<p>I was looking for a FAQ and all I found was the giant list of all the things you should do but it didnt really answer some of my questions. This'll probably sound really stupid but I need really basic answers I guess.
When someone says they apply for financial aid, where are they applying to?
When you apply for financial aid, do you need to apply to every college individually?
Where do you find application for scholarship?
And lastly, if I am a twin, and my brother and I are going into college the same time, while my sister is already in college (a soph now), and I already had a sister in college, what are my chances at Financial Aid?</p>
<p>I'm just really confused about the whole system right now. Currently my mom is unemployed and my dad works at home.</p>
<p>To apply for financial aid, you need to check the websites for EACH college. They will tell you what you need to do. Virtually ALL schools require the completion of the FAFSA. That is done online, and will require assets and invomd for both you and your parents.</p>
<p>Some schools require the Profile. That will also require income/assets from both you and your parents…and also asks other questions about finances such as home equity and sometimes amounts in retirement accounts (no one really knows how or if that info is used, but some schools do ask on the Profile).</p>
<p>Some schools have their own financial aid form that must be completed too.</p>
<p>Check to see what your colleges require AND most important check the DEADLINES. Don’t miss those…in fact, aim to have this all done early.</p>
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<p>If a college has their own financial aid form, you need to do that individually for that college. For schools requiring the Profile and Fafsa, you complete the form and then choose the colleges to which you want it submitted. I believe the FAFSA can now accept up to 10 colleges in one submission. The Profile also does multiple colleges.</p>
<p>Oh…FAFSA is free. For Profile, you pay a processing fee PER SCHOOL.</p>
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There are lots of places to look for scholarships. The best place to begin is in your high school guidance office. They usually are a clearinghouse for local scholarships. You can also look on the college websites. Some schools have special applications for certain scholarships. You would need to read each website to see if you qualified for any of those. Check online at sites like Fastweb.</p>
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<p>There is absolutely NO WAY anyone here can tell you your chances of financial aid without more information. Financial aid is largely based on the income of your parents and assets. In addition, without knowing the schools to which you plan to apply, it is impossible to even guess the amount of aid you might or might not receive. Different colleges meet different levels of need.</p>
<p>Re: your siblings…If your twin and another sibling are in college with you AT THE SAME TIME, your expected family contribution (EFC) per FAFSA will be about 1/3. In other words…if your EFC for one student was $30,000 a year, each of you would have an EFC of ABOUT $10,000 a year. It’s not usually identical due to the difference in student income/assets. </p>
<p>HOWEVER…that sibling who WAS in college doesn’t matter at all anymore. The only ones that count are the ones who are enrolled at the same time.</p>
<p>NOW…FREE ADVICE…it’s good that you are researching this. BUT the very first thing you should do is sit down with your parents and have a talk with them about college and college finances. It’s all well and good to know what the colleges do and the process and so forth…but you need to know what your parents WILL be able to contribute to your college costs annually (and YES…you apply annually).</p>
<p>By the way…you say you have a sister who is a college sophomore and another sister who WAS in college. Didn’t either of THEM apply for financial aid? If they did, the process hasn’t changed much. Ask them. AND your parents should already be familiar with the process.</p>
<p>It always surprises me when a student with older siblings already in college has these questions about the financial aid process. Ask your sibs…and parents. They may already HAVE additional information for you.</p>
<p>1) They are filling out a FAFSA and fulfilling the requirements each school has for financial aid. The requirements for each school can be found on a school’s financial aid web page. </p>
<p>2) The FAFSA has a way for you to select what schools you want it sent to. Again, you need to supply additional information in the manner the school requests it. </p>
<p>3) Check out the stickies in this forum for scholarships. </p>
<p>4) The FAFSA takes into account how many siblings are in college. For need based federal aid there is no “chance”- it is how much you need based on your family’s financial situation.</p>
<p>Well I think my sister didn’t apply for financial aid since her tuition is like 5k although she pays like 12k for dorming since she lives in the city. I should probably ask my sister, and parents, but I wanted to do a little research myself. thanks a lot though :D</p>
<p>need…do you have another sister who is already OUT of college…plus one who is a sophomore? I’m confused. If so, you should have TWO sisters who might have some info for you…and parents who may have already been through this process multiple times since you apply for financial aid EVERY year.</p>
<p>Well call your sisters up and ask them. I’m sure that they both probably paid for financial aid regardless of how small their tuition is, because most students who go through the process apply for aid.</p>
<p>Also, try this website: [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org). It’s a good place to start.</p>
<p>The FAFSA website may help, too: fafsa.ed.gov.</p>
<p>The system has not changed dramatically in the last 8 years. I can’t speak to 12 years ago. </p>
<p>You say you have a sister who is a college SOPHOMORE. What about her? She didn’t apply to college 12 years ago. Did she fill out a FAFSA? Does she get the Stafford Loan?</p>
<p>If she is able to pay for college herself, perhaps you can also look at HER college financing plan.</p>