Meredith Delays Decision Deadline

Because of significant Department of Education processing delays, many colleges and universities did not receive FAFSA information until mid March, meaning students will receive their financial aid offer letter later than usual. Meredith College will start mailing out financial aid offer letters in April – be on the lookout for your letter!

We understand the changes and delays with the FAFSA form this year have caused confusion and stress for students and their families. After all, knowing the financial aid available to you is critical when choosing which college to attend. To help ease stress, Meredith has delayed its enrollment decision deadline to May 15, 2024. This will give you and your family two more weeks to look over your financial aid offer letter and make an informed college decision.

Read these four tips in this blog to be prepared to review your financial aid offer letter as soon as you receive it.

1. Review the letter as a family. Allow an ample amount of time to discuss and ask questions as a family before the May 15 deadline.
2. Add the direct costs of attendance. The direct costs are the true costs of attending college for an academic year. It takes into account the actual expenses, such as tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees associated with being a college student.
3. Let the Office of Financial Assistance know the aid opportunities you plan to accept. Your award letter will detail all of the aid (grants, awards, scholarships, loans, etc.) that is being offered to you. (For a refresher on each type of aid, see our Financial Aid 101 post). You have a choice in what you decide to accept. For example, if you do not want to accept a scholarship, work-study grant, or a loan you were offered, you have the choice to decline.
4. Determine what you will owe after aid (the difference between costs and aid) and make a plan to cover the remaining amount. For many families, there may still be a gap between the amount of aid offered and the cost of attendance. The good news is that there are a number of options available to you for covering these costs. Be sure to consider payment plans and/or family savings when making a plan to cover the remaining amount.

If you have 529 Savings you can use it to make payments. Parent loans from federal or private lenders can help close the gap, too. And, don’t forget to talk with others, such as grandparents or other extended family, who may be in a position to offer additional means of support. Finally, there’s still time to research and apply for outside scholarship opportunities to help bridge the gap between the cost of attendance and the financial aid offered. Be sure to check out our blog post on identifying credible sources of outside scholarships!

If you have any questions after reviewing your offer letter, contact the Office of Financial Assistance at (919) 760-8565 or finaid@meredith.edu. As experienced financial assistance professionals, our team understands it’s important for families to have a clear understanding of the opportunities presented. Our financial assistance team is here to help!