timing

I was accepted to my to first choice school and received some merit. I plan to go no matter what and want to accept my acceptance letter but have not yet received the other financial aid based on the FAFSA and CSS. If I accept the admission offer before I receive the financial aid will they decide to give me less grant or aid $ knowing I was willing to pay/borrow without it?
I was accepted in December early action. It’s now March. I contacted the school and they were not able to tell me when the financial aid letters were going out.

Recontact the school financial aid. They should still be able to get pretty accurate on what you do or do not qualify for. Just ask. If needed talk to admissions to see if they can help.

Thanks. I just contacted them 2 days ago and they said they didn’t know when I would hear. Perhaps I should contact admissions then? I’m just being impatient I guess.

Yes, you are being impatient. Just wait. Your financial aid letter will come. You will get it when the regular admission kids get their financial aid letters…which is when they get their acceptances.

Do you need financial aid (need based) to attend? Your post implies that it would be nice to get need based aid. But is it needed?

Regardless…be patient.

ETA…welcome to CC. If you start any other threads, you might want to make your thread title a little more specific like “timing of receipt of financial aid letters” might give you better and more responses than “timing”.

No, they should be able to give you some sorta of estimate better then the efc calculators can do. We called and used to get “unofficial” estimates to get a clue.

@Knowsstuff

There are MANY colleges that will not give you an estimate of your need based aid…and advise that students just be patient…and wait for their award letters.

It’s nice that your college gave you “a clue” but many, many won’t.

@thumper1. Never said it was across the board. Many lacs will give a"clue "… Never hurts to ask but have also been on the waiting end also… Thx.

@boomster8

Did you do the net price calculator for this school? Are your parents divorced? Do they own a business? Are they self employed? Do they own real estate other than your primary residence? If no to all of those…what does the NPC say.

OP has until may 1 to make a decision. Here is no pressing need to make an acceptance. If op needs to make a room deposit because housing is not guaranteed, then make one. Otherwise just be patient

Financial aid offices are swamped right now trying to package kids to get ready for RD. No need to call again and make a pest of yourself.

If op is going to talk to anyone, talk to your parents to make sure that the school is financially on the table if no aid is offered. (This may be the issue). You should not be accepting any admission offers unless you and your parents are on the same page regarding how to pay for this school.

OP is being impatient, needs to take a breath and just wait for the offer,

You said that the school “should” be able to give a better estimate than the EFC. It would have been more accurate to say that the school “may” be able to do this. This is the point that thumper1 was trying to make, and she’s right.