Do finances sometimes affect merit aid awards?

researchmaven
Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:05:49 +0000

My S applied to 13 schools to compare merit aid packages. He has been accepted at all 5 of his EA/Rolling schools so far with two of them providing merit aid. The one that is his best match so far did not give any merit, although his stats qualify according to their scholarship brochures. We do not qualify for need based aid and did not apply for any. Perhaps their enrollment managers misjudged what it would take to “reel him in,” as you say, since we live in a fairly well-off CT suburb,etc. We are one of those families “caught in the middle,” making too much for need-based aid and too little to pay $200,000+. Is it worthwhile for me to call and explain that he would love to attend but will not be able to without some sort of merit or is it a done deal?