Applying ED and merit aid

unbelievablem
Sat, 17 Dec 2005 13:23:38 +0000

Excellent question.

When my daughter was looking at schools a couple of years ago, there was one college whose website actually claimed that they gave more financial aid and merit aid to those who applied ED because these were the kids who really wanted to be there - they seemed to be encouraging kids who wanted to go there and get money to apply ED. I just went to look at that school’s website to see if they were still saying this - and I couldnt find that statement. They did however have a very honest explanation of how they use both merit and need-based aid to attract the students they want (eg. so top students getting aid are less likely to get loans.) Makes we wonder if this was a change in their policy or just a more honest description of it.

When we were looking at schools, we asked one school specifically about this - and they straight out said that ED candidates had the same shot at financial aid and merit aid - the admissions officer said, if the didn’t do that they wouldn’t get people applying ED. That seems contrary to what the general wisdom we read here says. I always wondered how “honest” the schools are when you ask them about this.

I do know kids who have applied ED at some schools and gotten merit aid. I guess the unknown question is whether they would have gotten more if they had applied RD.

As an alumni interviewer, does your wife in fact know that her school will not give merit aid to ED applicants or as much merit aid?