I wanted to know whether there was any place to explain a special circumstance on the FAFSA and/or CSS. I go to a private international school outside of the US for free because my dad works there, but then the tuition is added to my dad’s salary on paper. This makes my family look super rich even when were not and I want to be able to explain it so I get considered for more aid in schools like Stanford where 100% of need is met.
- You can't put notes on the FAFSA that I am aware of. The numbers are the numbers; he is getting what I assume is a tsxable benefit the way his pay is structured.
- I think there is a spot for explanation on the profile, but I doubt it will change what you get. If that money goes away, a couple years down the line his salary for FAFSA & Profile purposes will drop, and your aid may go up.
You can search the various college websites for links to their individual Special Circumstances paperwork. If you do not find that, email each financial aid office. Each place sets its own policy. You need to deal with each one separately.
It is important you understand though that this is financial advantage itself, not a throwaway insignificant part of your dad’s job. Is this part of a corporate package or do you mean your dad is a teacher at the school? How much is the school tuition a year?
@Sybylla Sorry for the late response, but my dad is the librarian there. I think the tuition is around $20,000. I also wanted to note that I do not live in an English speaking country so I really can’t go to a public school as it is not in English.
There is a section at the end of the CSS profile for special circumstances. You can add the information there.
Read this (http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/2024572-kids-that-start-cc-threads-and-then-dont-respond-to-posts-whats-up-with-that-p1.html) and realized I didn’t thank anyone. So thank you for replying @intparent @happymomof1 @Sybylla and @ProfessorMom1!