Do you need to report your SSN for merit aid?

[Anonymous]

Not looking for financial aid, Do we need to submit SSN on common app to be considered for merit aid? Also curious if we need to do this when applying to Penn State directly? id rather not share the SSN but don't want to shut kid out of merit aid consideration.
anyone BTDT?

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you want to share SSN? Didn’t you have to provide on SAT/ACT, common app, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you want to share SSN? Didn’t you have to provide on SAT/ACT, common app, etc?

NP we didn't provide SSN for SAT/ACT and don't plan to provide for common app either. Didn't provide it for the Georgetown U app either.

[Anonymous]

No - my kids got many merit aid offers from both public and private schools without sharing SSN. You only need to give your SSN to the school at which you eventually matriculate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No - my kids got many merit aid offers from both public and private schools without sharing SSN. You only need to give your SSN to the school at which you eventually matriculate.

thank you! this is reassuring, I dont want to share ssn due to id theft and also want to signal full pay

[Anonymous]

No. Didn’t report.
Got merit from schools like:
Case; Vermont; Elon; Boulder; Pitt.

[Anonymous]

anyone know about penn state specifically when applying directly on their website and not on common app

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you want to share SSN? Didn’t you have to provide on SAT/ACT, common app, etc?

SAT/ACT forms do not ask for SSN.

Common App asks for SSN, but it is not a required data field. It's important to include for those applying for need-based financial aid. (We were not applying for need-based financial aid. None of my kids included SSN in Common App.)

See also the long thread asking how to signal full pay status https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1285324.page . Not including SSN is discussed.