Fill out FAFSA even if gap year?

Parents Forum
1

<p>My son has decided he's not ready for college this year, and wants to take a gap year. He's applying to service organizations to do volunteer work, but he's still planning on applying to a few schools and deferring if he gets accepted. I had thought I didn't need to fill out the fafsa this year, but now with the deadline looming I'm not sure. Does anyone know if I should go ahead and fill it out anyway for the schools he's applying to? Will it make a difference to them if he doesn't plan on going this fall? I can't seem to find information on this. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Since it’s free to file the FAFSA, it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and fill it out and submit it. That way, if he decides to go to college anytime during the 2010-2011 school year, which includes next summer, you will already have it taken care of. Just make sure you fill out the form on the official website [FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov%5DFAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) - NOT fafsa.com. I work at a community college and we always have students fill out the wrong form each year.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for your quick reply! After further consideration and research, we decided not to fill out the fafsa this year. (We already have an idea of our EFC from the fafsaforecaster.) This is going to be a year of exploring other options, and hopefully he’ll be back on track for college in fall 2011.</p>

4

<p>Taken from my college’s financial aid handbook:

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<p>Check the financial aid policies of the colleges you son is applying to. If eligibility for financial aid in future years is dependent upon a financial aid application at the time of admission, you might consider filing the FAFSA this year after all.</p>

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<p>Good luck to your son. :)</p>

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<p>If your son is applying this year, fill out the FAFSA so he will be considered for FA this year. When he talks to the college about deferment b/c of the gap year, you can negotiate deferring his finaid as well.</p>

<p>This is what our friends’ child did. She knew she was spending a year abroad and then definitely attending her first choice school. She negotiated with the school (they had apparently never had a Gap year kid apply) so her ducks were in a row when she came back.</p>

<p>Talk to the colleges your son is applying to, however. Don’t try to guess what their policy is.</p>