- How does FASFA calculate the EFC? I’ve heard a few different things so I’m confused. Is it biological mom + biological dad? Mom + stepdad OR dad + stepmom? Or mom + stepdad + dad + stepmom? I heard it’s the household of whoever gives the most “financial support.” If so, there is not a clear answer for me. They split custody 50/50. My dad does claim me on his taxes and his numbers would get me slightly more aid so can I just pick him?
for FAFSA, your custodial parent and their spouse are the ones listed. Starting next year, the custodial parent is the one who provides the most financial support…and this might not be the parent with whom you reside.
- For colleges that use all parents and stepparents’ income, can I say that one stepparent is not contributing? Because that’s my situation that is messing it up. Stepdad makes 300k and that added to my dad’s income makes me get no aid, but my stepdad and my mom do not believe that he should have to contribute since he is not my father and my father is financially able to do so. I am assuming the answer is no, I cant do that
you cannot just say that a step parent won’t be contributing. On the FAFSA, your custodial parent spouse’s income and assets will be required. No choice.
for schools using the CSS Profile, some require both custodial and non-custodial parent forms including ALL spouses. Again…you can’t just say someone isn’t contributing. And all this info is required.
remember, the contribution is a family contribution…and these married folks are now part of your family
- When my sister enters college (my junior year) how much can I expect that to increase my aid package?
starting the 2024-2025 academic year, there will be no discount on the FAFSA for having multiple siblings in college at the same time. No one knows what the Profile Schools will do. We also don’t know whether schools using the FAFSA only will do something different when awarding their institutional aid. So stay tuned.
- Some NPC’s ask how much the noncustodial parent will contribute but also say they consider all parents/stepparents. Is running it once and inputting how much my mom can contribute accurate or do I still need to run it twice?
I don’t understand your question. You need to do the net price calculator for each school…providing what that school asks you to provide. No changes.
- Does merit aid and need based aid “stack?” For example, if one school says my EFC is 35k and I get a 10k scholarship does that just replace the subsidized loans and work study portion and then not change anything else unless the merit aid is more than the need based or would it be $45k total? At UVA for example (my dream school) our EFC with room and board and everything was 35k (IF i did it right) which is about $15-20k outside my price range. Would a $15k scholarship make that affordable or would it not change anything?
some schools stack merit and need based aid and some don’t. Some schools stack outside scholarships with aid awarded by the colleges…and some don’t. You need to contact each college and ask this question
- extra more personal question:
How do I get two divorced people and their current spouses to sit down and have a civil conversation about how much money they make, have saved up, and should/will pay?? Seems impossible. Maybe it is. I have a feeling they’ll be filling out the Fasfa while hiding their answers from each other like little kids passing secret notes.
first…the non-custodial parent and spouse will never see the FAFSA unless you share it.
second…for Profile schools requiring the non-custodial parent form, neither parent sees the other parent’s info or forms.
in terms of conversation…I would suggest you talk to each of your parents separately…not all at once. Keep it simple, and tell them you just want to know what, if any, financial support they can give you for collefe
And lastly…in complicated situations like this…you probably want to look at places where you can get very significant merit aid…which doesn’t require financial info from either parent.
@kelsmom can add…