<p>I am applying need-based financial aid.
i want to know how things work on this part.
the university admission officer views my application with my certification of finance.
is it that after AO decided to admit me, the FAO decide what my financial aid package consists of?<br>
or is it after AO decided to admit me, the FAO decide whether to offer me financial aid?
what i want to know is that who decide whether to give me aid?
and what does FAO do?</p>
<p>anybody know?
we could at least give some guess based on logic</p>
<p>Generally, the Financial Aid Office will not look at you until the Admissions Office has decided whether to admit you. Otherwise, they would be looking at a lot of people they don’t have to.</p>
<p>Hmmm…good question. Most financial aid offices, when asking for additional information, always disclaims, this is not a guarantee for admissions. Or even give hope. My daughter’s second choice school just asked for copies of our tasx returns…hoping this may mean at least they are giving her application real consideration.</p>
<p>bump…</p>
<p>well, who decide WHETHER to give need based financial aid? Admission Office or Financial Aid Office?</p>
<p>Unless you are getting a “recruiting” type of scholarship (top students that admissions officers would like to attend the school-raises ranking stats, NMF’s, etc.), then the financial aid office will be determining your aid.</p>
<p>@bessie
so they both have to read thd application?
that’s too much work!</p>
<p>@momray
some school only require admitted students to submit tax return form and bank statement, etc. so it may mean that they are ready to give you financial aid. they just need to verify that you really can pay money that you said you can.</p>
<p>Numen, are you asking about public or private? Need-blind or need-aware? It makes a difference.</p>
<p>At privates, generally, the adcom determines if you’re admitted, and FA determines how much your aid would be. At need-blind they’re independent; at need-aware, it’s need-blind until the FA budget is depleted, then only full payers are admitted.</p>
<p>No one verifies that your really can pay money that you say you can.</p>
<p>Num…so you would infer asking for additional tax documents, etc, a good sign the adcom is looking favorable at an application/</p>
<p>
“need” based aid is determined by the FA office. If the Admissions Office really wants you, they can push the FA office to give you more money to meet your need. But then, it is really Merit aid, not Need aid.</p>
<p>@vossron Wow, thank you!</p>
<p>@momray
i think so. the FAO won’t look at a student’ finaid app unless they want to admit him or her. or they have to read every app!</p>
<p>@operadad
so these two offices are quite independent?
is that the finaid office don’t look at the student’s scores, essays, etc, but only the finaid app?</p>
<p>The FAO looks only at the FAFSA, PROFILE, and related financial data, determining need. The adcom looks only at everything else, determining admissibility. At need-aware schools there is possible linkage.</p>
<p>It depends. There are financial aid offices that work closely with admissions. Sometimes the director of one is also the director of the other. In those cases, yes, the need is somehow computed into the admissions equation. In other cases, admissions simply admits without regard to need, and prioritizes the students they most want with some grading system. Say 1 for the most desired kids. 2 for the midrange kids. 3 for the the kids who were on the cusp. They deliberately over accept. Financial aid, then looks at those ratings as they give out awards. The 1’s will get primo packages. The 2’s will get more loans, maybe get gapped a bit. The 3’s will not be accepted if they need too much money. There is a big difference between needing $5k of aid and $50K.</p>