<p>I just had a horrible thought. For D to continue receiving financial aid in Sophomore year (2007-8) , will I have to do FAFSA again--even though our financial situation has not changed except that we are now minus the tuition etc. for Freshman year?</p>
<p>it will depnd on the school
I had to fill out FAFSA and PROFILE for 5 years ( she took a year off- but I didnt' know that until I had already filed)
including submitting tax forms and all the forms that I did for freshman year- the only break was it didn't have to be done till spring</p>
<p>Do they usually write to remind you of this or do you have to remember on your own and guess what their deadline is?</p>
<p>Hey, we know how you feel about the FAFSA and you will be filing it for a few more years.</p>
<p>Most schools will send you a reminder or you can check the website at your D's school in the returning students section to get the financial aid deadlines.</p>
<p>My sons' schools did notify us with a postcard, but some schools may only notify the student. Deadlines in my experience have been later--April 1 or April 15. I second checking the school's financial aid webpage. All the deadlines and requirements are usually there.</p>
<p>It's not so bad! If you did it online, last year's information is stored and you just need to update. It's much faster than the original application, and you have just one school to worry about. You can check with your child's financial aid office for the only answers that matter - what their specific policies are regarding deadlines and required forms.</p>
<p>Is it important to do it on New Year's Day in succeeding years? Is it still a race after the first year to be early in line for financial aid?</p>
<p>Uh-Oh. I sure hope I kept all the secret codes and passwords I used. I never even thought about just re-doing the old one online. Jeez. What a maroon.</p>
<p>Most schools will give you a priority deadline you need to make in order to be assured of getting whatever aid you qualify for. It's usually much later, like March or April, (I think S's was April 30 last year.)</p>
<p>Curm--yes, you should keep them. I made a computer file where I listed them. The reason I knew to do this (because this is highly overorganized for me,) is because i do this for a living with the kids in my program--it's astounding how many FAFSAs I have overseen the filling out of! There are ways to get the PINs back or get new ones--just get that settled early in the game so there's no last minute panic.</p>
<p>Can't I just panic now and beat the rush?</p>
<p>Do we have to do the Profile again too?</p>
<p>Pye:</p>
<p>Just plan to do it like you did last time, file the first one in early January- after paying the Christmas bills to reduce those assets! Then correct it after your taxes are filed. This saves your place in line for aid and gets it done quickly.</p>
<p>It does get easier, somehow it's less traumatic in repetition.</p>
<p>Any one have any thoughts as to how long to keep the records which we used to derive the numbers? I have moved a few times and done this for 5 years and am not even sure where the early stuff is. What do ya'll think?</p>
<p>Cur: panic now so you can focus laster :D</p>
<p>Our income went up a small amount, tuition went up $1500, and finaid package went down $75.
Yes you have to fill out finaid forms each year.</p>
<p>Re: saving your place in line. Many schools don't have a "line"; they have a priority deadline. This is true at the little known regional school I work at, as well as the more nationally known school S is at. If that is the case at your S or D's school, then filling out FAFSA before you have the tax forms, then refiling later on, is making extra work for yourself for no gain. At these schools, you get what you qualify for as long as you meet the deadline. Earlier doesn't make a difference. So I'd personally wait. (In our case, I need to pay down as many bills as possible, so the later I file and still make the deadline, the better.)</p>
<p>Cur - why the heck are you filling out the FAFSA???? Free ride = free ride... I mean, what is there left to pay for????? (Just a liddle bit jealous here... free sounds good when I think about two in college next year!) :eek:</p>
<p>Gar: My D's school has a deadline which is still not in time for me to have my taxes done, so I just do it immediately and refile later, but you are right, some one with a somplier tax situation might be done in time for the deadline and not need to hit it twice. </p>
<p>Anxious mom: I have three in college this year and one may be in grad scjhool next year...is that her thing or mine? I thought I was done, but residency and fin aid forms still ask for my info in some cases :eek: no fair :(</p>
<p>I'm not there yet! I stop funding college at the end of undergraduate education, which will be 2008 for DD, 2011 for DS. I'm horrified to find that some grad programs consider parental income for financial aid purposes for 22-year-old adults. That's not fair!!!! I'm not planning on helping pay for grad school. :eek:</p>
<p>anxiousmom, some free-rides include books and transportation . Some don't. Not to mention living expenses and summer programs. But the reason we fill it out is two fold : 1) You never know what tomorrow might bring and 2) ditto. ;) Hopefully we'll never need it for normal expenses. </p>
<p>(We have some reasons to be more careful than the average Joe.)</p>
<p>twinmom,
check with the school(s). During parents' weekend I checked at my son's school and I don't ever have to do Profile again! Even though they required it for the first year, second year and beyond I only need to do FAFSA. (very strange..and the lucky noncustodial parent doesn't need to do a thing). But I think it may vary from school to school.</p>
<p>This is how I have handled subsequent year's financial aid: in January I take a look at the school's website for deadlines for continuing students (no need to commit that to memory), do the taxes as soon as we can, and then file the financial aid papers. I do know it's not as tight as the senior year applications. We have to pay the deposit before we've received next year's aid award. I've always thought that was a little tricky, but it's worked so far.</p>
<p>I had a friend who was an employee at a college and took advantage of the free tuition offer. She was required to file a FAFSA for herself (they were also doing it for their son who was an undergrad at the same time) because there was always a chance that the school could somehow collect federal money on her behalf. I don't think it ever happened - it was just a requirement of the school. I know that students who don't qualify for any aid must file FAFSA in order to get the unsubsidized Stafford loan. </p>
<p>I think everyone should follow curmudgeon's lead (at least on this point - and some others) and file the FAFSA - no one knows what the future holds. It's a form of insurance.</p>