US Scholarships and Financial Aid.....

FAQS, useful websites and frequently asked questions:

My family can afford to pay for me to study at X College, but it would be nice if I could get financial aid.
Should I apply for financial aid anyway and just try?
No. If your family can genuinely afford to pay for a particular college or university, you should not apply for
financial aid, since your financial information will show that you do not qualify for need-based financial aid.
However, you can apply for a merit-based scholarship, if these are available at the colleges/universities you
are considering.

Can I apply for financial aid at some of my universities but not at others? This is because my family is
okay with paying for more prestigious ones but not others.
No. If you genuinely cannot afford an institution that costs, say US$55,000/year, and you need to apply for
financial aid to that school, then logically, you should also need financial aid at any other school with
comparable costs. If your family is willing to raise the resources to pay for the more prestigious institution,
then they should also be willing to pay for any other institution you wish to attend. Please remember that
financial aid offices at different colleges may share information about a student; if a college feels that you
have been dishonest in your financial aid application, it could withdraw your financial aid or admission
offer.

Will it lower my chances of getting accepted if I apply for financial aid?

It depends. If you are a US citizen or Permanent Resident, applying for need-based financial aid will not hurt
your chances of being accepted at most colleges in the US, since you will be eligible for the US Federal aid
as well as the college’s own resources for US students. If you are an international student, however,
applying for financial aid could lower your chances of getting accepted at those institutions that have very
limited need-based aid for international students. Admission becomes even more selective and the
competition more intense for those students needing financial aid. (This is true even at the Davis
Scholarships universities and colleges). There are only a handful of institutions (e.g. Harvard, Yale,
Princeton, MIT, Williams College and a few others) where applying for financial aid makes absolutely no
difference to your chances of acceptance, since they are not only need-blind in their admission decision but
also guarantee to meet your full demonstrated need if you apply for financial aid. Obviously, if you
genuinely need financial aid and believe you are a strong enough applicant for a particular college that
offers financial aid to international students, then you should apply for it.

Do I have accept an Early Decision binding admission offer if the financial aid package they give me is not
enough?
No you don’t. But you need to be officially released from your Early Decision binding commitment by the
college that accepted you. If you believe your financial aid package does not meet your full need, it is best
to first enter into a conversation with the college’s financial aid department about why you believe you
need more financial aid (this may require you to supply further information and financial documents etc).
Usually too, a college that accepts your ED will try its best to ensure that your financial aid offers meet your
full demonstrated need, so that you can attend that institution. But remember this is a gamble you take on
when you decide to apply anywhere for Early Decision and can be a great disappointment at a very busy
time if you fail to be awarded the aid you think you need.