"Lying" about assets on CSS?

<p>My parents own real estate (a small house) in another country, and I was wondering if this value should be considered in the real estate section. It's not an expensive property (valued at about 150K or so), but it is basically their only asset. </p>

<p>We have a very low income (20K) and I was wondering if the fact that my parents own another property will hurt my chances of getting as much financial aid, especially since I'll need close to a full ride to go to school anywhere. Could I just not report it or would that be lying? And how much less aid would I get if I did report it?</p>

<p>It would be lying. If you lie on the financial aid forms to gain additional financial aid, you run the risk of not only losing any aid the school gives you, but also your offer of admission. Colleges frown on dishonesty. </p>

<p>Answer the questions on your financial aid applications honestly.</p>

<p>Good grief. Of course it’s lying. And fraud.</p>

<p>If they rent it out, they should report the income too (and should be reporting it on their taxes as well). Hard to believe someone would own a $150,000 home and have it sit empty.</p>

<p>Also hard to believe the answer isn’t obvious. You list ALL assets, period - the value doesn’t matter (and $150,000 doesn’t qualify as “not expensive”).</p>

<p>That’s what I figured, I was just unsure because my counselor actually told me that I didn’t have to list it… I was mostly wondering if I would get significantly less aid because of it.</p>

<p>And it is actually “empty”; my parents don’t rent it out for some reason.</p>

<p>Your counselor must have misunderstood your question about this property.</p>

<p>Yes you include it as an asset. Convert the current value to US$ at the exchange rate of the day.</p>

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<p>Your counselor should know better! And, quite honestly, I wouldn’t go to him/her for any more advice. About anything. :(</p>

<p>As for the impact of this property on any aid you might receive, it’s possible, given your family’s low income, that it will have minimal impact. Others on this forum would have a better idea about this.</p>

<p>Do try running the net price calculators at the schools you’re applying to . . . that should give you an approximate idea.</p>

<p>Did you apply to any schools where you can qualify for merit aid?</p>

<p>Income under $23K and if your family can use the short form, your assets won’t count, and you get an auto zero EFC. You can lose it all by “forgetting” about property you own. You would not believe the unusual things that happen and things like this suirface. You are young and full of promise and anything can happen in your life. You can become some great leader, you can be up for a cabinet position, the head of a university, the list is endless, and lying on a federal form can quash all of that. If just the fact that it’s cheating and lying is not enough, do think about what you could be and so someday and what you can be doing to put that out of the picture.</p>

<p>Cpt…that simplified needs test applies only to the FAFSA. It doesn’t apply to the Profile.</p>

<p>In another thread, she said her family income was “30ish.” She is an undocumented immigrant (parents moved here when she was 1-1/2 years old and her visa expired). It will be interesting to read her admissions results come April, and what kind of finaid she gets.</p>

<p>Thanks, Thumper. Should have seen this–no FAFSA, just PROFILE, usually means foreign student, whether s/he’s here illegally or out of the country trying to get in legally.</p>

<p>OP, yes it’s “Lying” to “lie” about assets</p>

<p>and yes it may affect your financial aid</p>

<p>the purpose of financial aid is to give money based on need and part of that is an accurate picture of assets</p>

<p>just the way it works</p>

<p>good luck!!!</p>

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<p>Why will it be “interesting” to read her admissions & financial aid results, CTTC? I’m guessing that perhaps you think she should not be admitted, or not granted financial aid, because of her parents’ immigration status?</p>

<p>Many college applicants have spent much of their lives in this country, attended high school here, and performed well, despite their parents’ illegal status. Unfortunately, a 1-1/2 year old doesn’t get to decide where her parents will move with her. All she can do is make the best of it. Many private institutions have stated their willingness to fund these students, and the passage of the Dream Act in several states has also made it possible for them to attend many state schools, as well.</p>

<p>If you disagree, that’s a political issue that doesn’t need to be discussed in this forum. Regardless, she’s come here asking for advice and should be extended the same courtesy as any other CC’er.</p>

