any FAFSA tips?

[alexandmaddie]

See, this is why I stopped filling it out. It wasn't worth my effort. I see you are from MN. My DD just finished up at U of M. What school are you looking at?

Yeah, that was a big fat waste of time!

My DH went to the U of MN and I went to the U of MN - Duluth, but DD is going to either U of WI - Stout, South Dakota State University or South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

 

[MrsPete]

We had problems with them applying the scholarships equally. My daughter earned quite a bit of outside scholarship money for her freshman year. I wanted it split between both semesters. Some of the scholarships they did that; but others they applied just to the first semester . . .

I'm going to disagree with you on this topic, but it's just opinion, not a hard and cold fact: If I had my druthers, I'd have them appy it ALL to fall semester, even though that'd mean I'd have to pay more in spring semester.

Why? Well, because IF your child drops out of college, you're not out of pocket as much. Certainly none of us ever think it'll be our child who is too homesick or can't make it academically, but I know three kids who graduated with my daughter who came home without finishing out the semester. I'd bet their parents didn't think it'd happen to them either! And someone's kid is going to become sick, be in a car accident, or have some other tragedy that'll set them back a semester -- that could be any of our children.

Anyway, I'd always rather use someone else's money first. The school'll certainly give me an opportunity to spend my own at a later date!

They should put this into "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and every baby book ever written.

When your kids are little, you have daycare expenses - or maybe you don't because you've decided to live off one income, and they are so expensive and you'll save later. And your baby is so obviously special, they'll be plenty of scholarships.

And they start school, and its expensive, and you want to give them things - nice clothes, and hockey and vacations - and you want things - like vacations and nice clothes and a new couch. And you'll save later. And there are still those scholarships - but hopefully an athletic one - junior turns out not to be a math wiz.

And they start middle school and its expensive and the sports are more expensive and their clothes are more expensive and your grocery bill is through the roof, and they want and you want and you'll save later. However, you've started to realize that maybe your kid isn't likely to get a free ride in football.

And you start high school are realize college is just around the corner and the kids haven't gotten any cheaper - but, hey, there is financial aid.

And then you discover that they really do expect you to spend 21 years sending a child to college. You can start the day they are born, or you (or they) can pay for the twenty years after they graduate, but someone is going to spend twenty years paying for college.

Oh, Crisi, you've nailed it. It's so easy to rationalize not saving -- you're going to make more money next year, you'll have the car paid off the year after that, you're probably going to get a good inheritance when grandma dies. And don't forget that you work so hard! You deserve some splurges! It's so easy to put off saving for just another year.

2. Be poor on January 1st. Pay all your bills the last week of December so that you can honestly say that you have less. What you have on January 1st matters.

wait, WHAT? Can you explain that? What if I have a lot in my account on Jan 1 and then on Jan 2 , I used it to pay for something? Can I file in Feb and use Feb 1 as the amount?

You have to report how much you have in your accounts. If you pay all your bills, THEN tell how much you have left, you'll look a little more poor. If that money is never in your accounts in 2013, you don't have to report that it's yours.

Of course, they'll still know that you earned X amount, so this isn't a big-deal hint that's going to take you from 0 to a full-tuition grant. It's more of a small hint that could make a difference if you were on the edge of qualifying for something -- there's some point at which you begin to qualify, there's some point at which you qualify for another $500. IF you happen to be right on the edge, having paid your VISA bill on December 31st instead of January 10th, when it's actually due, could be your personal tipping point.

This is our situation, and I wasn't surprised at my EFC. Did none of you run the estimators ahead of time? DS has scholarships to two different schools (one private, one public) $25K/$48 and $22K/$46. One of those schools is offering $1K just for doing the FAFSA the first week of January! He'll probably pick up a couple more private scholarships before this is over, so I expect I'll be paying around $20K per year...which isn't that far off from what the EFC said in the first place. It can't be higher, so anything less is gravy.

No, I wasn't surprised at our EFC, but it goes back to what Crisi said: You try to convince yourself, "Surely this can't be right. It's gotta be easier than this." Seeing it in black and white, knowing that the bill is coming in a few weeks . . . makes it more real.

 

[sharon_wv]

I finally get a chance to begin and get a message that the site is down for maintenance. Darnit! Of course it is... seems to be my luck all the time

I'm hoping my HS senior will go to the college, so I'll complete it all just in case (with a prayer being said the whole time).

 

[maggiew]

I finally get a chance to begin and get a message that the site is down for maintenance. Darnit! Of course it is... seems to be my luck all the time

I'm hoping my HS senior will go to the college, so I'll complete it all just in case (with a prayer being said the whole time).

Same here! I just tried and the site is down.

My DD is leaving for a study abroad trip on Friday and she will be gone for 5 months. I wanted to get this done before she goes!!

Also, my other daughter is starting college this fall. Do we need to fill it out twice or is it one per family? I guess I will see when I am able to log on.

Maggie

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Yeah, that was a big fat waste of time!

My DH went to the U of MN and I went to the U of MN - Duluth, but DD is going to either U of WI - Stout, South Dakota State University or South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Just a follow up, we're from WI.

 

[Sadie22]

Same here! I just tried and the site is down.

My DD is leaving for a study abroad trip on Friday and she will be gone for 5 months. I wanted to get this done before she goes!!

Also, my other daughter is starting college this fall. Do we need to fill it out twice or is it one per family? I guess I will see when I am able to log on.

Maggie

You fill it out for each student.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Thanks for the reminder to fill out FAFSA. Done on estimates but at least it is in. I have had to do income verification twice during my college "career". It is not a huge deal but it does slow things up a bit. I was told to ALWAYS submit FAFSA even if you do not qualify for education assistance because in the event there is some drastic change in income (the poster who gave the advice had his guardian die and had no more college money) you have to have a FAFSA on file in order to be granted any assistance by the school at any point. True or not I dont know but it makes sense.