<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted and is all set to go to the University of Minnesota Honors program next year ($15k/year).</p>
<p>Do I need to fill out a FAFSA if i expect no financial aid? Are there any possible reasons to do so if my EFC is $80k? I'm hopeful that she might get some merit money from the school but if not I'm prepared to pay the full amount as we've been saving for some time.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Only if University of Minnesota requires it for merit aid. Check their website, but I would doubt that this would be the case. If you've estimated your EFC to be $80K, it's unlikely that you would qualify for FA. Considering what A PITA the FAFSA is, why take on the heartache? My D is not eligible for any FA, but we had to fill out the College Board Profile for her to be considered for merit aid at Brandeis and there are some schools that require both the FAFSA and Profile, one or the other, or one and THEIR own FA form for merit aid. It's really "enrollment management". FA $$ then go to those who qualify for FA, while $$ from other pots (scholarship funds) go to non-needy but high stat students to attract them.</p>