<p>There is no agree or disagree here that I detect. Just an interest in how colleges would treat such an application. In my case, it would be stored in my brain as an example and cited later for others in such a case. What my opinions on the situation are not in play here. </p>

<p>Lying on the form about assets is not a good idea at all, moral aspects aside. The world is a lot smaller than one would think and lies can have short legs,</p>

<p>I don’t see a college list here but most states in US have adopted policies to admit any kid who went to high school in their state and an addition make them eligible for instate tuition if they meet the minimum residency in the state requirements.</p>

<p>So there is no need to wait and see the admission results since it is given OP will get the admissions as long as the college deems OP admissible. This is irrespective of the legal status.</p>

<p>Seeing that the OP is completing a PROFILE form, it is probable that the school is not a state school but a private one. The OP would have to apply as an international student at most of those schools and they usually are not need blind for such students. How they will treat someone who is here in this country already and not documented as opposed to applicants who are trying to get accepted via legal venues would be an interesting situation though one case does not a precedent make. How schools treat such students do vary from school to school. The issue comes up all of the time here, and it seems that if a school official or other adult who knows how things work makes a call or lets a college know the situation about an undocumented student, the outcome is more favorable than for the usual international student needing financial aid to study in the US and is going through the hoops so required to do so Most colleges do not care about immigration status other than having to come up with extra money for foreign students since they are not entitled to government funds.</p>

<p>

So you think you know why I posted what I did? You know nothing. And isn’t it interesting how you consider **your<a href=“and%20only%20your”>/b</a> Dream Act opinions to be nonpolitical? </p>

<p>

You might want to do some research. Although nearly all states allow anyone in their state to go to that state’s colleges, most do NOT make them eligible for in-state tuition. Count the states, and you will see that the number is not “most.”</p>

<p>[Growing</a> number of states grant lower tuition rates for undocumented students](<a href=“http://nbclatino.com/2013/01/18/growing-number-of-states-grant-lower-tuition-rates-for-undocumented-students/]Growing”>http://nbclatino.com/2013/01/18/growing-number-of-states-grant-lower-tuition-rates-for-undocumented-students/)</p>

<p>"Earlier this week, California opened their financial aid application to qualified undocumented students applying to college and officials are anticipating around 20,000 applicants. New York is now considering similar financial aid legislation.</p>

<p>New bills are on the table in Colorado, Florida and New Jersey to offer in-state tuition for undocumented students and, if passed, the states would join thirteen others offering in-state rates."</p>

<p>cpt is correct in that the OP’s admission decisions are not as clear-cut as some may presume.</p>

<p>I don’t think this is a public school anyways because of the use of PROFILE. Only a handful of publics use PROFILE.</p>

<p>“cpt is correct in that the OP’s admission decisions are not as clear-cut as some may presume”</p>

<p>[Undocumented</a> Student Tuition: State Action](<a href=“http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/undocumented-student-tuition-state-action.aspx]Undocumented”>http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/undocumented-student-tuition-state-action.aspx)</p>

<p>Here is the actual status. Some states have a ban on granting in state while States like California are trying to find scholarships for the students. </p>

<p>Even if they do not offer in state tuition, there are no barriers to admission.</p>

<p>Texas, California and New York are the three largest states in the nation and two of them share the border with Mexico and host a majority of the illegals. Illegals usually do not try to hang around states where they need to face adversity.</p>

<p>Ivies routinely admit illegal aliens and fully fund them. It was big news in Texas couple of years ago that ICE arrested a kid at San Antonio airport while flying to Boston to attend Harvard. They let him go to school later.</p>

<p><a href=“http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2010/06/harvard-undocumented-mexican-student.html[/url]”>http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2010/06/harvard-undocumented-mexican-student.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This guy was the poster child for DREAM ACT</p>

<p><a href=“The Princeton Salutatorian Who Could Become a Leading Classics Scholar: He's an Illegal Immigrant - ABC News”>http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2046122&page=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>University of Virginia and University of Michigan use the Profile. Do any other public universities (does UNC-CH) use the Profile?</p>