fin aid app confusion

<p>I'm completing both the intl fin aid application and the intl certificate of finances.
I'm a bit confused about the support I offer questions
On the certificate of finances I have to complete the following</p>

<p>A. Personal or family savings (requires bank account) - We have a 20.000$ bank account, so I'm offering 5.000$ per year from it
B. Parents (other than savings) - pondering what to write</p>

<p>and the rest don't apply to my case (sponsor or government)</p>

<p>On the fin aid app, I have the following "offering" blanks to fill</p>

<p>1.student's vacation earnings
2. student's assets
3. family income
4. family assets
5 to 8 don't apply
9 other</p>

<p>My question is: do figures on the two documents have to match? Because I can't find a way to include what appears on one to what is on the other.</p>

<p>On the fin aid app where do I write about the bank account? In the personal/family assets blank? Or in "Other" ?
I also want to contribute from my income. Where do I write this on the certificate of finances? Because it only has room for personal/family bank account, or parents' sources.</p>

<p>The way I see it is that the certificate of finances should certify the sums on the fin aid application. Is this true?</p>

<p>You don't put in what you want to contribute, you put in what you and your family have. Financial aid officers decide how much they think you should contribute.</p>

<p>Money in your bank account is part of your assets. Money in parents' accounts is part of family assets.</p>

<p>I doubt that it is asking what you are "offering" to pay.
If it asks what is in your personal or family savings (item A) and you have $20,000, do not put $5,000. It is asking total savings, not savings divided by four years (Or whatever reason you are choosing $5000.)
They want to know your bank account because likely they will be verifying the information.
What school is this for? With all your questions you should be calling the financial aid office directly.</p>

<p>Well, the way I understood it was that you offer how much you want to contribute (and this helps with need-aware schools)
Basically you can offer as much as you want, even if it's well above your EFC.
(for example, my EFC is about 4.000, but my familly is willing to offer about 8.000, and Brown said that it would help my chances)- for record our annual income is < 10.000$)</p>

<p>here check it out
<a href="http://www.financialaid.brown.edu/Cmx_Content.aspx?cpId=236%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.financialaid.brown.edu/Cmx_Content.aspx?cpId=236&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>(last page on the intl fin aid app - section F)</p>

<p>wow that is interesting. We (US citizens) have to tell them total what we have and they tell us what we have to pay.
You might want to post on the international student board or again call the finaid dept at Brown.</p>

<p>*The purpose of the Certification of Finances is to help colleges and universities obtain complete
and accurate information about the funds available to international ap pli cants who want to study
in the United States. Strict government regulations, rising educational costs, and economic con ditions
have made verification of financial resources of international applicants essential. In sti tu tions
do not have the option of deciding whether or not to verify the financial resources of their international
applicants; financial ver i fi ca tion must be made prior to institutional issuance of a Certificate
of Eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019).
This form is designed to standardize financial information provided by applicants to colleges,
uni ver si ties, and U.S. consuls. By completing and returning this form to the college/ university
requiring it, an applicant, if admitted, may obtain that college’s authorization and issuance of a
Certificate of El i gi bil i ty (Form I-20 or DS-2019). If parents and/or spon sors are unable to obtain a
bank official’s verification, it is recommended that institutions forward a copy of the International
Student Financial Aid Application to the family for completion. The institution should attach a
copy of this Cer ti fi ca tion to the Certificate of Eligibil i ty. U.S. consuls scrutinize the statements of
fi nan cial resources given by nonimmigrant visa applicants. This Certification will help such officials
make their decisions and expedite visa issuance.
*</p>

<p>to me- that reads like not only do they have to tell the colleges what resources they have the colleges HAVE to verify it</p>