I am getting ready to fill out my first fafsa and css profile for my d19 and have a few general questions on how to handle special situations.
The first concerns parent status. I have a filled out a few practice css forms and some don’t have option for only one ever legal parent. My daughter was abandoned at birth, no known parents. I adopted my daughter as a legal single individual. I am not widowed and I am not two parents not living together but those are the closest options. Does anyone know what of those two options I check? Should I upload the birth certificate with this information in advance or wait for request?
My other question is I retired in the middle of 2017. My pension is 90% of what my salary was. I also received a large sum in unused vacation pay that logged in as income. The annual pay is a difference in $22,000. Do I send a letter to every school my daughter is applying to when she submits her application or do I wait to see if she is admitted? Or should I wait for my daughter to be admitted and have a letter ready to go?
Any experience or insight is appreciated!
I had a friend who was also a single mother through adoption. When she filled out the CSS, she had to request the NCP waiver and send in the paperwork. It wasn’t a problem, just a pain.
I think for your salary situation you explain it under the special circumstances section. You can’t do that on the FAFSA but can on CSS.
Thank you! I will look forward to it on the CSS. That helps on half her applications. I guess I can also call the schools and ask how they want me to present it.
Even if you put it on the CSS, make sure you follow up. Not every FA administrator can be expected to notice every note, ever exception, or agree how you word it that it is a special circumstance. And it might not be. Having a 10% reduction in salary may not make any difference. Getting a pay out for vacation may be viewed as a bonus so that money is now available to pay for college.
Thanks for the advice. When I ran the EFC numbers it was a pretty significant difference at most campuses so it is worth my time to follow up. Do you suggest that should be at application or if accepted?
Go ahead and send it at application. Then follow up again when the acceptances roll in.
Get started on it. Some will demand more details so give yourself time to get what’s needed.