@PurplePlum Perhaps there are variations in specific school’s forms, but the one we signed referred to a family applying for financial aid and then not being able to attend because of the award. As a full pay family, we knew there was no financial aid coming and did not apply, but also knew our kid would get some merit, just not sure how much. So, by the language of the agreement, we could not back out for money because we had not applied for financial aid.
If a family had run the NPC, saw they would get no financial aid, applied ED and got no financial aid, and there had been no changes in the family’s financial situation in the meantime – it would seem disingenuous to claim that the lack of any financial aid was an appropriate reason to turn down the offer.