<p>To any parents who think that filling out the FAFSA is pointless due to income levels that would result in a high expected family contribution, I just want to relate my own experience. </p>
<p>I almost blew the whole thing off...need-based aid was not going to happen and my child is no academic superstar. Last weekend, I filled the thing out at the last minute. Imagine my surprise when 3-4 days later, my daughter gets a letter from one of the schools she is considering, offering a merit based award. You just never know...fill it out, and send it in!</p>
<p>Congrats to you, Ronnie and your D. With the rising costs of sending a child to college, every little bit helps. So I am sure that if your D likes the school, them showing her some love has moved it up a couple of notches.</p>
<p>Thank you for randomly sharing this it totally brightened my day!</p>
<p>Are you sure the two have any connection?</p>
<p>I mean you can get merit award without filling out a FAFSA.</p>
<p>It depends...</p>
<p>Some schools do require that you file the fafsa in order to get any merit money and other schools do not requre the FAFSA (you would have to check the FA section of the schools that you are interested in attending).</p>
<p>Remember merit money can also be and is used as a discounting mechanism for full freight paying families that will make a school more attactive to that family.</p>
<p>For the schools that my daughter applied to, the FAFSA was a requirement for being considered for merit aid. (Still a big surprise that she got any, though). And if it is a way to simply discount the price, that's fine with me:)</p>