<p>Okay ... This appears through ALL scholarship searches and I'm just confused. Of course, I'm a "middle class" citizen. As the majority of us, our parents make "too much" to qualify for things like the Pell Grant, but don't make enough they can just send us away to college. </p>
<p>I just want to know what is the "amount" that shows financial need. My family doesn't have too many "financial burdens" like medical, we just have the normal loans (to pay for my brother's private school education) and mortgage on the house, etc etc. Pretty normal middle class situation. </p>
<p>Is it possible to still say that I "demonstrate financial need"?</p>
<p>“Demonstrated need” is a phrase that means the difference between what you and your family are expected to pay and the cost of attending the college.</p>
<p>After you submit the required financial aid applications the colleges will calculate your demonstrated need. They may offer you some financial aid to cover all or part of that amount.</p>
<p>Aid comes in the form of grants, loans, and workstudy. Colleges have different policies as to how they allocate this aid.</p>
<p>So it’s hard to say in your case because we don’t know anything about your family income, assets, the cost of the colleges you’re considering, the size of your family, etc.</p>
<p>You would need to file the FAFSA and then some colleges will want the CSS Profile form and/or other financial aid forms of their own. (By filing the FAFSA you will at least be eligible to borrow ~$5000 regardless of your family’s financial situation. All FAFSA filers have that option.)</p>
<p>I see. Would it then be safe to still just apply for the scholarships that say “demonstrate financial need” since FAFSA won’t come out until January 1st?</p>
<p>Sure, you can apply. The way a student demonstrates need is by filing the required FA forms. If they want information from you prior to being able to file the FAFSA for 2010-11, they’ll ask for it. For example, some will want you to submit tax records or some other statement of prior years’ earnings or submit some statement of their own devising, but absent that, you should certainly go ahead and apply.</p>
<p>It’ll be up to the people granting the scholarship to define “need” for the purposes of awarding funds. In its broadest sense, need just means you don’t have enough to pay for college. Beyond that the scope of what constitutes need will be defined in a variety of ways. Many students and families feel they need a great deal more help paying for college than the colleges feel they need.</p>
<p>In the case of your scholarship apps, I believe that generally what the scholarship granting person or organization is saying is that they would like to grant those funds to someone who needs them in order to attend school. They’ll be the ones to determine who they think meets their standard of need and is most deserving of the money based on whatever other criteria.</p>
<p>When the time comes that you can file the FAFSA, it will generate a number for you that determines a threshold that FAFSA determines you and your family should be able to meet financially.</p>
<p>You may be in that “gray area” that many of us find ourselves… You’ll have to fill out the FAFSA and find out.</p>
<p>In the meantime, use an EFC calculator to get an idea of what your family’s EFC will be.</p>
<p>[FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml)</p>
<p>IF your EFC is high, then you won’t get much if anything for financial aid. It can also depend on the school, some are more generous than others.</p>
<p>FAFSA doesn’t give consideration to mortgages, debt, loans or private school tuitions for younger siblings. </p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that if you don’t qualify for Pell and such, your FA package may include a grant from the school, but will likely include loans (some may be big loans). Many schools also include gaps in coverage since they can’t meet 100% of need.</p>
<p>Are your stats high enough that you might qualify for merit scholarships? What are your stats?</p>
<p>Also…and this can be a big concern…have your parents told you how much they can contribute towards your education. If that amount is less than their EFC, you’ll have a gap in coverage.</p>