FAFSA 2017-2018 School Year - Q&A Thread...

Paying for College
141

Thank you @Cheeringsection; will do.

142

Do contact your financial aid office, but be aware that not all schools will do a special circumstances review for change in income. (It is not required to do so.)

143

3 questions:

  1. If my FAFSA was selected for verification, I only need to submit the paperwork if the colleges request, correct?

  2. Most schools I am applying to I am seeking scholarships, not grants. I should still submit FAFSA for the federal loans and grants, correct?

  3. My report shows a possible Pell grant of $800. How accurate would this estimate be?

If anyone has answers to these it would be much appreciated!

144

Yes, you’re correct.

145

marriage & FAFSA ??s – after talking to a friend with a newly married college junior, we couldnt figure out a few things regarding FA for her married daughter at their local public U.

For current year: parents are paying (begrudgingly) tuition this year. now that student is married, could she fill out the FAFSA and see if she’s pell-grant eligible for second semester of 2016/17 school year?

For next year: how does FAFSA work for this kid who got married summer 2016 in regards to income? will it look at kid’s income from 2015? parents? or skip 2015?

146

From my understanding, if the student fills out a FAFSA now for 2017/18 school year, she will indicate that she is married and will be considered independent for financial aid. So only her and spouse’s income and assets would be reported, not the parents’. It would be based on 2015 income, and current asset balances.

Also, I think if the parents pay bills that are in her name, she might have to report that on the FAFSA.

She should also be able to still file a 2016/17 FAFSA for this current school year, to see if she qualifies for aid. Again she would put that she is married, report her and spouse’s income from 2015, and current assets.

How much is her and spouse’s income and assets? She might want to try the Collegeboard EFC calculator to see what EFC would be. For Pell it would have to be 0-5,000 or so.

147

Did she previously file 2016-2017 FAFSA…or not?