Does Early Decision limit chances for merit aid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

Lol, this is not how any of this works. Nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

I don’t get the reason for the distain. If someone’s child wants to apply early and is committed to going to a school but it turns out they can’t afford it because they didn’t get enough FA, merit aid, or money from somewhere else that they were expecting, they are allowed to say “we don’t have the money.” This is why there is a clause related to lack of finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

Lol, this is not how any of this works. Nice try.

PP is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

I don’t get the reason for the distain. If someone’s child wants to apply early and is committed to going to a school but it turns out they can’t afford it because they didn’t get enough FA, merit aid, or money from somewhere else that they were expecting, they are allowed to say “we don’t have the money.” This is why there is a clause related to lack of finances.

I don't get it either PP. Anyone interested in applying ED and money is an issue should talk to the school to clarify their ED policy. Almost all allow you to turn down the offer for financial reasons and don't specify what those reasons need to be. People making disparaging comments about people who turn down ED for financial reasons don't know what they're talking about.

[Anonymous]

For all the sanctimonious outrage above about “what’s wrong with turning down an ED for financial reasons”, why can’t you understand that when you sign the agreement and turn over your financial picture to the school, you are supposed to be telling the truth about your finances.

If nothing material changed (and no PP, your prayers for a raise next year do not count), you’re a total jerk and you’ve basically LIED. Both YOU and the school have agreed on what would be feasible. If nothing changed except “just kidding, I don’t want to go anymore”, then your kid deserves to be blacklisted from all colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

Merit aid is not FA. Doesn’t apply in this context.

[Anonymous]

Interesting to note, that colleges share ED lists to prevent abusers of the system:

“Katharine Fretwell, dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College, another Massachusetts institution, says her school and about 30 other colleges share lists of students admitted through early decision. And Fretwell says she'd likely also share the names of students who were admitted via early decision, but who are not attending for financial aid and other reasons.”

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2016-10-24/what-happens-to-students-who-back-out-of-early-decision-offers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

I don’t get the reason for the distain. If someone’s child wants to apply early and is committed to going to a school but it turns out they can’t afford it because they didn’t get enough FA, merit aid, or money from somewhere else that they were expecting, they are allowed to say “we don’t have the money.” This is why there is a clause related to lack of finances.

I don't get it either PP. Anyone interested in applying ED and money is an issue should talk to the school to clarify their ED policy. Almost all allow you to turn down the offer for financial reasons and don't specify what those reasons need to be. People making disparaging comments about people who turn down ED for financial reasons don't know what they're talking about.

Simply not true. Several admissions representatives we spoke with said, if your ability to attend is contingent upon receiving merit scholarship money, then do not apply ED because it is a binding commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

I don’t get the reason for the distain. If someone’s child wants to apply early and is committed to going to a school but it turns out they can’t afford it because they didn’t get enough FA, merit aid, or money from somewhere else that they were expecting, they are allowed to say “we don’t have the money.” This is why there is a clause related to lack of finances.

I don't get it either PP. Anyone interested in applying ED and money is an issue should talk to the school to clarify their ED policy. Almost all allow you to turn down the offer for financial reasons and don't specify what those reasons need to be. People making disparaging comments about people who turn down ED for financial reasons don't know what they're talking about.

Simply not true. Several admissions representatives we spoke with said, if your ability to attend is contingent upon receiving merit scholarship money, then do not apply ED because it is a binding commitment.

It is a binding commitment with a clause that says if you can’t pay then you can break the commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places."

There is no question this is true. What are they going to do if you don't have the $, sue you?

However, you might not be able to attend just any other school that offers you more merit aid either.

ED schools stick together on these things, most likely you will end up in-state if you turn down an ED acceptance.

Don’t be ridiculous, this is not a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

I don’t get the reason for the distain. If someone’s child wants to apply early and is committed to going to a school but it turns out they can’t afford it because they didn’t get enough FA, merit aid, or money from somewhere else that they were expecting, they are allowed to say “we don’t have the money.” This is why there is a clause related to lack of finances.

I don't get it either PP. Anyone interested in applying ED and money is an issue should talk to the school to clarify their ED policy. Almost all allow you to turn down the offer for financial reasons and don't specify what those reasons need to be. People making disparaging comments about people who turn down ED for financial reasons don't know what they're talking about.

Simply not true. Several admissions representatives we spoke with said, if your ability to attend is contingent upon receiving merit scholarship money, then do not apply ED because it is a binding commitment.

Okay - again , that is not true. If they don’t offer you enough aid you can walk and nothing bad will happen to you.
We just did this last year. DD wanted to go to a top 5 school and the only way you have a chance to get into that school really is by applying ED.
She got in. Our financial aid discussions with the college hen took a few weeks and in the end it was an acceptable offer to us (but still insane compared to state school).
I can’t elaborate on our FA appeal but it was intense and a bit stressful , but necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your ability to attend is contingent on receiving merit aid, you cannot apply early decision.

You might, but might not, get merit money, and regardless, once accepted, you are obligated to enroll.

My understanding is that if you don't get the FA package that you need you are allowed to not enroll based on finances. I've read this multiple places.

That understanding is not quite right.... if you don't get essentially the same level of FA package that the NPC suggested you would receive when you ran the NPC before applying to the school only then you are allowed to break the ED agreement.

On the other hand, if you ran the NPC before applying, saw an unaffordable EFC number, and yet applied ED anyway then you have no valid basis to break the ED agreement.

The NPC is only an estimate. Does it say "run the NPC before applying ED" on the ED contract? Many things can change. Maybe the student is hoping to get a scholarship from somewhere else or merit aid. Maybe the parent is going to get a raise, but doesn't. If you think you can swing it but find out you can't, you need to break the contract. I don't think the contract is based on the NPC. The "valid reason" is you don't have the money you thought you would, wherever it might have come from.

If you are the kind of person that would break an ED agreement because you didn't get the raise you hoped for, or would break it because your snowflake did not get the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA he wanted, then all I can say is that the ED school is better off without you and your kid.

UVA doesn't have ED. The Jefferson Scholarship is run completely independent of the University and only 34 out of 4500 get it annually. UVA gives very little merit money because it doesn't need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For all the sanctimonious outrage above about “what’s wrong with turning down an ED for financial reasons”, why can’t you understand that when you sign the agreement and turn over your financial picture to the school, you are supposed to be telling the truth about your finances.

If nothing material changed (and no PP, your prayers for a raise next year do not count), you’re a total jerk and you’ve basically LIED. Both YOU and the school have agreed on what would be feasible. If nothing changed except “just kidding, I don’t want to go anymore”, then your kid deserves to be blacklisted from all colleges.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For all the sanctimonious outrage above about “what’s wrong with turning down an ED for financial reasons”, why can’t you understand that when you sign the agreement and turn over your financial picture to the school, you are supposed to be telling the truth about your finances.

If nothing material changed (and no PP, your prayers for a raise next year do not count), you’re a total jerk and you’ve basically LIED. Both YOU and the school have agreed on what would be feasible. If nothing changed except “just kidding, I don’t want to go anymore”, then your kid deserves to be blacklisted from all colleges.

No one is talking about not telling the truth about their finances. No one is talking about a kid not wanting to go anymore. We are talking about not having enough money to go. Reasons include: not getting the FA that you hoped for, not getting a scholarship from somewhere else, not getting merit aid, a family member not being able to help when you hoped they would etc etc. It turns out you can’t afford the school so you use the clause that releases you from the commitment for financial reasons.