<p>Hi Everyone, I am so confused about FA. I asked a question before, as we live abroad, and received some very helpful advice. We are Americans, pay tax in the States, our D has a SS number, so we are not internationals, in that respect. Our D applied early to Michigan and Yale, we did not get the FA forms in on time (and still have not) as expats don't have to file for 2008 until December 15th (this week), so could not get them in. We expect a rejection or deferral from Yale as a result, and Michigan will probably wait for our financial aide profile and 2009 projection before making a decision on her as they have rolling admissions. Am I right about this?
Now for the big question. I don't think we qualify for FA anyway. We were hoping they might take into account that we have no choice but to send our three kids to private school here in Cairo as they cannot attend the local Arabic public school, but I am not sure these forms make allowances for that situation.
So, should we just bag FA and if we do that, can we still try for federal education loans on our own without a university giving it to us or saying we qualify. In other words, one of the College calculators told me we probably don't qualify, but should fill out FAFSA anyway for federal loans. I did not know whether this meant we had to fill out FAFSA through a school, even if we won't get aid, or on our own once she gets in places.
And finally, if she does not apply for FA do I then call Yale and Michigan and say that she is not applying for it or am I stuck now giving them those documents.
Sorry to be so naive...all our friends and family are wealthy enough to have not needed FA!</p>
<p>I don’t think the bills you incur sending your children to private school below college will be considered (it will be seen as a choice). You are allowed to get a Stafford Unsubsidized loan as long as you fill out FAFSA. That loan is limited to something like $5.5K as a freshman and goes up in the later years. If you want to amend the application saying you won’t apply for FA you should call the schools.</p>
<p>All US students qualify for federal student loans, regardless of income or other circumstances. You do, however, have to file the FAFSA to qualify for them. You can file FAFSA late and still get federal funds. (I’m not sure if you have to send FAFSA to the schools, whether they would disperse the funds or whether you could get the funds from another governmental agency; you might want to contact the schools to ask how it’s done. Don’t worry; you won’t be the first asking those questions!)</p>
<p>However, please realize that the FAFSA you file for next fall will ask for 2009 information as well as 2008.</p>
<p>Does UMich ever give good FA to OOS students? </p>
<p>What other schools is she applying to?</p>
<p>Are you willing to co-sign big loans for her?</p>
<p>If she has the stats to apply to Yale, then she has the stats to get some high merit scholarships from various schools. What are her financial safety schools?</p>
<p>Also, for schools that also require the CSS Profile (I know Yale does, not sure about UMich) there is an opportunity there to report the amount you spend on private school tuition for younger sibs. Some Profile schools will take that expense into account when making an aid determination. This is not a FAFSA thing, only CSS Profile.</p>
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I believe Yale is need-blind in admissions, so not yet filing your FAFSA and CSS/Profile will not mean a rejection or deferral, it will simply mean no financial aid. (Though if she is rejected or deferred you can fib a bit and tell her it is because of the FAFSA to soften the blow for her.)</p>
<p>You can submit your financial aid applications using estimates and then update them later when you file your taxes. I do not know if December would be too late for that option, though.</p>
<p>Although there is no way to show your situation on FAFSA you can ask for a special circumstances adjustment from the school to reflect the situation. This is something they could make an adjustment for. But this is purely at the discretion of the financial aid officer at each school and would depend on their policies. If they do make an adjustment it would reduce your EFC (it is not a $ for $ adjustment - they go in and reduce income, if they agree to a adjustment, then the numbers are run through a formula again producing a new EFC). Whether it would reduce it enough to make you eligible for aid depends on how high it is. </p>
<p>As far as federal grant aid is concerned the EFC must be very low to be eligible, <4617 for 2009-2010 for the Pell grant. Other than that federal aid is mainly loans. You do have to file FAFSA to be eligible for the Stafford loan. It is impossible to get it otherwise. You can file FAFSA after January 1st and list the schools your child is applying to, you don’t have to wait util after they get accepted.</p>
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<p>No…you don’t HAVE to file until December 15, but it would be prudent to get this done ASAP. RE: the FAFSA and Profile for your student who will be starting in fall 2010, you will need to provide 2009 tax information as stated by others above. You probably should plan to have your taxes done a LOT earlier than December 15 2010! </p>
<p>Remember, that schools will provide you with an estimated financial aid award based on your estimated tax information, but until you COMPLETE the taxes and amend the forms to reflect the numbers on the finaid application forms (whatever the school requires) and in some cases SEND them your completed and signed tax returns…your child’s financial aid package will not be finalized or dispersed.</p>
<p>I have heard that some expats have asked for an extension to complete their taxes during the summer. This would still give the school a little time to make adjustments to the aid based on your ACTUAL tax return information. AND yes…adjustments DO get made once the information is finalized. </p>
<p>So…If it were me, I would contact the school financial aid office (the schools you listed are need blind for admissions so the admissions office won’t hear about your call) and explain your situation re: the completion of your tax returns as expats. See what they tell you. You are probably not the first person who has this issue.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I’d be figuring out a way to complete my 2009 taxes a LOT sooner than next December.</p>
<p>Colleges like Yale will consider the private schools costs for expats. Michigan probably won’t.</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone for this advice and not making me feel silly asking these questions. My D’s back up is British universities. She already has one acceptance. We are lucky that she is also a British citizen and as we only moved to Egypt last year she still qualifies for in-country tuition, which is about $10,000 a year! The problem is she would love to go in the States, being American but having been raised abroad. We can always send her for graduate school in the States instead.
