<p>On February 2 hurt my chances of getting all the aid for which I may be eligible? I was going to wait until my dad got his new tax information which was supposed to arrive two days ago; but, since they didn't arrive, I'm going to use his old tax information. I'm a little worried about not getting the maximum aid I can.</p>
<p>when is it due for your school?</p>
<p>March 1st is the priority deadline; however, I don’t know when other people usually file, which worries me. I know that there’s nothing I could do about it now, but any assurance about getting the aid for which I qualify would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Just as long as you file by the priority deadline it is good.</p>
<p>Some schools have much earlier deadlines.</p>
<p>Is that when funds usually run out for the school? Thank you so much for this information.</p>
<p>You are doing the right thing by filing now. Use the best estimates you can possibly muster up. When your family gets those taxes done (soon as possible), you can go back into the FAFSA and amend yours. You will change the fields that reflect the numbers from your filed tax returns.</p>
<p>I just got done filing my FAFSA; had to wait until my dad got home. My EFC is 16092. Eww, because $16,092 is very easy to afford with a family of seven and one working parent. -_- I have another question: My father is retiring late this year, and for my sophomore year of college, my sister will also be attending at that point. Even if his income levels are the same or slightly lower than the levels from 2011, would the fact that his retiring and not receiving the same income for 2013 (meaning that he will not be able to afford $16,092) be a compelling case for a financial aid appeal, for my sophomore year, of course?</p>
<p>Is your dad 65/or forced to retire?
In general retiring is seen as a choice these days, especially when the family has college expenses.</p>
<p>He is 55 and really wants to retire. I don’t blame him; I’ve been to his job and it’s quite stressful. However, I do not know how colleges would treat the situation: the drop in income and another child entering college.</p>
<p>Is he planning to or is he looking for a different job? Especially with 5 kids that probably seems prudent.</p>
<p>To be more exact, he is retiring from his teaching job in which he teaches Special Education. He has another job working for three separate agencies in which he evaluates children and makes an assessment of whether or not they need special attention; however, income from these jobs vary.</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking about taking a gap year, depending on my financial situation; however, I would really prefer not to do that, especially in the fear that I may forget important material.</p>
<p>Your merit aid potential may be hurt by taking a gap year, many colleges have limited options for deferred admission and won’t hold scholarships.</p>
<p>That’s another thing about which I’m worried. My top school offered $21,000 to me per year as long as I maintain a 3.0 GPA. Also, it offers a co-op program in which the median salary is $15,000, and if I choose to go there, I could have up to three, which would then cause me to be there for five years. According to the school’s policy, for subsequent years, I don’t have to include that salary in the FAFSA (before, students were obliged), so only my parents’ income would be counted. I also know for a fact that my EFC will be lower my sophomore year and even lower my fourth and final year. There is also a reported ~55% chance of retaining a job with a co-op employer after graduation, which is more important than ever these days.</p>