We will not qualify for need-based aid. I cannot find any useful information about whether to submit the CSS for merit aid at private LACs. DD applied ED1 to Swarthmore and I have no idea if filling out CSS is useful or not.
Generally you don’t have to apply for financial aid (FAFSA/CSS Profile) to qualify for merit. Each school’s website should have this information. If it’s not clear, have your student reach out to their admissions officer (admissions controls merit) and ask.
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Hm - I thought some colleges required filling out FA applications, in case they wanted to apply one source of funds towards the other?
If you don’t qualify for need based aid it’s pointless to fill out the CSS. The FAFSA is also not needed except at a handful of schools that require it. You don’t need either form to get merit aid at the vast majority of schools (speaking from experience).
Of course, if you plan to take out federal loans or expect your financial situation could change for the worse in the future, fill out the FAFSA.
(Sorry meant to reply to OP not digitaldad)
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That’s why I said generally. Off the top of my head, Fordham is the only school that requires FAFSA/CSS for merit, but the student doesn’t have to file FA forms until the spring (meaning merit is awarded before filing the FA forms).
Some schools do have FAFSA/CSS requirements for certain merit scholarships, because they require a certain level of need, for example Johnson Scholars at Santa Clara.
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My daughter was awarded merit from Fordham. We hadn’t filled out the forms before we found out about the award. They only required FAFSA, not CSS to keep the award.
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We will not qualify for need-based aid and did not bother filling out CSS for D24’s schools, after our experience with D21. Merit aid may still be awarded by a few of the institutions, all applicants are considered for merit awards according to those school’s websites. Schools like Swarthmore will have few, if any, merit awards, which was stated on those types of schools’ financial aid pages as well.
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No need to do it if you do not qualify! Both of mine got merit awards with no fafsa or css done.
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The only reason I’m doing it is if there is some unforeseen change in your financial circumstances in a subsequent year you can appeal the finial aid decision. If you never applied for it then there is nothing to appeal and you’re SOL.
This.
You need to check with the colleges for their specific requirements. There are some that do require completion of the financial aid forms…but not that many…for merit aid awarding. So…check each school. Just call admissions and ask.
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Edited: I do know of one school that makes you wait 2 years after matriculation to do this, so still a good idea if you think your finances will change in the future. Apparently this applies to only a small number of schools.
A VERY small number…very small (unless you are an international student). But do check. IIRC, Skidmore is one where you do have to wait to apply for need based institutional aid if you don’t do so as an incoming freshman.
Like I said…call the schools and ask. They will know their policies!
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Are you saying a small number will even let you appeal a prior financial aid decision if your finances change? Or a only a small number require that you have previously applied for aid?
Only a small number of colleges require a Profile for consideration for or awarding merit aid.
And only a small number of colleges will not allow you to apply for institutional need based aid the following year if you don’t apply as an incoming freshman.
I wasn’t talking about appealing a need based aid award…at all. Most colleges have a procedure for allowing students to ask for reconsideration of their need based aid. That doesn’t mean you will get more aid, but schools do have a process for this.
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Denison is clear on their website that if you do not file for financial aid as a first year, you can’t apply later on. I was surprised to see this.
This is on the Skidmore site:
If you enroll without Skidmore grant assistance, you are not eligible to receive financial aid from Skidmore College for your first two years; however, you may be eligible for federal aid.
So…like I said…check with each college as policies vary.
Thanks. Sounds like it’s not worth it for us. I’ll check the websites, but from what I’ve seen, nothing is clearly stated with respect to this particular question.
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Then have your student contact admissions and ask.
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@EmergencyHandle - we simply wrote to each college and got a quick response from most of them confirming that FAFSA/CSS would not be required for merit awards.
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