Applying for merit-based aid only? Forum

[milkandcheerios]

The conventional wisdom on TLS seems to indicate that a large majority of people do not get any need based aid (except HYS). Then is there any reason to even fill out and submit needaccess?

I'm just trying to figure out what to do with financial aid and i'm tempted to call all my schools and ask them to consider me for merit based aid only. Is there any downside to this and to forgoing needaccess?

for reference, i'm talking about t14/t6 schools and i'm under the impression that my numbes should qualify me for generous merit aid based on previous cycles/applicants on lsn.

[rinkrat19]

Read the school's directions.

Follow the directions.

Some schools require FAFSA and NeedAccess to consider you for any aid at all.

[milkandcheerios]

Read the school's directions.

Follow the directions.

Some schools require FAFSA and NeedAccess to consider you for any aid at all.

I've called the schools i've been admitted to and they all said that I can opt out of needaccess. I just need to notify the financial aid office that i want to be considered for merit aid only and I would not longer need to submit needacces. Am i wrong to assume that all the t14s are like this?

[rinkrat19]

Read the school's directions.

Follow the directions.

Some schools require FAFSA and NeedAccess to consider you for any aid at all.

I've called the schools i've been admitted to and they all said that I can opt out of needaccess. I just need to notify the financial aid office that i want to be considered for merit aid only and I would not longer need to submit needacces. Am i wrong to assume that all the t14s are like this?

Well, Northwestern requires FAFSA and NA (and two short essays) to consider applicants for any aid, so there's at least one.

[milkandcheerios]

ah well didn't apply to NU. So assuming that I am able to opt out of needacces to be considered for merit aid (i will call all my schools to double check), is there any reason that I shouldn't? I'm just afraid i'm missing something here and I don't want to end up with less money than i could have otherwise.

I'm just worried since my parents income is pretty high and i am a dependent, i don't want to submit needaccess if it is going to give schools incentive to give me less money.

[Pneumonia]

ah well didn't apply to NU. So assuming that I am able to opt out of needacces to be considered for merit aid (i will call all my schools to double check), is there any reason that I shouldn't? I'm just afraid i'm missing something here and I don't want to end up with less money than i could have otherwise.

I'm just worried since my parents income is pretty high and i am a dependent, i don't want to submit needaccess if it is going to give schools incentive to give me less money.

well if you don't submit it they're going to assume that you're well off anyway so you might as well do it.

[hippo-hapatamus]

I tried to ask NYU for merit-based aid only, and they just copy-pasted their directions for need access. And the student who emailed to get in touch with me has never responded to me. Not impressed so far...

[ec24]

I dont think NeedAccess can hurt you. I was in a similar position and after submitting my NeedAccess (the school requested it when reviewing my scholarship), gave me a decent amount of money. And my parents' expected contribution is quite hefty. I would just submit it.

[rinkrat19]

I tried to ask NYU for merit-based aid only, and they just copy-pasted their directions for need access. And the student who emailed to get in touch with me has never responded to me. Not impressed so far...

Some schools don't consider an applicant for ANY need whatsoever until they submit everything asked for. It's not your place to be "not impressed." They're the ones with the money to give out, or not, as they see fit.

[Chrysogonus]

I tried to ask NYU for merit-based aid only, and they just copy-pasted their directions for need access. And the student who emailed to get in touch with me has never responded to me. Not impressed so far...

Some schools don't consider an applicant for ANY need whatsoever until they submit everything asked for. It's not your place to be "not impressed." They're the ones with the money to give out, or not, as they see fit.

Considering that we choose whether we want to attend or not, yes it is our place to be "not impressed."

[kartelite]

I tried to ask NYU for merit-based aid only, and they just copy-pasted their directions for need access. And the student who emailed to get in touch with me has never responded to me. Not impressed so far...

Some schools don't consider an applicant for ANY need whatsoever until they submit everything asked for. It's not your place to be "not impressed." They're the ones with the money to give out, or not, as they see fit.

Considering that we choose whether we want to attend or not, yes it is our place to be "not impressed."

I also didn't hear back from NYU on the same question.

Requiring the NA form is ridiculous. It asks detailed information about my parents' finances; as someone in my 30s only interested in merit aid, I fail to see why I should have to go through the laborious (and slightly embarrassing) process of procuring confidential information from my parents in order to disseminate it among unknown persons.

[milkandcheerios]

FWIW I ended up not submitting Need Access to NYU and they gave me a sizable merit scholarship (I still intend to try to negotiate for more later) so I definitely don't think opting out of need access hurt me one bit.