I searched out FAQ’s but I didn’t see the exact answers so I’m posting a new FAFSA thread.
We’re a year away from filling out it, since our son is a HS Jr. We’ll begin the process next January, at the earliest opportunity.
Questions - I need a PIN, but is there a time window that this should be done? Is there any harm in requesting the PIN now, or should I wait closer to next January?
As for the PIN, is it required by both the parents AND the student? Or either party?
Which brings me to my next question - is the FAFSA filled out by just the parents primarily? Or Parents and the student?
Our son essentially has no income to report and I don’t expect him to have taxes to file in 2015 (his base year).
I dont’ see any harm in getting PINs early for the parent and the student (one for parent, one for student). Someone here will chime in if there’s a reason that would be bad…but I don’t think there is.
However, since Fafsa is a form for fed aid (which isn’t much…and free aid is only for low income people…and again isn’t much), if you’re looking for lots of aid, then you’re better off spending time running some net price calculators on various schools’ websites.
We're actually giving a lot of consideration to Marymount University in Arlington. The small school setting is ideal for his needs.
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Run the NPC on that school’s website. It is likely a schools that doesn’t give great aid…so you may be expected to pay all or nearly all costs.
Also…look into the actual majors. I don’t think that school has Comp Sci, which you’ve expressed an interest in. And I think cyber security is a grad school program.
Don’t bother requesting a PIN now. The Dept. Of Ed is moving away from the PIN system towards a new process for user names/IDs (FSA ID) in April or so. Applying for a PIN now would just be wasting your time when a new process will be implemented soon anyway.
If FAFSA process is going to a new system, then getting a PIN now would be a waste.
That said, since the mom seems anxious about cost and aid, and the schools that seem to interest them do not give much/any aid, then really the focus NOW should be on running the Net Price Calculators on each schools’ website.
The mom may not have much experience with FA, and may not realize that a FAFSA EFC is rather meaningless for anyone who is beyond Pell qualification (lowish income). And even if the family is low income, federal grants are small and don’t make much of a dent into college costs.
Most schools give lousy aid simply because they don’t have a treasure chest of money to give out. They often expect families to pay the full or near full cost regardless of EFC.
Once the family determines how much they can pay each year, and compares that with the NPC results on various schools’ websites, and see if other schools need to be considered.
