Will my daughter's UConn merit award still apply after community college transfer? FAFSA delays causing panic

This happened to my son last yr... he got $9k merit from his top choice but we couldnt afford the rest even w/financial aid. Merit scholrships almost NEVER transfer if u go to CC first - usually all new awards for transfer students. Call UConn finaid office directly and ask about ur specific situation!!

The merit scholarship from UConn is almost certainly for first-year incoming freshmen only. If your daughter attends a community college first and then transfers, she would need to apply for transfer scholarships, which are typically much more limited in both number and dollar amount. The $12,500 would not carry over after a 2-year gap. However, there are three things you should do before making this decision: 1. Contact UConn financial aid office directly about your FAFSA delay - they may be able to give you an estimated package before the official one. 2. Ask specifically about their policy for deferring admission for one year while keeping the merit scholarship (some schools allow this). 3. Look into whether UConn has any special articulation agreements with specific community colleges that guarantee certain scholarships for transfers with high GPAs.

My daughter transferred from CC to a state school and got a way smaller merit package than what was offered when she applied as a freshman. Like 60% less. It SUUUUCKS but thats how they do it!!!! They save the big $ for freshmen!!!

Financial aid advisor here - I've worked with many families in your situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. Merit scholarships almost never transfer if students attend community college first. Those initial merit offers are specifically designed to attract first-time freshmen. 2. UConn, like many universities, has a different (and typically smaller) pool of scholarship funds for transfer students. The criteria are also different. 3. Before making any decisions, I'd recommend: - Contact UConn's financial aid office about expediting your FAFSA processing - Ask about their need-based institutional grants (separate from federal aid) - Inquire about payment plans that might make the cost more manageable - Look into whether your state has any special transfer scholarship programs 4. If your SAI from FAFSA comes back higher than expected, remember you can submit an appeal for professional judgment if you have special circumstances (medical expenses, job loss, etc.) Getting clear information now will help you make the best decision, rather than assuming you can't afford it without seeing the full package.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to someone at the Federal Student Aid office? I was stuck in FAFSA processing limbo for weeks and couldn't get anyone on the phone. Their service connected me to an agent in under 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Getting my FAFSA processed helped me get my financial aid package from my daughter's school much faster. Worth looking into since you're running out of time.

FAFSA is an absolute nightmare this year!!!! We're dealing with the same issue - my son's top school still hasn't received our FAFSA after EIGHT WEEKS of "processing" and we're supposed to make a decision in like 3 weeks?? The whole system is broken and nobody seems to care that families are having to make blind decisions. How are we supposed to compare financial aid packages when they don't even SEND THEM??

hi i just wanted to say my brother did 2 years at CC and then went to our state university and it saved our family like $30,000+ total. he got a different scholarship as a transfer student (smaller than what he was offered out of high school) but still graduated with way less debt than I did going straight to university. sometimes CC first is actually the smarter financial move even if you did get a good merit award initially!

Following up on my earlier comment: If you're still waiting for your FAFSA to process, you need to be proactive. Many families are facing delays this year due to the new system. 1. Contact UConn financial aid office and explain your situation - they may be able to provide an estimated package based on last year's SAI formula plus the merit award. 2. Some schools have special contingency funds they can use while waiting for official FAFSA results. 3. Ask UConn specifically about their May 1st decision deadline - many schools are being flexible this year due to the FAFSA delays. 4. Most importantly, don't assume you can't afford it without seeing the actual numbers. The merit award might be enough to bring it into an affordable range, especially when combined with need-based aid.

Update: Thanks to everyone for your advice! I finally got through to both the Federal Student Aid helpline (using Claimyr) and UConn's financial aid office. Our FAFSA is now fully processed and we should have our aid package from UConn within the next week. They've extended our decision deadline by two weeks to accommodate the delays. I've also started researching transfer scholarships just in case, and found that our state does have some decent programs for CC transfers with high GPAs. We're going to make a detailed comparison of both pathways (direct to UConn vs. CC transfer) once we have the complete financial picture. I'll update again when we make our final decision in case it helps anyone else in this situation!

This is such a helpful thread for anyone dealing with FAFSA delays and merit scholarship questions! I'm in a similar situation with my son - he received a merit award from his top choice school but we're still waiting on our FAFSA to process. The uncertainty is killing me! @Savannah Vin I'm really glad you were able to get through to both offices and get some answers. Did UConn give you any sense of how much need-based aid might be available on top of the merit scholarship? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the stress of waiting or if we should just go with our backup plan (state school with lower costs). Also, for anyone else reading this - I called our state's higher education office and they have a really helpful guide about transfer pathways and scholarship opportunities. Might be worth checking if your state has something similar!

As someone who went through a similar situation with FAFSA delays last year, I just want to echo what others have said about being persistent with phone calls! It took me literally dozens of attempts to get through to someone who could actually help, but once I did, things moved much faster. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if your daughter is set on UConn specifically, you might also want to look into their payment plan options. Many schools offer monthly payment plans that can make even a higher cost more manageable by spreading it out over 10-12 months instead of paying per semester. Sometimes that can be the difference between affordable and unaffordable, especially when combined with merit aid and need-based grants. Also, don't forget to factor in the potential for your daughter to work study or get a campus job once she's there - that income can help offset some of the remaining costs. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress - the FAFSA delays this year have been absolutely brutal for families trying to make college decisions! I went through something similar with my nephew last year (pre-FAFSA disaster) and here's what we learned: Merit scholarships for incoming freshmen almost never transfer if you do community college first. They're specifically designed to get students to enroll directly. However, I'd strongly recommend calling UConn and asking about: 1. Deferring enrollment for one year while keeping the merit award (some schools allow this) 2. Their specific transfer scholarship amounts - you might be surprised 3. Whether they have guaranteed transfer agreements with local CCs that come with scholarship opportunities Also, don't panic about the $20k gap until you see your full aid package! With a $12,500 merit award plus need-based federal and institutional aid, you might find it's much more affordable than you think. The new SAI calculations are supposed to be more generous for middle-income families. Hang in there - you're being a great advocate for your daughter by getting all the facts before making this huge decision!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My daughter got a $10,000 merit scholarship from her dream school but we're still waiting on our FAFSA after submitting it in January. The not knowing is the worst part - how are we supposed to make such a huge financial decision in the dark? Reading through all these responses has been so helpful. I had no idea that merit scholarships usually don't transfer if you go the community college route first. That's definitely something we need to factor into our decision making process. @Savannah Vin I'm so glad you were able to get through and get some answers! It gives me hope that persistence will pay off. I'm going to try that Claimyr service today - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get someone on the phone who can actually help us. The extended deadline option sounds like a huge relief. I think I'm going to call my daughter's school tomorrow and ask if they're offering the same flexibility. This whole FAFSA rollout has been such a nightmare for families, but it's encouraging to see schools recognizing that and trying to accommodate students who are caught in the middle of it all.