With the annual estimated cost of attending Northwestern reaching more than $42,000 this year, a new study shows that many students looking for financial help aren’t getting it.
They simply don’t apply for federal aid.
According to a study released Oct. 11 by the American Council on Education, half of the 8 million undergraduates at universities during the 1999-00 school year did not fill out FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, even though their college participated in the federal aid program.
FAFSA is the core document colleges use to apply for financial aid, said Carolyn Lindley, university director of the Office of Financial Aid.
A survey by the Department of Education conducted in 1995-96 that was included in the study, said those students who didn’t apply, either missed the application deadline (9 percent) or thought their families could pay for college (41 percent).
Currently about 60 percent of NU students receive some type of financial aid, which includes loans and federal aid. Another 45 percent receive grant money from the university, Lindley said. Acceptance into NU is need blind.
Students also may feel like their family is not qualified for aid so participating in the financial aid process would not be worthwhile.
“They believe they might not be eligible so they don’t try to see if they’re eligible,” Lindley said.
Given her financial situation, Education freshman Aneesa Arshad said she didn’t think she would be eligible for aid and didn’t apply.
Regardless of whether or not a family thinks it is eligible, Lindley said she encourages students who feel they have need to apply for financial aid.
Weinberg sophomore Peter Shih said he had a need but didn’t apply because he didn’t think he would get aid.
“That was the biggest deterrent,” Shih said.
Shih also said he didn’t apply for aid because the process was time-consuming.
The process can be complicated, Lindley said, but if tax forms are done before filling out the FAFSA, the rest of the process should be simple.
The study also reported that 20 percent of students from low-to-moderate income families did not apply for aid.
Because of NU’s expensive tuition, some prospective students are discouraged from applying because they don’t think their families can afford to send them here, Lindley said.
“Education is an investment,” Lindley said. “To get a return on the investment, you have to research; you have to do some work. Financial aid is a way (for students) to invest in themselves.”
Students who need aid should apply by the deadline. Not applying on time can lead to a reduction in the amount of financial aid, the study also said. For the 1999-00 school year, 55 percent of those who filed FAFSA applied after the deadline. This reduced students’ chances of getting aid from universities and federal and state sources.
Shih said when he applied to NU, he also should have turned in a financial aid application. Students can re-apply for FAFSA each year of college, but Shih said he has not applied.
“I’ve met several people who are at my families same (income) level who are on financial aid,” Shih said. “Looking back, I would have applied.”
Reach Ashima Singal at [email protected].
