Double committing to colleges while waiting for FAFSA aid packages - what are the risks?

I did exactly this last year with 3 schools! I lost about $1,200 in deposits total, but it was worth it to make the best financial decision. One warning though - make sure you formally withdraw your enrollment from the school you don't choose ASAP. If you stay enrolled past certain deadlines (usually mid-summer), both schools might bill you for the first semester tuition. Also, housing assignments sometimes happen before aid packages are finalized - so be prepared that you might get a roommate assignment and have to back out of it at one school.

this is actually pretty common but like the other person said just make sure u tell the school ur not going to ASAP. my cousin did it with 4 schools lol

I think you should be careful about this approach. While I understand the financial concerns, there can be some serious consequences beyond lost deposits: 1. Some schools have specific policies against double deposits and could potentially rescind your acceptance if they find out 2. You might end up registered for classes at both schools, which could create major administrative headaches 3. If you're receiving federal financial aid, you can only accept it at one institution 4. Some schools share enrollment information through national clearinghouse systems Have you tried contacting the financial aid offices directly? Sometimes they can provide estimates or expedite your package if you explain your situation. Also check if either school has a deposit extension policy specifically for students awaiting financial aid decisions.

Have you considered reaching out to the financial aid offices to explain your situation? Sometimes they can give you at least a preliminary estimate of what aid you might receive. Also, many schools have special extension policies for their deposit deadlines specifically for students waiting on aid packages. It's worth asking about!

I tried calling FAFSA for weeks to figure out why my aid packages were delayed and could never get through. Then I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual Federal Student Aid agent in about 10 minutes! They basically call and wait on hold for you, then call you when they reach a human. It saved me so much frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. After I spoke with FSA, I found out there was a flag on my application that was causing the delay in sending info to my schools.

Financial aid counselor here - I'd strongly recommend against double committing. While it happens more often than schools like to admit, there are real risks: 1. Most serious: If you accept federal aid awards at both schools, it will eventually trigger a "conflicting enrollment" flag in the federal database, which can cause both awards to be suspended until resolved 2. Many selective colleges do check the National Student Clearinghouse for double deposits around June/July and some have policies allowing them to rescind admission for this 3. You may get assigned housing, orientation groups, and even preliminary class schedules at both schools, creating confusion Instead, I recommend: - Contact both financial aid offices explaining your situation and request a deposit extension - Ask if they can provide an estimated aid package based on your FAFSA data - If one school is your strong preference, consider depositing there and only backing out if the other school's offer is significantly better - Check if either school has a later deposit deadline you can leverage

The double-deposit issue is getting more attention from colleges lately. I made the mistake of putting deposits at 2 schools last year while waiting for a scholarship decision, and the school I ultimately didn't attend sent me a pretty nasty email saying they knew I had committed elsewhere and they were canceling my enrollment. They'd found out through the enrollment clearinghouse data. Just something to be aware of!

Something no one has mentioned yet - even if there's no official penalty, double depositing can sometimes create logistical problems with your student account. When I tried this in 2023, I ended up with orientation holds on my account at the school I actually attended because their system got confused about my status. It took weeks to sort out with the registrar and I almost missed course registration. Just be prepared for administrative headaches if you go this route.

After reading all the responses, I think your best approach is: 1. Email both financial aid offices requesting an urgent aid update - explain your deadline situation 2. Focus on the school with the later deadline (May 15) 3. If you absolutely need to double deposit, do it ONLY for the housing/deposits, do NOT accept financial aid at both places 4. Make your decision quickly once you have the information Keep documentation of all your communication with both schools in case questions arise later. Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation right now! My FAFSA was delayed by almost a month due to verification issues, and I'm still waiting on aid packages from 3 schools with May 1st deadlines. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - I had no idea about the National Student Clearinghouse data sharing or the federal aid conflicts. I think I'm going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FAFSA first, then email both schools requesting extensions like the financial aid counselor suggested. It's so stressful when you're trying to make a $100k+ decision without all the information! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned for other students going through the same thing.