Can I opt out of FAFSA after processing but before aid package? Urgent parent question
Just found out my daughter qualifies for a full-ride merit scholarship that doesn't require FAFSA, but we already submitted and got our SAI score last week. We're concerned about how the processed FAFSA might impact her scholarship since her EFC is fairly high (our income went up dramatically this year). Is there any way to completely withdraw or opt out of the FAFSA now that it's been processed? Or do we have to wait until some specific date to make changes? The university financial aid office is closed until Monday and I'm anxious about this affecting her scholarship package.
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Elijah Knight
congrats on the full ride! dont think u can actually delete a fafsa once its been processed tho
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Sophia Carson
•Thanks, but that's what I'm worried about. I wonder if just calling the school's financial aid office will be enough? I'm concerned they'll automatically reduce her merit scholarship if they see our FAFSA results.
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Brooklyn Foley
You can't technically "opt out" of FAFSA after it's been processed, but you can decline any aid offered. Most importantly, you should contact both the school's financial aid office AND the specific scholarship program to explain the situation. Merit scholarships are usually separate from need-based aid, so your SAI/EFC shouldn't affect a true merit award. I'd recommend: 1. Email the financial aid office explaining the situation 2. Call them Monday morning to follow up 3. Get written confirmation that the merit scholarship won't be affected Don't panic - this happens more often than you'd think!
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Sophia Carson
•Thank you so much! This is really helpful. I'll email them tonight and call first thing Monday. Do you think I should mention the specific SAI number in the email or just explain the general situation?
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Jay Lincoln
THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY USE YOUR FAFSA AGAINST YOU!! My son lost $5000 of his merit scholarship because we filed FAFSA and they saw we could "afford more" according to their calculations. You need to call financial aid IMMEDIATELY and explain you want to decline ALL federal aid consideration. Get it in WRITING that your merit award won't be affected!!!
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Jessica Suarez
•This is incorrect and could cause unnecessary worry. Merit scholarships by definition are not need-based and legally cannot be reduced based on FAFSA results. What likely happened in your situation is that the school had both need-based and merit components in what they called a "scholarship package," which is unfortunately common but misleading practice.
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Marcus Williams
just had this same thing happen with my niece! the scholarship ppl said it was fine but still made us nervous. everything worked out ok in the end tho
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Lily Young
Hi there! I work in college admissions and can help clarify. True merit scholarships will not be affected by your FAFSA results. However, some schools offer "scholarship packages" that combine merit and need-based aid. In those cases, a high SAI could affect the need portion. You should: 1. Verify the scholarship is 100% merit-based 2. Email the financial aid office explaining your preference to only be considered for merit aid 3. Ask them to document that your FAFSA will not impact the merit scholarship Many schools allow you to indicate you don't want to be considered for federal aid while still keeping your FAFSA on file. They can't actually delete your FAFSA since it's processed by Federal Student Aid, not the school.
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Sophia Carson
•This is exactly what I needed to know. The award letter specifically says "Presidential Merit Scholarship" and mentions it's not based on financial need. I'll definitely email them tonight with your suggested wording. Thank you!!
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Kennedy Morrison
Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid office directly? They might be able to tell you if there's a way to withdraw a processed FAFSA or mark it as "do not use" somehow. I've spent HOURS trying to get through to them in the past though...
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Wesley Hallow
•I had the same problem reaching FSA last month, but I used Claimyr.com and got through in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They connect you directly to an FSA agent who can answer these kinds of procedural questions. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Definitely worth it when you need answers quickly about something like withdrawing a FAFSA application.
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Jessica Suarez
Financial aid professional here. You cannot withdraw a processed FAFSA, but there are several important points to understand: 1. True merit scholarships legally cannot be reduced based on FAFSA results (per Title IV regulations) 2. You can formally decline any federal aid offered 3. You can request your school mark your file as "federal aid not wanted" If your daughter's scholarship is officially designated as merit-based (not need-based or a combination package), then your high SAI will not impact it. The correct approach is to email the financial aid office stating you wish to decline all federal aid consideration but maintain the merit scholarship. Most importantly: get written confirmation that declining federal aid will not impact the merit scholarship. This protects you if there's any confusion later.
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Sophia Carson
•Thank you so much for this detailed response. This makes me feel much better about the situation. I'll definitely ask for written confirmation that declining federal aid won't impact her merit scholarship. Would it be appropriate to specifically mention the Title IV regulations in my email to them?
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Jessica Suarez
•Yes, you can mention Title IV regulations, though most financial aid offices are well aware of them. More effectively, request a simple email confirmation stating: "The Presidential Merit Scholarship is not contingent on financial need and will not be reduced regardless of FAFSA results or declining of federal aid." This gives you clear documentation should any questions arise later.
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Elijah Knight
my brother had somethin similar happen but with athletic scholarship and it was fine, they just ignored the fafsa stuff
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Lily Young
Just wanted to add - make sure you understand if her full-ride includes room and board or just tuition and fees. Sometimes students still need loans for living expenses even with a "full tuition" merit scholarship. If that's the case, you might actually want to keep your FAFSA active to qualify for federal loans which typically have better terms than private options.
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Sophia Carson
•That's a good point! The scholarship covers tuition, fees, room and board, but not books and personal expenses. We're planning to cover those ourselves, so we shouldn't need any loans. But I hadn't thought about the potential benefits of keeping the FAFSA active for that reason.
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Jabari-Jo
Congratulations on your daughter's full-ride scholarship! As someone who went through a similar situation last year, I can share what worked for us. We had already submitted our FAFSA when my son received a full merit scholarship, and I was worried about the same thing. Here's what I learned: you absolutely cannot withdraw or delete a processed FAFSA - it's permanently in the federal system. However, what matters is how the school handles it. Since your daughter's scholarship is specifically labeled as merit-based and states it's not based on financial need, you should be protected. I'd suggest drafting an email tonight that says something like: "My daughter has been awarded the Presidential Merit Scholarship. We would like to formally decline consideration for all federal financial aid but want to confirm this will not impact her merit-based scholarship award in any way." In our case, the school's financial aid office was very understanding and simply marked our file as "federal aid declined" while keeping the merit scholarship intact. The key is getting that written confirmation for your peace of mind!
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