Why do some colleges ask for tax info when they might not even accept you?

Paying for College
1

<p>One of the schools I applied to don't give out notifications for RD until April 1, but they asked for my tax info from last year (they use the CSS profile). </p>

<p>Wouldn't it be more work for them to create a financial aid package for every applicant, but over half of them won't even be used since their acceptance rate is 47%? </p>

<p>Do they ask every applicant to send in their tax info?</p>

2

<p>To my understanding is because they need to know in what category to put you, in other words in state or out of state student, but I could be wrong.</p>

3

<p>Every school my D applied to had priority deadlines for financial aid that precede the date for RD notification. This is a nonstarter of a topic. You do not need to apply for financial aid if you don’t think you’ll need it. If you do think you need it, you need to follow the schedule the school sets. It’s kinda simple.</p>

4

<p>doublerainbow99 -</p>

<p>Usually the financial aid office is crunching numbers while the admissions office is reading applications. That way if a student is admitted, the aid package is ready for delivery too. Yes, sometimes the financial aid staff does put an estimated aid package together for a student who doesn’t get in, and I’m sure they are a bit miffed about losing all of their hard work. However, it is much worse to admit students who need aid and make them wait and wait for financial aid information.</p>

5

<p>^This.</p>

<p>Think about the logistics if schools waited to ask for FA information once students were admitted. Financial information has to be sent in, tax returns confirmed and numbers crunched by FA personnel. Schools give you about a month to make your decision of where to attend, and part of that decision is often a financial one based on the FA package offered. It makes sense to get the FA information early, so that FA packages are ready when or shortly after decisions go out.</p>

6

<p>Colleges that aren’t need blind need might want to know the financial situation of the applicants before they make their acceptance decisions.</p>