<p>Hello... I have three kids. One is already in college. It's her third year and we are still helping her with rent money and things like that. I have no problems helping her. She is like my shining star.<br>
I have two boys who are twins. Both are going OOS. One received a scholarship. Not huge but its something and the other will be one the WUE program. One is still in verification for DRT with the IRS. We still have not filed. The other one received about 5500. Seems like that is normal. So I am assuming that what the other one will get.
Currently I am unemployed. I thought they would get more aid. I also filed for Cal Grant. I received an email saying they were disqualified. I am not sure why. One has 3.3 GPA. I thought he would qualify. I don't understand. I don't understand FAFSA either. I didn't work for more than half the year last year????</p>
<p>" I don’t understand FAFSA either."</p>
<p>Did you file it? Is it that you don’t understand the results? Then print out the formula and work through it on paper. Each of your kids may have a different EFC:
<a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/091312EFCFormulaGuide1314.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/091312EFCFormulaGuide1314.pdf</a></p>
<p>HappyMom-- I did work through it. So I have one that said he would get Pell Grant. But I still will not as the results of one of the aid package as they have a verification on my S2 account. I have been trying to get H to do our tax, so I have a better idea for him. FAFSA gave S1 20k but a parent loan.</p>
<p>Cal Grants are only available to students attending California schools, including some (but not all) private schools in California. Since both of the twins are going out of state, that would explain why they’re ineligible for Cal Grants.</p>
<p>If the schools they’re attending are not affordable, they have the option of transferring back to California state schools, and they would remain eligible to apply for Cal Grants until next year’s March deadline - but that option ends next year. A student may apply for Cal Grants for up to one year after graduating from high school. After that, the student can still apply, but there’s no longer a guarantee of receiving the grant. (It’s different for community college students, but that’s not your situation.)</p>
<p>FAFSA, by the way, doesn’t “give” anything. It just determines the student’s eligibility for aid. In your case, it sounds like both the twins will be eligible for Pell grants. They can also apply for federal student loans. But any other aid they get would have to come from the colleges they’re attending . . . so what you need is to see what financial aid, if any, they will be awarded directly from the colleges.</p>
<p>Any gap is going to have to be filled with loans that you take out . . . and that sounds like something you can’t really afford.</p>
<p>Another unfortunate circumstance is that you did have six months of earnings for 2012. FAFSA looks at that number as your 12-month annual income, even if it was all received before July. You might qualify for special consideration since you are currently unemployed (and presumably have $0 income thus far in 2013), but this will vary from school to school.</p>
<p>“I have been trying to get H to do our tax”</p>
<p>Is there any reason why you can’t take a crack at the taxes yourself? If you have all of the paperwork, it might not be that hard to do.</p>
<p>If your boys don’t get enough aid, they won’t be going off to college next fall. Is the reason why your husband is dragging his feet about this that he doesn’t think they are ready to go, or he doesn’t like the places where they have been accepted? Talk with him about the situation. There are very few IRS forms that are still pending for tax year 2012. Even if your family is waiting for one of those, it would be possible to file now, and amend your return later with a 1040x when the last pieces arrive.</p>
<p>Yea… He doesn’t want them going, but we are a family of education comes first. He told me he is waiting for some forms to be released. We have a brockage company. So that’s why I don’t do the taxes.</p>
<p>Do they have any options that are more affordable? Or are they interested in some special major that is only offered where they were admitted?</p>
<p>It looks to me like you and your husband and the boys all need to get on the same page about the cost of their educations.</p>
<p>Get the taxes done ASAP. If you have to refile with corrections, and a 1040X this year, the first with two in college, do so. </p>
<p>Sit down and explain that you have been unemployed for 6 months and ask for consideration to be classified as a dislocated worker, Maybe PM Kelsmom and ask for help in the wording. Send the letter to all three kids’ school so that you have a crack at some more money.</p>
<p>I believe your income needs to be below a certain amount to gain a financial aid adjustment as a dislocated worker. I’m not positive what that threshold is.</p>
<p>$50,000 AGI is the threshold. If the AGI is more than $50k, being a dislocated worker makes no difference for anything (below that AGI, all assets are ignored).</p>
<p>One of my son already got his FAFSA packet and he has a scholarship. The other one has verification of DRT. My husband just got done with my taxes and now he is doing his. Thank you for all your help</p>
<p>You will not be able to use DRT, because you and your husband filed separately. You will have to obtain a tax transcript for each of you & submit that to the school. If your son filed taxes, he can use the DRT.</p>