<p>You receive the decision for ED in Mid-December, correct? When will you learn your financial aid offer package?</p>
<p>And can you still apply to schools in January DESPITE getting accepted ED in hopes of a higher financial aid package? Thank you.</p>
<p>You generally are told your financial aid offer along with an ED acceptance.</p>
<p>And you cannot do that, no. You can back out of an ED agreement only if you demonstrate that you cannot afford your ED school with the offer they give you. If you got a better offer somewhere else, it doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>The second question you asked is the biggest reason NOT to apply ED. When you apply ED, you commit to go there, and to withdraw any other applications you have submitted. This includes not sending in any new applications.</p>
<p>If you want to compare FA packages, don’t apply ED.</p>
<p>Last year, my nephew applied ED to a top 20 school and was accepted, so he withdrew all his other apps immediately.</p>
<p>His mom has recently lamented that she wished he had not applied ED as they now wish they could have seen whatever other offers he would have received (they are paying full-freight) He likely would have received some good merit money from some top 100 schools that he applied to. </p>
<p>I guess writing the checks for this semester’s expenses has been a bit of a downer knowing that there may have been a less expensive option. They have another child who is a senior in hs, and he’s not going to apply ED anywhere.</p>