<p>Is anybody here well versed on the ISFAA and what it's asking? I'm a UK student trying to fill this thing out but I need some confirmation on a few things.</p>
<p>"10. List below the names of the colleges and universities to which you are applying." Do I need to answer this? Is it compulsory? Will colleges use this against me?</p>
<p>"15. How many people, including yourself, depend on the income of your parents for daily living expenses?" Do include my parents in this question?</p>
<p>"16. Family Member Listing. Provide information for all family members you included in question 11 or 15. Do not give information about yourself" Question 11 asks if I have a spouse or dependents. So question 16 is a table, and it has columns asking "Relationship to student" and "Educational Information" etc. Is this for all members of my family (excluding me) or just my siblings? I'm leaning towards siblings because of the emphasis on education but I'm not sure whether to include my parents in Question 15.</p>
<p>"21. How will you pay for your transportation to the United States? (e.g. parents' income, sponsor, etc.)" If I am hoping for a financial aid package to include a round trip should I say this? I suppose my family's income could pay for it, but if I say that will they not give me aid for travel?</p>
<p>That's about it for now, I guess. I'd be extremely grateful if you could answer one or more of these queries. I'm trying to finish the forms before the new year so that I have everything done and dusted.</p>
<p>Here’s a good guideline: when in doubt, be honest and err on the side of providing more information.</p>
<p>For question 15, do include your parents. Also include them in question 16. </p>
<p>For question 21, if you are hoping for financial aid to cover transportation, then you should state so. </p>
<p>Many applicants choose not to answer the question which other colleges one has applied to. If skipping it has adverse consequences, I do not know.</p>
<p>10: yes they will use is against you if you list all 12 of them or if they clearly appear as a safety. However on ISFAA you are not required to fill it out completely, unlike FAFSA. List 2-3 “peers” and one safety if you wish to answer but as B@r!um said you can skip it.</p>
<p>15 & 16: as b@rum said, include parents and any person who depends on their salary (not only siblings and parents, but also any other relative your parents provide for, ie, grandmother who lives with you or in retirement home paid for by parents, etc)</p>
<p>21: not recommended to say “college” if parents can afford it. Paying for college is your parents’ primary responsibility. If you are truly so destitute you can’t even pay for the plane ticket to get to the college (and do realize it means your application must be Harvard-level if you expect them to invest $60,000 on you each year) do ask for it, but it makes your admission that much more difficult because it implies you can’t pay for books, health insurance, etc, either, ie., you’re effectively asking for a full ride only a handful of schools can realistically provide. I realize that the cost of a plane ticket to the US may be out of the means of many international families so being honest is important - it’s pointless to get into a school you can’t get to… - but it’s also important to realize it’s not the college’s responsibility to fund you.
If your parents can afford it, don’t include it - if you ask for money you don’t need, ie., if you hope the college to pay for your plane ticket when your parents can afford it, you’ll pass for a moocher :s.
So think carefully whether it’s a “need” or a “want”.</p>
<p>Believe me, I’m not trying to pass for a moocher at all. Just trying to fill this out as honestly as possible. I’ve been reminded by my parents that we aren’t rich and that affordability is the main decider here.</p>
<p>Another problem I guess is with knowing exactly how much we can afford to pay. Do I list down the absolute maximum we can pay (though this would put us in a bit deep if an emergency came up etc) or something we can comfortably pay?</p>
<p>Is it possible/alright to affix another sheet or two? There isn’t enough room for me to for all of the information from some questions.</p>
<p>Write down what your family thinks it can pay, because the college will typically think you can pay more, so in the end putting the absolute maximum will result in overextending your resources. :)</p>
<p>"10. Don’t take it too seriously. It doesn’t say list ALL the colleges! if your not comfortable listing all of them, just name the one your sending the form to.</p>
<p>"15. Parents + You + other people in your home (e.g. siblings) + other people who depend on your income outside your home (siblings in college!)</p>
<p>"16. If your parents are not in school (!!!), just list your siblings…</p>
<p>"21. Colleges don’t usually give aid for travel. Check with each college’s website, admission & financial aid office and students who got admitted to see if they do so. If they give aid for travel write what you said; but if not just write “parent’s income”.</p>
<p>One quick note:
To my experience the only important part of the form that colleges read it for now (for admissions) is the “Section F - Expected Support for Educational Expenses” [Question 32].
Fill it carefully. If you can’t really pay anything just fill it with "0"s. Don’t think that there is difference between you paying $0 and $4000; so don’t try to increase your chance by putting your family in a hard circumstances…</p>
<p>Please can someone explain me if i should submit a specific Financial Resource statement for the colleges that I’m applying. Is this required before the application or after students are admitted. help this is urgent!!!</p>
- but it’s also important to realize it’s not the college’s responsibility to fund you.