"We Make Too Much to Qualify For College Financial Aid," is Rarely True.
“We won’t qualify for financial aid anyway” is one of the most common things I hear from families — and it’s usually wrong.
Aid isn’t one formula
Financial aid isn’t a single formula applied identically across every school. Some schools offer generous merit aid regardless of financial need. Others run need-based formulas that surprise families in a good way, especially once a second child, a mortgage, or retirement contributions are factored in. Ruling yourself out before you even apply can close doors that were actually open.
Why this belongs in the list strategy, not an afterthought
This is exactly the kind of thing that should be part of your school list strategy from the start, not an afterthought once acceptances are in. A family that assumes they won’t qualify anywhere sometimes skips schools that would have offered the most generous packages of the entire list.
Do's & Don'ts
DO | DON'T |
✓ Look up each target school’s general aid philosophy before ruling it out. | ✗ Don’t skip applying to a school purely on a financial-aid assumption. |
✓ Factor merit aid into the list, not just need-based aid. | ✗ Don’t assume every school uses the same need-based formula. |
✓ Run the numbers on your actual situation before assuming you won’t qualify. | ✗ Don’t ignore merit aid because you’re focused only on need-based numbers. |
✓ Revisit assumptions about aid every year — formulas and policies do change. | ✗ Don’t treat one bad experience with a single school as true everywhere. |
DR. HURWITZ'S TAKE This is exactly the kind of thing that should be part of your school list strategy from the start, not an afterthought. Let’s actually look at your situation before you rule anything out — the assumption costs families real options more often than the math ever does. |
Ready for a clear, honest read on where your student stands? Let’s actually look at your situation. Book a $250 / 55-minute College Readiness session with Dr. Nathan Hurwitz — no long-term package required. hurwitzadmissions.com | nathan@hurwitzadmissions.com | (203) 613-9262 |
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