@acceptme2022 Are you saying that you know for a fact that TCNJers don’t get merit aid off the waitlist or are just making a general statement?
Because as a general statement that is not true.
@bopper How do you know it is not true? I recalled reading it somewhere that there is no merit aid. I will try to see whether I can find it.
I know that Case Western Reserve University, for example, gives merit aid to WL students. So as a general rule, it is not the case.
I do not know if it is the case or not for TCNJ.
go where you think you can have the best experience and do best. Everything else is BS
@bopper they said it in the letter they sent me
@bopper I don’t think it is a general rule rather Case is an exception as they even sent out potential FA package. I knew Villanova does not provide merit for waitlist.
I felt that TCNJ did not have time to finish, therefore, they just sent out mail to the last group to tell them that they are waitlisted. There is really no reason to wait till the last minute to tell the kids that they are waitlisted.
Speaking of TCNJ’s Waitlist… I was just looking at TCNJ’s 17-18 Common Data Set and they offered WL to 2405 applicants, of which 597 accepted a spot. However, only 20 were admitted off the WL. Pretty bleak numbers. I can’t imagine it’s any better this year.
Not trying to kill anyone’s hopes, but it’s good to know the facts.
My son was waitlisted. We sent back the form to stay on the waitlist. What do you think his chances are?
I would say he has a 3% chance. What other options does he have? @BOYMOM1492
Officially committed to Rutgers, good luck to all those accepted, and I hope anyone who got waitlisted hears good news soon 
Rutgers, Drexel, Temple, Rowan
Did anyone have a waitlist update?
is the portal not working for anyone else?
@xyb678 are you talking about the myTCNJ portal?
@2022parents That’s kinda the problem; a lot of schools don’t release waitlist decisions till the 30th. Some go over the national deposit day, May 1st. We only can hope for the best.
btw to any of those there, got accepted to TCNJ comp sci! Anybody else in the stream?
Do they give more merit to athletes? I know they are D3 and technically can’t give athletic scholarships, but do they divert that money into ‘academic’ merit? My friend’s son supposedly got $26K. He’s a good student, but not the smartest by far. However, he does play football and was ‘recruited’ to play for TCNJ. Reading the amount of merit given to extremely strong students (SAT scores) on this board is making me wonder if $26K could be possible.
the school does not give athletic scholarships and financial aid is needs based.
@Propinquity4444 - Find this question interesting because it is kind of a recruiting question. I doubt that anyone can definitively prove that schools that do not offer athletic scholarships award money to athletic recruits via other channels. IMHO, I think it absolutely happens. Your friend’s son may well be a good case in point. My suggestion, if your child is a strong recruit, is that you ask the school for a financial pre-read. It is possible that they will provide you with a ballpark number that may well turn out to be your award. Also, when you review your financial aid award, although ostensibly need-based, you may find that the award is made up of various ‘scholarships’ that indicate alumni funding.
Finally, although financial aid is “need-based” it is not always admissions-blind (as in your application may be rated based on an expressed financial need). This is a good question for TCNJ FA. Also, above a certain income level, it is not necessarily 100% met. Use the NPC for TCNJ and/or for any school in the running. While they are not 100% accurate, in my experience doing this for 3 kids in college, the calculator was very accurate even though the schools did not always award 100% of need.
@BrooklynRye Thanks for the info! My child is not an athlete, so I am not asking in hopes that it could work out. Just trying to figure out if it was true. Since then, a friend of DS wants to run track for Rowan (also D3) and said although they don’t give athletic scholarships, they give “academic” scholarships. He put the words in air quotes. Again, he’s a decent student, but probably couldn’t get any academic scholarships without being an athlete. This info was told to him by the coach he spoke to when he was there, so I am assuming this is how they get around the scholarship issue. Anyhoo, 26K at TCNJ would be fabulous! Too bad academic-minded students aren’t consistently rewarded at those levels, but I get it…sports bring in money.
While I hear you on the sports piece (and am a very grateful recipient for at least one child), I don’t think the schools are necessarily being ‘stingy’. More and more I sense the move on aid is toward entirely need-based. Even schools such as TCNJ, that offer academic/merit scholarship, do so on a relatively scarce basis. In some cases there may be literally only a few such scholarships available. Criteria on other scholarships may well filter out your child. If scholarships are a primary target, it is worth applying your child’s criteria based less on rankings and more on schools at which he/she is a larger fish, even if in a slightly smaller pool, where his/her stats are more in demands. Good luck!
as one with experience in athletic recruiting-- this process is typically handled by the coaching staff . If they truly are making an attempt to “aid” in the process, the coach will act a intermediary with any FA and a full discourse will ensue.
Short of that happening , it won’t happen. FYI coaching staffs (from everywhere and anywhere) are notorious hot air machines so keep that in mind.