Does committing to a college early affect FAFSA aid amounts? Need advice ASAP

Congratulations on your daughter's acceptance! This is unfortunately a common tactic some schools use. In my experience working with financial aid offices, here's what you should know: 1. Officially, committing early should NOT affect your aid package. Your FAFSA information and SAI determine your federal aid eligibility regardless of when you commit. 2. However, for INSTITUTIONAL aid (scholarships/grants from the school itself), some colleges may be less generous if they know you're already committed. 3. It is absolutely reasonable to tell the school you need to see the financial aid package before committing. They should understand this. I recommend emailing the financial aid office directly (not admissions) with a polite but firm request for your aid package timeline. Mention your FAFSA was submitted in December and that you need this information to make an informed decision.

we committed early to my sons school and they TOTALLY gave us less money than his friends who waited!!!! same test scores, similar family income, but we got $4k less in grants. they knew we were already locked in. don't do it!!!

I work in college admissions and want to offer some insider context. The May 1 "decision day" is standard across most colleges. What's NOT standard is pressuring for deposits without providing aid information. Most schools release packages by late March/early April specifically so families can compare offers before the May 1 deadline. While your federal aid (Pell Grants, subsidized loans) won't change regardless of when you commit, schools do have discretion with their institutional aid. Some less scrupulous institutions might offer less to early depositors. I'd suggest: 1) Call the financial aid office directly (not admissions) 2) Ask for a specific date when aid packages will be released 3) Request a deposit extension if they can't provide aid info soon 4) Get any promises in writing via email It's completely reasonable to make financial decisions based on complete information.

You're definitely right to be cautious! When my daughter was going through this process last year, we were in a similar position. We ended up calling the financial aid office directly and explaining our situation. They were able to give us an estimated aid package over the phone before we committed. One thing to consider - some schools will let you request an extension on the deposit deadline specifically because you're waiting for financial information. It doesn't hurt to ask! Also, remember that your FAFSA creates your SAI, which determines your federal aid eligibility. That shouldn't change regardless of when you commit. It's the school-specific scholarships and grants that might be affected.

I've been trying to reach Federal Student Aid for weeks about a similar issue with my daughter's application and NEVER could get through to anyone. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at FSA in about 10 minutes! They have this video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent I spoke with confirmed that your federal aid eligibility won't change based on when you commit to a school. Your SAI of 8,421 determines your federal aid regardless. However, she mentioned that individual schools control their own institutional aid, and some might be less generous with students who've already committed. Definitely worth calling both FSA and your school's financial aid office directly before making any deposit decisions.

this happened to my cousin!! school made them commit by may 1 but didnt send financial aid info till MAY 15!! by then they already paid $500 deposit and got way less money than expected. had to scramble for community college instead and lost the deposit. these colleges are such a scam fr

Absolutely DO NOT commit without seeing the financial aid package first!! Call the financial aid office (not admissions) and be very clear that you need this information before making a commitment. Your FAFSA was submitted months ago, so there's no reason they can't provide at least an estimate. Some points to consider: - Federal aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) is determined by your SAI and won't change - School-specific scholarships and grants ARE at the school's discretion - Many schools have a separate scholarship application - did you complete one? - Some schools intentionally delay aid info to secure commitments If they refuse to provide aid information, that's a huge red flag about how they'll treat your family for the next four years.

Just to follow up on your situation - it's absolutely reasonable to ask for an estimate based on your SAI. With an SAI of 8,421, they should be able to tell you at minimum what federal aid your daughter qualifies for. This would include potential Pell Grant amounts and subsidized loan eligibility. When you speak with financial aid, use this specific language: "We need an estimated financial aid package based on our SAI of 8,421 before we can make an informed commitment decision. Can you provide at least a preliminary aid package or estimate?" If they refuse, I would be very concerned about their transparency. Most reputable schools understand that families need this information to make decisions.

After reading this entire thread, I wanted to add one more important point: get EVERYTHING in writing. If they give you estimates over the phone, follow up with an email summarizing what was discussed and ask them to confirm. Also, if they do provide an aid package after you've committed, and it's less than expected, you still have options: 1. File a formal appeal with the financial aid office 2. Ask if there are additional scholarship opportunities 3. Compare with other schools' offers and ask if they can match 4. Look into payment plans to spread costs Remember that even after May 1, you can withdraw and choose another school if the financial situation is truly unworkable, though you would likely lose your deposit.

update??? did u get anywhere with the financial aid office?? im invested now lol

That's such great news! I'm so glad you stood your ground and got results. The fact that they immediately agreed to extend your deadline and provide a preliminary package shows they absolutely could have done this earlier - they were just hoping you'd commit without the information. You handled this perfectly! This is such a valuable lesson for other families reading this thread. Schools CAN provide timelines and estimates when pressed, and it's completely reasonable to ask for deposit deadline extensions when waiting for financial aid information. Your daughter is lucky to have such an advocate looking out for the family's financial interests!

What a fantastic outcome! This thread is going to be so helpful for other families facing similar situations. Your experience perfectly illustrates why it's crucial to contact financial aid directly rather than going through admissions - they have completely different priorities and timelines. For anyone else reading this who might be in a similar situation, McKenzie's approach shows exactly how to handle this: 1. Be polite but firm about your needs 2. Use specific language about needing information to make informed decisions 3. Don't be afraid to ask for deadline extensions 4. Document everything The fact that they immediately accommodated your requests when you called proves they had the ability to help all along. Congratulations on advocating effectively for your family, and I hope the preliminary package comes back with good news!