I’m currently deciding between USC and TCU. I’d like to go to USC but it is a little more expensive for me. I am eligible and have a very likely chance of getting a $8,000 or $10,000 outside scholarship. However, I don’t know if I get any of the scholarships until May 6th. This would more than bridge the gap between the schools but since it’s not guaranteed I don’t want to count on it and not get it. Can I enroll at both colleges and then just not show up at one? I know I’ll lose my housing/enrollment deposit but can anything else happen? Something like whichever school I go to ultimately withdrawing my admission? I’m also receiving a lot of financial aid from USC and a little from TCU. Could those be taken away if this happens? On May 6th I’d decline the aid offers from whichever school I didn’t attend, I know I can do that with loans but not 100% yet on grants although I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to.
You need to contact both USC and TCU and ask them how they would apply any money you would receive as an outside scholarship. Many places adjust their aid packages when there is an outside scholarship. You also need to know whether this outside scholarship is automatically renewed for all four years. If it is for only one year, how will you pay the costs for USC in future years?
Since you are waiting on this scholarship, it is completely reasonable to ask for an extension of the May 1 deadline. It is better to do that than to have to go through the headache of a double-deposit.
If you find that you do need to double-deposit, as soon as you know which place you really will be attending, notify the other one that your plans have changed and that you need to cancel your enrollment.
^ I agree whole-heartedly. Your outside scholarship may just displace some of your USC financial aid (since you no longer have that need). Check with them on how they will use the scholarship if you get it.
Ok thank you, I didn’t know schools would extend the deadline so I’ll look into that. The scholarship is renewable so that’s covered. I talked to someone in financial aid at USC and they said that as long as my outside scholarships didn’t exceed what they expected me to contribute then they won’t take any aid away.
I don’t know if everywhere does this but she told me that as an example: they cost 70k and their total merit+need aid was 35k, then my outside scholarships could be $35,000 until they took need based aid away.
^^^ I’m no FA expert, you should check with someone who is, but that isn’t quite what their webpage says
So they seem to take a narrow view of what " they expected me to contribute" means compared to what you said in your example. They specifically restrict it to your personal loans and work-study the way I read it