NMF notices are "in the mail"

Paying for College Financial Aid (Need-Based, Merit Aid, Loans)
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<p>“and name the “first choice” as the one who offers the most in NMF money/packages?”</p>

<p>You dont have to do that until mid may, after he has received his acceptances and KNOWS where he wants to go to college. </p>

<p>'How do you find this out, how much each college offers?"</p>

<p>you have to do research my dear. here are good places to start:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/136920-full-rides-national-merit-finalists-scholars.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/136920-full-rides-national-merit-finalists-scholars.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-good-merit-aid.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“Also, does anyone know the “etiquette” of using NMF offers as leverage with private LAC colleges.”</p>

<p>You can attempt to do this after receiving the FA offers from the colleges that have offered acceptances. </p>

<p>.“.I mean do they just know you are getting offers”</p>

<p>NO, they dont.</p>

<p>"or at what point or where do you say, Gosh he really wants to attend here but the money offered at college B is tempting. "</p>

<p>After FA offers have been received .
College FA offices can be “prickly”- often they will only consider matching FA offers from “peer” colleges and many wont consider matching “scholarship” offers at all, even though $$ is $$. It often boils down to how much they want your kid, and how big a difference their FA offer is from the amount of the scholarship. So If you DS lands a full tuition scholarship from Alabama, for instance, but wants to go to Dartmouth, dont count on D budging their offer. But between 2 LACs- like a Pomona and Williams, they may very well match offers. YMMV, but that seems to be the pattern. It never hurts to appeal a FA offers respectfully, but dont count on colleges that DONT offer big NM scholarships to greatly adjust their FA offer. </p>

<p>A word to the wise- NEVER use the word “NEGOTIATE” when talking to colleges!! You are “APPEALING” their FA offer, in hopes of being able to afford to send DS there…</p>