<p>My DS clicked no for financial aid when applying to many private schools. He(we) was under the impression that if the student comes from a middle class family, chances are close to nil for getting any money. But I have heard recently from friends that we should have said yes and let the school decide if we qualify for aid or not. Is that correct? If the answer is yes then is it too late now to do anything about it? If he gets into any of these private schools, we will need to get loan out to pay for the higher tutions at these colleges.</p>
You should contact the schools for the financial aid deadlines. However, you should file FAFSA for the Federal Financial Aid the sooner the better.</p>
<p>I suggest running some NPCs for the schools. If your expected contribution looms well over the total costs for the school, then the chances are not good that you will qualify for any aid. However, you may still want to get your PIN and your student get a PIN and fill out a FAFSA so that both of you have accessibility to some loans. You mention you may need to look at some loan options. Well, the Student Direct and PLUS (parent direct) require a FAFSA to be filed even if no need is the result. Also check the websites of the schools and see if a FAFSA or PROFILE are needed for any merit awards, something you might run by the schools too. </p>
<p>If the numbers come out that you are close or that you might well qualify for need, you should fill out the FAFSA ASAP and any other forms the school requires for FIn AId and let Admissions know of your change in status. </p>
<p>I just finished filing the FAFSA. But some schools had the question on their online form for financial aid with yes/no checkmark and that is the one we marked as no. Now I am worried that we will not qualify for any aid if there was a slight chance of getting some because of that no for financial aid question.
cptofthehousecptofthehouse, what does NPC mean?</p>
<p>If you qualify for federally funded aid (sounds like you don’t), you would get that regardless of what you checked on the application box. Do any of your kiddo’s collected require the Profile?</p>
<p>If it were me, I would contact the financial aid department at the schools and ask them. They will tell you what to do!</p>
<p>You should know where you stand in terms of what colleges expect you to pay. FAFSA’s EFC is usually a minimum of what you will be expected to pay unless your student gets merit money, and even then that $ amount may stand. If you go on each college’s site, the ones on your son’s list, you can put in your financial info and get a closer estimate, on average of what each school might expect you to pay. If these numbers are coming up higher or close to what the cost of the schools are , then, no, you are not going to be getting financial aid. But the colleges will not be calculating your need at all if your son checked off “NO” on the application, even if you do qualify for aid. So if it looks like you can get some money from those numbers, you should let the college know so that you are in the financial aid line. You also have to send whatever the colleges request to come up with their determinations. Some may just want the FAFSA; some may want more info. Your son needs to check the website of EACH school and find out what is needed to get determination. It does not happen automatically.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t qualify for financial aid from the school, the FAFSA you completed would make your student eligible for Direct Loans and you, the parent for PLUS (Direct Parent loans) You can deal with that after admissions, however. Good to have the FAFSA on file so that if you want to borrow from those programs, it’s in place, but for most other awards, you also have to go through the financial aid office process, which starts with a “yes” on the fin aid block on the application. Ge that changed, if it looks like you qualify for some money.</p>
<p>Just call the schools and ask. You probably haven’t missed the FA deadlines.</p>
<p>EVERY year there are apps that go in with the “no FA” box checked, and every year families determine that they need aid and apply. Schools are used to this. The Checked Box is not some “hand on the bible pledge” that you won’t apply for aid. We’re not even sure if schools pay any attention to that since they know KIDS check those boxes w/o even talking to their parents.</p>
<p>I agree with Mom2col, except in some possible cases where your son might have applied to schools that are need aware for admissions. Some such school will automatically put apps in stacks as to whether or not fin aid is being requested. To ask for financial aid, when you know there is no chance of getting it, and if you indeed can afford any of these schools without aid and are willing to pay full price for it, to jeopardize your son’s chances on a “let’s just see” might not be a great idea. Especially if the school is high on the desired list. Most need aware schools do accept students on a need blind basis for the most part, but how many of them actually tackle the admissions process is largely unknown, so you might be taking a chance in such cases; maybe not, but maybe so. </p>
