<p>Are colleges more likely to accept someone who is qualify and have the ability to pay full tuition over someone equally qualified but needs financial aid?</p>
<p>[Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia) :)</p>
<p>“Ability to pay” is not actually a concept that colleges use. Most colleges use Income, family size, and # of children in college. The most prestigious colleges also ask about the value of the family home, and 401k assets, through another application called Profile. Colleges do NOT ASK about EXPENSES (morgage, taxes, student loans, home equity loans, credit card payments, higher than normal medical bills, elderly parent support, etc.). </p>
<p>Let me clarify: Suppose your family has a very large mortgage payment on the house, let’s say $5,000 per month. Suppose further your family earns $140,000 combined per year. After mortgage payments of $60,000, another $5,000 in property taxes, and state and Federal income taxes, your family is likely left with only $70,000 for everthing else. Let’s further suppose there is credit card debt of $35,000 that is paid at the minimum monthly, which is another $5,000 per year, leaving $65,000 for the family to spend. Oh, let’s not forget the $5,000 per year given to grandpa to help him with his high drug expenses from diabetes). Now the family is down to $60,000 that is not already spoken for.</p>
<p>But, here’s the problem – FAFSA, which is the form you fill out to qualify for financial aid, does not care what a family’s mortgage, taxes, credit card payments, student loan payments, medical expenses of elderly support are. THEY DON"T EVEN ASK. FAFSA only cares about earnings, family size, and # of children in college. FAFSA does not ask or concert itself if a family with seemily very good income is over-extended in the credit they’ve assumed, or the medical or elderly support expenses.</p>
<p>So, if the reason a family cannot afford a $58,000 Cost of Attendance is b/c higher than average expenses, then FAFSA and college financial aid offices will simply expect the big, nice home to be sold and downsized so that the big mortgage and other expenses do not eat up the earnings that could be going toward college.</p>
<p>Jenny…what is your situation? Are you a domestic applicant or an int’l applicant.</p>
<p>Many schools are “need blind” for domestic applicants BUT THAT DOES NOT mean that they will give you enough money to make attending affordable. Most schools will gap you.</p>
<p>So, what is your situation?</p>
<p>What schools are you interested in?</p>
<p>how much will your family pay?</p>
<p>If you’re a domestic applicant, what state are you in?</p>
<p>Actually our family can probably pay full fare, so just asking out of curiosity to see if my chances will be rated higher than someone else.</p>
<p>When my younger D applied as a transfer to Brown, they informed us that the process was “need aware.” They made it clear that they were really looking for full pay students for transfers. Since my daughter needed financial aid in order to attend, I am sure that pushed her application into the rejected pile right away.</p>
<p>That is not Brown’s policy for Regular Decision, however. Just for transfers.</p>
<p>So sometimes it does help. It just depends on the policy of the school for your situation.</p>
<p>If you are international, it matters in most places except in those 6 schools that are also need blind for internationals.</p>
<p>Here’s an interesting article on the subject: [The</a> Admission Game - College Planning Blog](<a href=“Errors error404 - Best College Fit”>Errors error404 - Best College Fit).</p>