EFC increased by $27,000, but how?

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Ok…so I looked at your older posts…your original EFC for NU was in the $47,000 a year range. You appealed and got some more aid based on circumstances explained in your appeal.

Then last year, you said your family income went UP…but your FAFSA EFC went down…and that was perplexing. What happened last year in terms of your aid.

In addition, your sibling goes to a much less costly school, and commutes…is that correct?

And your family income in the first year was about $240,000 a year. What is it now?

Oh…and one more question.

Did your parent happen to do an IRA rollover in 2015? That would be added innas income…it’s something that is not corrected onnthe FAFSA.

I would strongly suggest you look again…yourself…at the two FAFSA forms that used the 2015 income and assets. Check line by line…making sure everything is entered correctly and on the same line.

If it is…then take both forms to the financial aid office…and ask them for some clarification.

And lastly…next year…do your financial aid forms in October when they become available…not in April. It will give you a LOT more time to trouble shoot,should you need to do so.

@CaliCash when did you submit your FAFSA for next year ( 2017-18)? Please do not get snippy- I am trying to help you.

If possible, please share why they gave you extra aid - what was it based on? If there is extra income in 2015 that was removed under the appeal/reconsideration, you will need to ask them to remove it again. Make an appointment to speak with them.

Is your sibling still an undergrad? Under age 24?

@twogirls I apologize. I submitted it today.

@thumper1 Northwestern’s reapplication process begins in the spring.

I must’ve had a slight confusion remembering what my first EFC was, but yeah my siblings education situation is the same as it was then. They are currently 24. How does she change things?

I do not know what an IRA rollover is, so I can’t answer that question, but I can ask my parents. Their income is more or less the same. Either way, we didn’t input their most recent income.

I will comb through it again to try to find any error.

If I’m following OP she is saying that she completed the 2017-2018 FAFSA today. This FAFSA used the exact same numbers as the 2016-2017 FAFSA since they were both based upon 2015 data. So if all data was entered correctly shouldn’t the EFC from the FAFSA she submitted today be exactly equal to the EFC she received after submitting the 2016-2017 FAFSA?

Or are folks suggesting that her original EFC for 2016-2017 was likely $57k but Northwestern subsequently modified her FAFSA submission for that year to reduce her EFC in line with their specific agreement to modify her financial aid award?

@adlgel Thanks for crystallizing. I have the PDF of my 2016-2017 fafsa from when it was initially submitted, it was ~ $30,000.

I am a rising junior.

Apology accepted.

  1. You need to look at the income for 2015 and find out if NW, under your FA appeal/reconsideration, removed part of the income because of a rollover, money that can’t be used for some legitimate reason, etc. Be prepared to provide documentation- they may still have it on file.
  1. Your sibling will still be an undergraduate student in the fall? Is your sibling under the age of 24?

@adlgel I am under the impression that last year the OP submitted the FAFSA for this year ( sophomore year) and had a high EFC based on 2015 taxes. She was granted a reconsideration and had her FA package re-done. Her new EFC for sophomore year ( now) was $30,000. She just resubmitted her FAFSA for next year ( will be a junior) and used the 2015 taxes again. The FAFSA came back with a very high EFC compared to last year- which was $30,000 after the reconsideration. This means that either something was put in wrong, there is one less sibling in school, or … The school manually changed the FAFSA once the reconsideration was granted.

I apologize in advance for repeating myself. I am trying to correctly understand what is going on.

OP asked how the 2017-18 EFC could be different than previous EFC’s as the income was the same.

Possibilities include 1) that there was a difference in information entered for income or assets; 2) different number of children in college (OP says no); 3) that professional judgment was used to change the FAFSA; 4) thumper1 suggested an IRA rollover, which is included on the W2 and may have been transferred over in the data retrieval too.

The easiest way to find out is to ask NU.

Yes, you can ask NU or also contact the FAFSA chat line - they’ve been very helpful:

https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/chat/chat_launch/chat_data/aGFzaD0xNDkyMjA3MTA1OTkzMDQxMG00/request_source/7

My sibling is currently 24. How would that change things? And thank you for linking me to that chatline. I did not know it existed.

If your siblings are 24 they are now independent. If they are living in your household, they should be part of the number in your household but not part of the number I college. They can now file the FAFSA as independent student (s).

I think that once a student turns 24 they are considered to be independent for FAFSA purposes. That might be what is going on. That being said, there are schools that will grant you a reconsideration and count your sibling as two in college even though she is 24. You need to ask.

Students will be considered independent for federal aid in the year that they turn 24. If their school uses the profile they may still be dependent for institutional aid (depending on the School’s policy)

As noted…the age of your sibling matters. As a 24 year old, he is no longer considered dependent for fafsa purposes…and cannot be considered a sibling on yours…as he would be submitting his own fafsa as an independent student.

That is why you are seeing the EFC change…I’m betting.

But the bigger question…how will NU view this in terms of how they award your need based aid. You need to ask them. So make an appointment to see them…Monday. NU might still consider him a sibling in college…and they might not. THEY need to answer that question for you.

And sorry…but the 2017-2018 forms could,have been submitted any time after October 1. You would,have had your EFC info sooner.

Is your 24 year old sibling still in undergrad or is he in grad school?

if they are still undergrads making no money, at least they would now be eligible for PELL

Okay, so… update. This is embarrassing.

@CaliCash the FAFSA allows graduate school to be counted as two in college- it is up to the individual school to determine what they want to do with that information. Some colleges do count grad school as a sibling in college, but most don’t.

I wonder if the fact that your sibling is 24 but is still doing undergrad - that this somehow messed up the FAFSA? You should check and see how your sibling is being presented. Just a thought- I may be off base.

What happened?

Is it because it is now only you in college where in the past it was you and your brother?

@CaliCash Did you find the error after all!