<p>just wondering....the cash/investment number always puzzles me. do they mean as of the day you are filling out the form? an average? investments as of what date? what if you give one number and then have a large bonus come in the next month or so? are you supposed to update the cash/investment number throughout the process? what if you have unexpected expenses and the cash balance is wiped out?</p>
<p>just wondering.....and how in the world do they ever check those numbers?</p>
<p>The cash/investment value is the value on the day you sign the FAFSA.</p>
<p>do not update cash/investment number throughout process</p>
<p>unexpected expenses & cash value is wiped out- document reasons and appeal/inform FAO after FAFSA has been sent in. Professional Judgement may apply.</p>
<p>The FAFSA is a snapshot of your financial picture at a point in time (the date on which you sign the FAFSA). You don’t update asset values. If you get an unexpected bonus, it will catch up with you next year, anyway … that will figure into your income reported the following year!</p>
<p>As for losing the investments (through expenditures or investment losses), the majority of reasons for this will not be taken into consideration in figuring your aid. You can always talk to your financial aid office about your particular situation to see if it would be worth your time to ask for a special circumstances review.</p>