There are many questions which you might have in regard to the financial aid. Here are a few unconventional, yet very frequently asked questions regarding the aid which might help you better understand how the system works.
Q. What are my chances of receiving aid if I apply for an early decision?
A. Early decision for colleges and financial aid do not complement each other, in fact it works totally the opposite. When you apply for an early decision, you are showing how desperate you are to enter the college you have applied to. And the financial aid office of that college exploits your enthusiasm for that college because they know that it would take anything for you to join that specific institution. So your chance of getting financial aid is reduced from slim to none. So what should you do? Unless your parents have shining bank accounts, apply for the regular decision because then your probability of getting the aid is drastically improved, especially if you have been a good student in the past.
Q. If I have received scholarships/grants in the past will that improve my chances of getting aid for college?
A. No. Sadly, it works in the total other way. If you were a smart student and received various forms of financial assistance from different organizations for your high school, that allowed your parents to make more savings towards your college education. So you better have an answer when the financial aid committee asks you where the money went, otherwise receiving financial aid might is not as easy as you thought it would be.
Q. I have received partial aid. How can I get more?
A. First of all, you should be thankful for whatever you have received as you are still one out of the hundreds. Moreover, do not think that if you try to intimidate the financial aid office you might be able to improve upon your financial aid, it might just work against you. If you really are not satisfied with what you have received, and are not just being greedy, then try to politely make the officer aware of the scenario and the see how things go. Be sure to also check what education grants may be available to you as these may change from time to time.