<p>I have a sister who did not attend college, her son and his ex-wife did not attend college - they have several kids. They are smart kids, and have not had the easiest road. I do believe they would qualify for financial aid no problem - getting either parent to fill out the FAFSA will almost be an impossibility. Any idea on how someone can help these kids in the college process? My sister doesn't really know how to help and the parents are not interested at all. They do not live in the same town as I do. Any ideas?</p>
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<p>I don’t understand why parents with incomes that would qualify for financial aid would be reluctant to fill out a FAFSA form. </p>
<p>If you have high income, I understand why you don’t want it to be disclosed. But then you don’t qualify for financial aid. But if you have low income - say $12,000 - why wouldn’t they want to fill it out.</p>
<p>First of all - it’s complicated and hard to fill out. Second of all - you have realize there are different kinds of parents out there. Not all are concerned about helping their kids get to college. I think this is one of the challenges with the current system - and why it can be so difficult for a first generation college student from a family. Maybe they are just out of luck on financial need …</p>
<p>What state do the kids live in? There are exchange programs that allow kids to pay much lower tuition at participating state schools. Can the HS counselor be of any help? Perhaps the kids can qualify for merit aid, even if they don’t get need-based aid. Such aid would only be based on factors other than filling out the form. Have the kids talk with the HS counselor about options & good luck!</p>
<p>Another low cost option is having them attend CC & then transfer to a 4-year school. My D attended the local CC for 3 semesters & transferred to her dream college. It saved us a lot of $$$ and allowed her to adjust to college while getting a lot of credits.</p>
<p>Have the kids call the schools they are applying to. Let them know the situation and ask what steps they should take. Also, ask the hs counselors for help on filling out the forms. Maybe they can put the kids in touch with an organization that can be of help.</p>
<p>Are you close enough with your sister that you could offer any assistance with filling out the FAFSA? I would think that would be a huge help to your nieces and nephews. </p>
<p>If they do not live far from you could you meet the kids on a few assorted Saturdays to get them started on the process. Maybe you could suggest CC to them and a few good books that may be of help. Have you asked the child in question if he/she has taken the necessary exams needed for college admission?</p>
<p>It can take a village to raise a child…</p>
<p>Why don’t you have a chat with your sister? If it’s hard for her to fill it out, why don’t you help her do it. If you explain to her the importance of getting a college degree, AND it wouldn’t cost her too much money, maybe she’ll listen to you.</p>
<p>There are many FA experts on this forum, come back here with any questions.</p>
<p>The FAFSA is not difficult to fill out. Take your tax return and bank statements and you’re done. Good grief.</p>
<p>MaterMia,
"fill out the FAFSA will almost be an impossibility. " </p>
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<li>Did they try? Why is it impossible? it is easy and quick form that we do every year and will continue doing all thru our D. Graduate school. Many Merit scholarships require it, so it is not just for need based.</li>
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<p>Wait…this is for your great niece right? It’s your sisters granddaughter?</p>
<p>Recommend the child get a clear understanding of what parents are willing/able to afford as a gift to their kid’s education. Recommend you urge(as strongly as you feel comfortable) not to let this kid do college searches without knowing family money facts.
Too many children fall in love with an expensive college, or with a big-name school, mistakenly thinking they have a realistic chance of attending, only because they don’t know the facts. Too many kids think they can attend any college that accepts them. If mom and pop can chip in 1k yr, or 5k yr, or 50k yr, kid needs to know in advance.</p>
<p>Ironmaiden…You have not met any people that would think the FAFSA was an impossibility? I have a couple people in my family that would think they were looking at something written in Latin.</p>
<p>These are the same people that one would question how they managed to get through life up to this point. Believe me these people do exist.</p>
<p>^They need to try. Everything is impossible to do unless you start doing it.</p>
<p>I’d add too, that a couple with money enough to choose to have “several kids” may have a high enough income, at least on paper, that they may not qualify for (much) gov’t aid.</p>
<p>^FASFA is required for MERIT scholarships at some places (at D’s UG and even even for some Grad. School grants/MERIT scholarships). We have filed it religiously, we are nowhere near to qualify for “need” based, more so that we have only one dependent and no debt. Income is only one side, having multiple dependents (and debt) can actually help in getting “need” based.</p>
<p>The question about the FAFSA for merit aid is not the question posed by the OP. The OP’s issue is that she thinks the grandkids would qualify for and will need need based financial aid.</p>
<p>If the kids qualify for merit based scholarships, they will be able to get plenty with or without the FAFSA form as plenty of schools give scholarships without needing the form.</p>
<p>Miami…There really are people who have IQ’s that are probably considered mentally challenged that would never be able to navigate the forms needed for college financial aid. I have a nephew who could not balance a checking account if you spend a weekend trying to teach him, yet he has three children. He is severly learning disabled and barely functions in the real world. </p>
<p>On a side note what is wrong with helping young people who have parents like the one I mentioned above. The kids of parents like these have little chance of escaping a similar lifestyle unless they are fortunate to have inherited genes from prior generations and could do it on their own. Otherwise the average 17 or 18 year old would need assistance with these things.</p>
<p>"If the kids qualify for merit based scholarships, they will be able to get plenty with or without the FAFSA form as plenty of schools give scholarships without needing the form. "</p>
<p>-I am stating that this is not a correct approach to maximize output, unless it is specifically stated at chosen UG that FASFA is not required. We have filed to maximize our child coverage, which has been suggested at her school and it has worked very well, her whole tuition was covered by numerous MERIT $$. How anybody knows before they apply, what they are going to get? Some places award automatically, many others are asking for FASFA. For whatever reason, I would strongly recommend to file this simple form and not assume that only brightest are capable of doing that. Just do it, it is worthwhile!</p>
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<p>There’s nothing wrong with helping as long as the parents are supportive of others helping. But if they have decided they are unwilling to provide the family financial information needed to fill out the FAFSA, then other relatives trying can count as meddling.</p>
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<p>This isn’t about how to maximize merit based scholarships. If you want to discuss that, please start a new thread and not derail this one. This thread was about how to encourage parents to fill out the FAFSA if they are unwilling to (which unfortunately I don’t have good advice for).</p>
<p>General information about the financial aid process, and where to turn for help:
[Looking</a> For Student Aid](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/lsa/index.html]Looking”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/lsa/index.html)</p>
<p>Specific information about students whose parents can’t/won’t provide info:
[url=<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq002.htm#faq002_3]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq002.htm#faq002_3]FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid<a href=“It%20seems%20to%20boil%20down%20to%20the%20fact%20that%20you%20can’t%20complete%20a%20FAFSA%20without%20parental%20info,%20but%20financial%20aid%20administrators%20at%20individual%20schools%20may%20have%20some%20leeway%20to%20deal%20with%20students%20directly.”>/url</a></p>