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I have received most of my merit aid offers, and I am ready to start negotiating. I anticipate being eligible for need-based aid at most of my schools, though, and I haven't received any need-based aid offers yet.

Should I start negotiating merit-aid now? Or should I wait for some need-based offers to come in? I ask because I don't want a school to deflect my merit negotiation by saying, "You haven't gotten our need-based aid offer yet, so you will be getting more aid than you have been offered. We think it is a fair amount."

Basically, are merit scholarship negotiations separate from the entire need-based aid process?

Thanks for your help!

Ask each school. Some schools combine need/merit. From what I understand, outside of H/Y, there isn't much pure need-based aid.

Most schools will say somewhere on there website whether they offer real need-based aid or if doing your FAFSA just qualifies your for federal loans. Most schools below HYS don't give out more than a few grand a year at most.

To offer some anecdotal evidence: Fordham told me to shut up and wait for need-based aid when I tried to negotiate. You may be better off just waiting until all financial aid is awarded, then negotiating once you have the full picture.