 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
-allmusic-
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 8th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 27 |
| Mana: |  |
|
Posted: Sat Jul 28th, 2007 08:54 pm |
|
I asked this question "elsewhere", but I am still so confused, and it still makes no sense, so I will throw it out to all of you as well.
We are not likely to be recipients of need-based aid, because there are generous grandparents in the picture who value education. We feel enormously fortunate.
However, my son is an excellent student, and highly capable musician, who really "ought" to be in line for some decent merit money. We were hoping for that. That is, until I noticed I that his first choice school requires that students submit the PROFILE, even if they are seeking only merit aid, not need-based.
This irritates me enormously, and I don't understand it. Why do they want to know our financials, if only to provide merit? Is it merit at all, if the parents' financials are taken into consideration? I feel like merit ought to be based entirely on merit, and not on even a glimpse of the financial info. But, if we don't fill this out (which my hubby is quite opposed to, since he is quite the privacy type of guy), son will be in line for NO money. Then, we're shooting ourselves in the foot. Or, will he get no money anyway, when they see that we can basically fund full freight (even though we think he deserves merit money)?
If anyone else has gone through this, has any ideas, or even shares my irritation, love to hear from you!
|
Wendy (wjb)
Member
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 171 |
| Mana: |   |
|
Posted: Sat Jul 28th, 2007 11:01 pm |
|
| Same situation here. One of the schools to which my son is applying requires all students, even those who are not applying for need-based financial aid, to submit the CSS Profile in order to be considered for merit aid. (No FAFSA required.) My guess is that, in the event two applicants are tied, they'll look to the applicants' respective financial situations in deciding how to allocate merit monies. So yes, it doesn't seem that in such a situation, merit aid is being distributed purely on the basis of merit. On the other hand, the college is doing the distributing, so they get to make the rules.
|
WestrnMom
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Fri May 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | West Coast, USA |
| Posts: | 1213 |
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sat Jul 28th, 2007 11:56 pm |
|
It seems like a gross invasion of privacy. CSS is administered by College Board. Your son should get merit aid, especially in music. Either look at schools that don't require any paperwork for merit aid. There are some. Or talk to the schools directly and ask if it's absolutey necessary.
|
binx
Member
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 459 |
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29th, 2007 12:02 am |
|
Both of my kids' schools that offered merit aid require the paperwork for it. I think it is the rule more than the exception. And it has never affected my kids' aid -- to my knowledge, of course.
I always figured they wanted it for statistics (x% of students with this income received financial assistance....) Maybe I'm naive, but I truly don't believe it affects the decision. It usually goes to a completely different department.
On the other hand - maybe if we'd qualified for more need-based aid, my kids would have gotten LESS merit aid??? (Why hand out the scholarship dollars to the kids who can get it from the government? Or where the schools can tap a different pocket?)
|
leftcoast
Member
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29th, 2007 01:03 am |
|
They probably want it for several reasons. One very good reason is that some of the merit applicants may qualify for need based aid even though they mistakenly believe they don't -- which may very well be that there are other funds that can be drawn to help that student. So at many schools the PROFILE may be used to avoid spending money budgeted for merit awards on students who qualify for the same, or equivalent amounts, out of the need-based budget. In other words, it may be that the fact that you do not qualify for need-based aid will increase your chances of being awarded merit money, not decrease it.
After all, from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, if the goal of merit money is to provide an inducement to a student to attend, then that goal is better met by offering the money to students who don't otherwise qualify for aid. A $10K scholarship isn't going to lock in a student whose family can in no way afford the college even with that money.
I have to say that I think that the outrage expressed ("gross invasion of privacy") is misplaced when you are asking or hoping that the college will give you money. If you feel that your finances are none of their business, then why in the world should they be obligated to offer you money? You have every right in the world to keep your finances private and pay the full cost of attendance -- whether financial assistance is designated as a "merit scholarship" or "need based grant" or the more ambiguous "gift aid" -- it's the college's money and their absolute right to decide the terms on which they will distribute it.
So save the anger -- it's a potential gift, not an entitlement. If you don't want to play by their rules, then they don't owe you anything.
|
-allmusic-
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 8th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 27 |
| Mana: | |
|
Posted: Sun Jul 29th, 2007 01:18 am |
|
No, they cetainly don't owe us anything.
The question was whether, when determining merit, financial background of the family should come into play. I still don't believe it should. And yet it is true, that if we want consideration of the college's money, we do have to play by their rules, whether I like them or not.
I think I can be outraged if I want to be...I'll get over it!
|
Current time is 09:58 am | |
|
|
|
|
