<p>Northeastmom, good idea…thanks</p>
<p>thumper, if one does not apply for FA for D/S1, and 2 years later D2 / S2 are applying to college, at such a school that you describe, this would then mean that D1/S1 is not going to get any institutional aid even though their EFC is half and they are applying for FA for the first time. Is that correct?</p>
<p>qdogpa, your welcome.</p>
<p>I received the info below last year from a college counselor we were working with. contrary to some of the posts above we were required to submit a FAFSA to a top 20 LAC to receive their Merit scholarship. D was awarded the scholarship ( $52K per yr) . The kids with demonstrated need received an additional $4K per yr for personal expenses.</p>
<p>Five Reasons to File Your FAFSA
From Fastweb.com
Bridget Kulla
Submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a complicated process. From digging through information on your family’s assets to decoding income tax forms, filling out the FAFSA is a hassle, so why bother? Here are five reasons why it’s worth it.
- Federal Aid
Do you want some of the more than $80 billion the federal government provides in grants, loans and work-study programs every year? Federal Student Aid programs are the largest source of student aid in the United States. The only way to be considered for Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans and more is by submitting your FAFSA. - State Aid
Your FAFSA also puts you in consideration for state financial aid programs. Eligibility and deadline dates for these programs differ by state, but they all have one thing in common – they require the FAFSA. Learn more about the financial aid your state offers its residents at your state’s higher education agency. - School Aid
Colleges and private scholarship sponsors offer billions of dollars in financial aid. Even if you don’t have a high level of financial need, you may be eligible for these awards. Most colleges and many private scholarship sponsors require students to submit their FAFSA to be considered for financial aid. Some school and private scholarship programs are specifically designed for students who were rejected for federal financial aid, so even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for federal aid, it’s a smart move to submit your FAFSA. - It’s Free
A completed FAFSA will put you in consideration for federal, state, college and private scholarships and it’s completely free. The only thing you’ll spend completing your FAFSA is a few minutes of your time, and you could get thousands of dollars of financial aid in return. - Getting Help is Easy and Free
Not only is submitting your FAFSA free, but it may be easier to complete than you realize. Don’t know how to figure out your parents’ net worth? Don’t worry. When you complete your FAFSA online help is built into the system, so you won’t get bogged down by the form’s confusing financial jargon. You can still submit your questions online at the FAFSA Web site if you choose to fill out the paper form, or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
Many high schools and colleges offer help with FAFSA Day, an event usually in February. If your school doesn’t host a FAFSA Day, check with other schools in your area to see if you can attend their FAFSA Day.
Federal, state and private financial aid can be within your reach when you submit your FAFSA, so what are you waiting for? FAFSA forms become available on or before January 1st each year. Submit your FAFSA as soon after January 1st to have the best shot at financial aid.
Don’t just send in your FAFSA and expect the money to start rolling in. Many financial aid programs require additional forms besides the FAFSA, so check the requirements for state, school and private awards to make sure your application is complete.</p>
<p>NEM…if you KNOW you have students going to college in two or three years…and the college of student #1 requires students to apply their freshman year to be considered in subsequent years…then apply as an incoming freshman. You will need to reapply when the older kids are in college anyway because your financial circumstances will be different. BUT protect yourself…and apply as an incoming frosh if that is the policy of the school.</p>
<p>And why would you NOT want to fill out a FAFSA if you know you are not going to qualify for aid?</p>
<p>Because it is intrusive and a lot of trouble. It would make me angry if a school required a FAFSA for any reason other than to get financial aid.</p>
<p>thumper, I agree about being proactive and protecting one’s interests for the future. I just do not believe that most families follow the process closely. I would think that most families assume that they can apply for FA for their older child too, if their second or third child decides to go to college.</p>
<p>Filling out the FAFSA is a good excersize in getting you own finances in order. It isn’t all that much trouble. And if you do find it to be all that much trouble then maybe you need to review your finances in general and take a look at your retirement plan. The hardest piece of information for me to come up with the first time I did it was my daughter’s drivers license number. Really, if a FAFSA takes you more than 3 hours you need to spend some time with Suze Orman. Post #23 makes some very good points including the fact that there are private scholarships out there targeted toward the families that just need a little bump because they have some money, but college is expensive. Also as they pointed out a FAFAS is required for work study.</p>
<p>NEM…it’s pretty clearly stated on the websites of the schools that do have the requirement to APPLY as freshmen. Both of my kids’ colleges had that requirement.</p>
<p>Having said all that…no one is required to EVER file a FAFSA…if they don’t want to, they don’t have to.</p>
<p>My son was on a full scholarship for his freshman year. Now that he’s a soph, he gave up the scholarship and we are full pay. We filed a FAFSA so he could get an unsub stafford. The FA office saw our high EFC and reduced the amount of his loan. $4750 instead of the $6500. 
