<p>One of the schools my son is applying to has a January 15th deadline for submitting FAFSA and CSS Profile to their respective processors. His other schools have either a February 1st or 15th deadline. </p>
<p>Since I'll have to amend my submissions as soon as I get all of my tax documents, is it better to submit only to the one school now and not send to the rest of the schools until I have better / final information? Or, should I send to all schools now and update to all of them when I've got my tax documents / forms complete.</p>
<p>Tough question! But I will attempt to reply from whatever knowledge I have:
Depends on volume of amendment and what is the type of final financial information you are waiting for. If there is not substantial amendment required I would send to all of the colleges right now. One advantage of sending now is you would be early for those colleges.</p>
<p>However, if you are into some financial transactions (regarding asset movement) and your filing will be affected because of such movemement, I would wait until that is complete to send to other colleges - particularly those requiring to file PROFILE (meaning they will apply insitutional methodology). </p>
<p>Hope that helps, I would be interested to see others' views as well.</p>
<p>I'm in a similar situation, and I think waiting is a good idea, if it can be done as a practical matter. </p>
<p>Son applied early, so we need to amend that early Profile filing for a bunch of 2/1 deadline schools. It's clear to me that we can do that. My big question is whether I can amend the Profile a second time to submit to Yale, which has a 3/1 deadline. There are 3 reasons I would like to amend for Yale instead of sending it with the second bunch: because we'll have our taxes done by then; because assets seem to be dwindling during the current market turmoil, so I might as well have the most current info; and because the question about how much parents think they can contribute and the student's summer earnings expectation should be answered in a way that reflect's the new financial aid program there.</p>
<p>So, does anyone know if Profile can be amended twice? Or is it a single-pass deal?</p>
<p>Further along the lines of rainmama's situation...</p>
<p>After filing my CSS before the March 1 deadline, I expect by May-June the following changes in my up-to-now cash-flow poor/asset "rich" financial picture:
- I'll be employed full-time for the first time in 3+ years (2007 = zero wage income)
- Tenants of 1 of my 2 rental houses (both with zero mortgage debt) will buy the house
- I'll roll over the whole principal (to avoid cap gains) into additional rental property with the maximum amount of mortgage debt the bank will let me take on. </p>
<p>After the above, if I amend my CSS on file with Yale, Savannah College of Art and Design, Kenyon and U of Findlay, will any of them be able/likely to re-consider the aid package offered to my daughter?</p>
<p>
[quote]
- Tenants of 1 of my 2 rental houses (both with zero mortgage debt) will buy the house
- I'll roll over the whole principal (to avoid cap gains) into additional rental property with the maximum amount of mortgage debt the bank will let me take on.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You will still have the same net value of assets. If the are worth $100,000 and you sell them for that then buy new ones for $250,000 with a $150,000 in mortgage your net asset will still be $100,00 won't it? Or am I missing something (I admit I don't know how CSS works). </p>
<p>And your having income where there was none before will hurt rather than help as far as finaid is concerned.</p>
<p>True, swimcat, but it sounds like the income aspect won't hurt this year since colleges are looking at the base year of 2007. Next year, the income will affect your EFC. </p>
<p>Batmando, you might want to look at "Paying for College Without Going Broke" to help with some of the implications of these changes. I finally checked it out of the library after seeing it recommended on this forum many times; it's an excellent book.</p>
<p>2 houses @$150,000 each = $300,000 assets and $0 mortgage debt
Keep 1, sell 1, buy 3 = 4 @$150,000 = $600,000 assets and $300,000 liability.
Net assets remain same @$300,000, but not leverageable, ie., can't borrow any more against it as opposed to current unencumbered $300,000 assets.</p>
<p>Net rental cashflow on 4 units (with mortgages on 3 units) also likely will be less than current net cashflow on 2 units (with zero mortgage debt), somewhat off-setting full-time employment income which very definitely will impact aid package for 2009-2010.</p>
<p>The question was/is will any of the schools be able/likely to re-consider the aid package offered to my daughter for 2008-2009? </p>
<p>May have answered my own question: aid packages announced in/around April so I wouldn't be filing an amended CSS thereafter.</p>
<p>My answer was/is - The schools don't care whether the asset is leverageable - they just care about the net value of the assets. That being the case there would be no reason to reconsider the aid package.</p>