How do you know if you need financial aid...

Applying to College
1

<p>yeah... lol. </p>

<p>our family is kind of average~above average, but we definitely could use some money while paying for college because I have a younger sibling underway... but how do you know to check off that box or not? my parents are telling me NOT to because they think colleges will see the FAFSA and be like "WHOA they make 100k+ a year? why do they need finaid?" but does that mean they don't give you ANYTHING at all?</p>

<p>confused, sorry</p>

2

<p>if your parents make 100k+ a year, than it's going to be tough to get any need based aid, if you really need help paying, look into colleges that offer good merit aid.</p>

3

<p>Have your parents fill out the calculator. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>It takes some time, but it's worth it. </p>

<p>Yeah, income over $100,000 makes it tough to qualify for anything, but keep in mind that some schools will require you to file a FAFSA even to qualify for a merit scholarship.</p>

4

<p>Well, there's really no harm in trying. My parents make 250k+ a year and I'm applying for financial aid, just so we're assured that we tried anyway. Also, some colleges have merit scholarships specifically for students who file everything but aren't eligible for financial aid. So I'd say give it a shot. The worst thing that can happen is just that you won't get any.</p>