<p>If your NPCs and EFCs are coming out in the $70-80K range or more for a school that costs $60K total, it’s pretty clear that you are not going to qualify for aid. If they are running $50-70K or less, not so clear, and maybe you will get some aid, even if it is just by loan subsidies and work study. So get some idea as to where you stand financially. Also check and see if there are any need aware schools on you son’s list. Most schools are NOT need aware. They don’t meet full need, but they are not need aware for admissions for the most part. They just gap you if they don’t want to fulfill your need.</p>
<p>Even if the student applied to “need aware” schools, the family should still call and ask if they can now apply. That may mean that the app gets moved to the “other pile”, but the fact is this family doesn’t have the money to pay…they have to take out loans.</p>
<p>I’m still not sure how many colleges are actually need aware. Just about all public Us should be need blind (except UNC and UVA, UMich instate) and I think many non-competitive privates would be as well. That would cover >75% of college students.</p>
<p>^^^
Yes, it’s a mystery. Not many. Maybe it’s the ones with smallish endowments that promise to “meet need”.</p>
<p>Supposedly, the “need aware” issue can sometimes come into play later in the acceptance process. For instance, a need-aware school may be “blind” while processing the first XX% of acceptances, but then as they figure out which last group to accept, they become need aware.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad…I find it shocking that UMich is need aware for instate. But, in what way are they need aware for instate? Positively? or negatively?</p>
<p>Some schools are out and out need aware and say so. How they actually do admissions on that basis can differe widely. I do know that someone called one of the schools and was told my admissions that, yes, just checking the FA box does mean a different admissions process from the get go. The apps are apparently split from the get go that way. Other schools will just hit the apps on a need blind basis until the money runs low and then at point start having to make enrollment decisions based on need. Still others will just go on a need blind basis just ranking the students into, say 1, 2, 3 categories. All 1s and 2s will be accepted regardless of need , and the 3s will be scrutinized as to how much need and some cuts made on that basis.</p>
<p>I never heard anything about UMich being need aware for instate. I would not be surprised if they are need aware OOS, but I don’t think I’ve seen them on any need aware lists. Is this new? </p>
<p>All colleges are “need aware”. The more expensive the school, the more they will give to someone “in need”. Most state schools only give $ via FAFSA calculations, but some lower ranked state schools also kick in discretionary scholarship $ to students with slightly better than average admission stats so their overall averages are raised to look better the following year.</p>
<p>You’re talking about decisions made in the financial aid offices. “Need blind” and “need aware” are admissions terms that have nothing to do with the financial aid process.</p>
<p>Yes, all colleges are need aware in certain ways. Some highly selective ones will give kids who have certain challenges in life, including being in a very low economic situation. Clearly, kids who are from “development” families get a tremendous boost. We all know that . Plus there is a huge direct relationship between income and the attributes colleges seek. However, when we talk “need aware” admissions, we mean something quite different from that. It’s whether checking that box “financial aid” makes a difference. For most schools, it does not. Admissions simply does not make that designation an issue in making their decisions. Doesn’t mean they meet need. Very few schools meet full need. But they don’t make need an issue. </p>
<p>I don’t think UVA, UNC, UMich take need into consideration. They are all on need blind for admissions lists. But they are unusual in that they are the only state schools that guarantee to meet full need for in state applicants. I believe, UVA and UNC-CH may be doing the same for OOS too–not 100% sure about that. But UMICH is need blind for all applicants, and meets full need for instaters. </p>
<p>@MiddKid86 and Mom2CK, I didn’t write that statement very well. My intent was to say the vast majority of public Us just gap students since they don’t promise to meet need. The Public Us that MIGHT be need aware are those that do promise to meet need - UNC, UVA, UMich instate… Mea Culpa.</p>
<p>I do want to add that Reed College is one school that has publicly stated they are need aware at the end of their admission cycle. They see how much $ they have left for their final slots before deciding on the students at the cut line.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification. Publics have to be extra careful in that regard. If they were to become need-aware for instate students, the residents would probably explode. That said, sometimes a “reverse need aware” can happen. I think the UCs give a nudge to students with high-need who come from under-privileged areas. </p>