<p>Is there any reason to fill out FAFSA if family is unlikely to qualify for need-based aid? Will filling out FAFSA reduce the amount of merit scholarships for higher-income families?</p>
<p>It shouldn’t affect merit. However, see if the school requires you to fill it out…a small number do.</p>
<p>We’ve never filled out FAFSA yet my kids were offered large merit at several undergrads. </p>
<p>BTW…if you want, wait til after merit is awarded and then fill out FAFSA if your goal is to just take a student loan. You can do that quite late.</p>
<p>thx, mom2!</p>
<p>A couple things to keep in mind: 1) some schools require you to complete FAFSA in order to receive merit scholarships and 2) many schools require FAFSA Freshman year in order to be eligible for need-based aid in future years if your financial situation changes.</p>
<p>Actually eligibility for federally funded aid (Pell, Perkins, Federal Work Study, Direct loan) MUST be given in subsequent years even IF the student doesn’t apply as an incoming freshman.</p>
<p>It is INSTITUTIONAL aid that can be denied in subsequent years if the student doesn’t apply as an incoming freshman. This is the policy at several very well endowed and generous schools. Incoming freshman at THOSE schools need to complete the FAFSA and the Profile, plus any other financial aid application requirements) as incoming freshmen or they will not be considered for institutional aid in subsequent years. They WILL be able to get federally funded aid based on the FAFSA even IF they don’t apply as incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>But you need to check YOUR student’s colleges. Our son attended a school that required all freshmen to complete the FAFSA/profile to be awarded even merit aid (our kid had a music performance award based on his audition…our EFC exceeded the COA…this was purely a merit award).</p>
<p>I dont’ think any FAFSA-only schools demand that FAFSA be filled out frosh year in order to be considered for need-based aid later on if need changes. The schools that seem to do that are the “full need” schools - especially the ones that are need-aware and have limited aid for int’ls. Those schools fear that people will take the “edge” of looking lke they don’t have need the first year to get admitted, and then use all their funds for frosh year and then apply for aid later on. </p>
<p>As for merit…there are some schools (not many) that require FAFSA for merit consideration. That is spelled out on their websites because in those cases “need” is a consideration.</p>
<p>However, many/most schools award merit purely based on achievement…especially schools with rolling admissions and rolling awards. Those awards are awarded before people have even submitted merit awards. </p>
<p>Think about it…all those schools that have Nov or Dec deadlines for scholarships…I don’t think any require FAFSA because at that point, FAFSA couldn’t be submitted anyway. Maybe there is some odd school, but I haven’t found one.</p>
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<p>You are always, always, always eligible to receive federal aid, if you are federal aid eligible, not matter when you apply for it. However, there is some federal aid that is distributed on a first come, first served basis (SEOG, Perkins, FWS), which is why if you are eligible, it is in your best interest to apply early to hold your “place in line.”</p>
<p>I should have specified Institutional aid only would be denied. Federal obviously would not. </p>
<p>The point is that filling out the FAFSA is not that hard.</p>