So it sounds like we should do our 2009 taxes right now. Will get on it immediately. I think I will be calling these schools tomorrow when the offices open!</p>
<p>Well, you probably want to wait until after Dec. 31 to do your taxes, unless you’ve already received all of your 2009 income and have W2s/1099s. For those of us residing in the States, we can submit FAFSA/PROFILE using estimates and then follow up with actuals when they’re available; not sure if expats can do this. Another thing to ask the FA offices about.</p>
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<p>Actually, those are the current taxes and can be done in January or early February. </p>
<p>You had also indicated that you hadn’t done your 2008 taxes and those weren’t due until December 15, 2009. THOSE are the ones you probably should get done ASAP…and then those 2009 taxes…well…just don’t wait until December 2010 to do them. Get them done as soon as reasonably possible.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, you will do the FAFSA and (if required) the Profile using estimates. You will indicate “will file” on both. Submit them keeping to the deadlines for each college (check each college’s website as the deadlines vary). THEN once you complete your 2009 taxes…for the FAFSA you will go online, and amend the FAFSA to reflect the numbers on your 2009 taxes, and change the filing status to “taxes completed”. For the Profile…when you complete it, make sure you print out a copy for yourself. In our experience, that one is copied…and then the corrections are made by writing them in and sending them to the college. You could contact the financial aid department at any Profile school and find out exactly how they want you to amend the Profile. That cannot be done online.</p>
<p>Unless I misread your post, you were indicating that your taxes for a year didn’t HAVE to be filed until the following December 15th (so for 2008 taxes…they are due Dec 15, 2009). Personally I think you should do your best to complete those taxes earlier. OR contact the colleges to see what to do if you will not have the information you need to file earlier. You are not the only expat out there who has these issues.</p>
<p>Hi, Thanks so much for all that advice. Honestly, I think our EFC is too high for Financial Aid through a school. We won’t qualify. So what I am now wondering, again as an abroad person knowing so little and having no American neighbors, can I apply for FAFSA without asking for a college to give me aid? In other words, if I get all my 2008 abd 2009 tax forms filled out by early January (our goal), can my D just apply for the Stafford loan if I fill out the FAFSA in time but don’t ask for FA form the schools? Can you file FAFSA directly to the government, or is it only a determiniation by the schools?</p>
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<p>You send the FAFSA to the FAFSA site and they disperse this information to the colleges you select. Your child is eligible for an unsubsidized stafford loan in the child’s name even IF there is no other financial aid wanted.</p>
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<p>Even if you don’t feel you’d qualify for need-based aid, it won’t hurt to go ahead and file it. Some schools require it for merit-based aid.</p>
<p>All federal student financial aid including Stafford loans is awarded by the school. You cannot apply directly to the govt for a Stafford loan. You have to submit FAFSA to your school(s) and they award you any aid you are eligible for. When you are awarded a Stafford loan you either have to the apply for the loan through a private lender (who has to verify with the school that you are eligible for the loan), or some schools are direct lenders and the loan process is doe through them. Either way you have to submit FAFSA to the school to be eligible for the Stafford.</p>
<p>All students that are eligible to file FAFSA are eligible for the Stafford loan. It does not require that there be financial need. When there is financial need up to $3500 of the $5500 a freshman is eligible for may be subsidized (govt pays interest while in college), if there is no need the entire loan is unsubsidized.</p>
<p>I sure hope Michigan doesn’t require Profile in order to make an early response decision … since I didn’t do the Profile yet & my son is waiting for Early Response! 
I wasn’t too concerned, since I don’t believe the decision has anything to do with financial aid. Frankly, I was a bit surprised that Michigan asked for the info so early … that surprised me. They use Profile for institutional aid. If you think your income is too high for need based aid, getting it in a little late shouldn’t be a problem.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks everyone! We are going to go for FA, knowing we won’t probably get it but hoping it might help her get a Merit scholarship, a Stafford Loan, or a PLUS loan we can take out for her. Thanks for clearing this up. Was going to call Yale and Michigan today and say we are not applying for FA but will now phone them to say the Profile and 2008 return will be in FINALLY in January when we have filed 2008 and estimated 2009. We will get that 2009 return done super quickly! I feel homesick at how helpful you have all been!</p>
<p>Oh, we’re not going anywhere, and you know where to find us! Luck!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t tell the school you are not applying for FA, just fill the forms out (FAFSA), get your taxes done and send to school and see what happens.</p>