They increased it to the sophomore max after we appealed. So, beware. The amount of unsub staffords can vary.</p>
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<p>I believe the reason I’ve seen is to keep people from gaming the system: I’ve got enough money put aside for freshman year, so I’m not going to apply for FA, to increase my kid’s chances of admission. But I’m going to need significant FA in years 2 through 4.</p>
<p>Many colleges do not definitely state “no financial aid if you don’t apply in year 1,” except for internationals, but include language similar to:</p>
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</p>
<p>[Prospective</a> Students](<a href=“http://www.trincoll.edu/Admissions/finaid/prospective/Pages/default.aspx]Prospective”>http://www.trincoll.edu/Admissions/finaid/prospective/Pages/default.aspx)</p>
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<p>Do you have income from a small business to report?</p>
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I was one of the parents of a merit scholarship student directed to file for FAFSA, despite knowing we would not be eligible for any FA. I wasn’t happy for the extra work but it was worth the 1-1.5 hours to do it for the $34K/year scholarship. I never had to file FAFSA for that D again. I assume the rule for filing is so the school can assess whether you can also get some FA. It’s easier for them to make everyone file than to explain to each family individually why.</p>
<p>“I believe the reason I’ve seen is to keep people from gaming the system: I’ve got enough money put aside for freshman year, so I’m not going to apply for FA, to increase my kid’s chances of admission. But I’m going to need significant FA in years 2 through 4.”</p>
<p>So you are going to give up any chance your child might have at getting institutional aid all four years and instead take out loans for three years to pay for the rest of their education? That boggles my mind.</p>
<p>^ I was speaking rhetorically. I’m not in that position, and if I was, I would hope I would avoid the temptation.</p>
<p>^ ah, gotcha.</p>
<p>Yes I do, self-employment income anyway, and since I do my owe taxes, I just did the FAFSA the next day. Really not that big a deal! You just transfere the little numbers from one line to another. I hate doing taxes, but once I’ve gotten through that anxiety attack, (not as bad in Feb/March as it is in April) the FAFSA is a walk in the park. I will admit that if you have to figure out the net worth of a business that might have inventory or whatever that will take longer. But at that level you probably have an accountant. And you have to run these numbers at least once year to keep an eye on the business anyway. So the FAFSA shouldn’t be adding to your burden, just bringing all the numbers together in one place where you can look at them and evaluate your progress. As I said a good excersize.</p>
<p>“If I remember correctly, some schools required FAFSA even if you didn’t qualify, in order to be considered for merit scholarships.”</p>
<p>This is correct - at least at my DS’s school - Miami (OH). Several other parents have indicated the same is true at other schools. </p>
<p>And yes it is a true merit scholarship - based only upon your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. However, in order to collect you must file the FAFSA - even though we have a 99,999 EFC. The money is worth the bother - for my DS who is a sophomore it’s $9,000 per year. (For freshman this year its now $10,000) I called the school and they indicated that require FAFSA to make sure your receive every available dollar - even if your EFC is 99,999. </p>
<p>Is this logical - no. Would I prefer not having to complete the FAFSA - yes. But for $36,000 over my son’s college career - I can deal with it.</p>
<p>Chicago Bear, for Miami of Ohio (a school we are interested in) did you just fill out the FAFSA but not check the box that you were applying for financial aid?</p>
<p>OP- I just checked with my D. We did check the box on the common App last year that we were applying for Fin Aid even though we knew that we would not qualify for any.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad, what was the reason the school gave for requiring you to file for FAFSA when your child received a merit scholarship, which presumably should have no strings attached? I am asking because we may find ourselves in a similar situation. My daughter is hoping to apply for merit scholarships, but we don’t have a prayer of getting any sort of aid and have no intention of wasting our time filing for FAFSA. Is your experience a common one?</p>