<p>Either I have a major problem, or just a minor stain left from my Common Application.</p>
<p>After being accepted to my first choice Early Decision university, the university sent me its congratulations and welcome letters. These mentioned how to log onto the university website, portal access, etc.</p>
<p>However, upon checking my financial aid eligibility, I found that there was none.</p>
<p>The university included a "To-Do List" for financial aid. Listed are:
- Tax Returns - IDOC (Taxes and W-2s)
- FAFSA Data (FAFSA.gov)
- CSS Profile (Collegeboard.org)</p>
<p>I had selected "no" for the Common Application under the question "Do you intend to apply for need-based financial aid?" Herein lies the question of whether all this information pertains to me.</p>
<p>I did intend to apply for need-based financial aid, but was afraid that it would hurt my chances of being accepted into the university. (NOTE: My university is indeed need-blind, but my conscience got the better of me) As such, I selected "no" believing that not many problems would arise.</p>
<p>So my question is this: Am I still eligible to apply for financial aid, despite marking "no" to the relevant question on the Common Application? If not, how should I go about requesting it despite my marked choice? </p>
<p>Keep in mind, again, that my university is need-blind.</p>
<p>Thanks for your time! Have a nice day. :)</p>
<p>You need to ask your school. We don’t know what your school’s policy is.</p>
<p>That said, you didn’t indicate that you were applying for aid because you thought it would help your acceptance. You were accepted. Yes, the school is need blind, so it may not have made a difference. Still it was game-playing. </p>
<p>You need to call the school and ask. We don’t know if while they process your aid request if they’ll see your earlier indication and be annoyed by that or not.</p>
<p>Plus…as an ED applicant…you likely also missed the filing deadline for ED applicants for the CSS Profile. If you didn’t complete the Profile by the ED priority deadline AND you checked NO on the financial aid question on the application…the school would rightfully assume that you did not intend to apply for need based aid.</p>
<p>How did you think you would be able to make this ED acceptance decision without completing the financial aid application forms required for ED applicants?</p>
<p>Call the school.</p>
<p>Are your parents on-board with being full pay? You may still be able to file FAFSA and receive the max freshman loan (I believe it is $5500)…but you need to ask the financial aid office at your college.</p>
<p>Are you eligible for merit based aid?</p>
<p>If you wanted an estimate of what your financial aid would be from that school, you needed not only to check the “yes” block for financial aid on the application, but you needed to fill out an application for aid with estimated numbers for 2012, so that the college could give you what you could expect in terms of aid. If that amount they offered was not enough for your family to afford the school, you would discuss that with the school, and if they could not give you more, you are released from your Early Decision contract, and your other applications to other schools are not compormised. You no longer are an applicant for that one school as you have turned them down.</p>
<p>You need to ask admissions what your situation is since you need to accept the ED contract shortly. Your name and SSN will be circulated to colleges that subscribe to this program, and your applications will be dropped from them unless you work out something with this college not to put you on that list. How they will handle this, I don’t know, no one knows except the admissions office. Personally, i would rescind your acceptance and put you in to the regualr pool for reconsideration with the regular group with prejudice (due to your lack of following directions, not for needing aid). Shame on you for playing games like this!</p>
<p>But it is up to the Admissions Officer to decide how to handle your particular case, and that is who you have to talk to. Since we are on the brink or within Winter Break, you may not get any answer to this until after the new year. Why should anyone have to hop at the 11th hour for you when you did not do as you should have. even if anyone is around.</p>
<p>You had better get your family financials for 2012 together to give a good estimate and also a list of family assets. Filling out an estimated PROFILE is usually what ED candidates are asked to do. You might want to to do that so you can move quickly if you are asked to do so. You can also run your numbers through the schools NPC and see if what it comes up with in terms of estmated aid that school might give you.</p>