<p>I work in financial aid. My motto is: Don’t try to figure it out; you’ll go crazy if you do!</p>
<p>The rules are what they are. They don’t always seem to make sense, but they are the rules just the same. Financial aid officers are able to make case by case exceptions to the rules, but there has to be a strong, well documented reason for doing so.</p>
<p>The thing to remember is that the underlying assumption of federal financial aid programs is that the family has the primary responsibility for paying for a student’s education. Government aid is available to assist those who CANNOT afford to pay … not those who are not willing to pay. It seems harsh, but there is only so much money to go around, and the neediest should be helped first.</p>