyone who has sent in anything that indicates that they are applying for aid.
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There are schools that will not consider you for financial aid if you did not apply for it with admissions and meet the deadlines. Some school, are very clear about this. you miss their stated deadlines and you don’t get access to certain financial aid funds. Some of these schools are need blind in admissions and do guarantee to meet full need to all students that can fill out a FAFSA and who meet the deadlines as stated. Do understand that hardly any school, guarantees to meet 100% of need for all students. International students, Transfer students, students in certain schools within a university, and those who miss deadlines are often not in that category, even at the most generous schools.
However, it’s certainly worth letting a school know if you want to apply for financial aid even after the deadlines and see what their positions are in the matter. Send out the info ASAP and request consideration. Change of financial circumstance is a reason that schools even strict with the deadlines may take as an exception.
Absolutely let them know you’d still like to apply for financial aid. We have dealt with the FA office since 2011 and they have been tremendously helpful and accommodating. I do realize that there are schools who are very strict on their FA application deadlines, but in our experience Princeton is not one of them. The summer before freshman year my son was not able to get paid work due to involvement in other activities. We went into the FA office, they gave him a form to describe in one or two sentences what he was doing instead of paid employment, and on the spot they gave 1/2 of his projected summer earnings in further grants (with the other half offered in loans).
Princeton WANTS to meet all students’ financial needs as they calculate based on your income and circumstances. They have an enormous endowment and it is not a financial stretch for them to help out their students. They set a deadline to give them an idea of what they will be projecting in grants for the year but they do know that situations change…sometimes in a matter of weeks or months.
I might add that we are internationals and it is exceptionally rare for any school to offer the same assistance to internationals as for US citizens. Princeton does, and their generosity was one of the many things that made it possible for our son to be there.
Admissions and FA are operated separately; they won’t be comparing notes on the applicant.
My advice to an applicant who is waiting for their admission decision and regrets not applying for FA would be to wait for decisions to come out and, if accepted, to immediately contact the FA aid office.