<p>My grandfather wants to leave me his house in his will, but my mothers concerned that if something were to happen to him while I'm still in college receiving that house would null my financial aid. Im not so sure and kind of like the idea of having a house i dont have to make payment on when the time comes. Can yall help us?</p>
<p>Hmmm…will this house become the primary residence for,your family and you? If not, the equity in this secondary residence will be viewed as an asset by the colleges. And yes, it could affect need based aid because…reality is you can sell the house to pay college bills. If it is a parent asset, it will be assessed at 5.6% and if a student asset 20%. </p>
<p>(1) how likely is he really to do that (why pick you over his own kids/other grandkids???) and (2) how likely is he to die in the next 5 years. Lots of times people say stuff but it never really materializes. </p>
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<p>Having no mortgage is great, but there are many other expenses that come with home ownership, like real estate taxes and insurance, plus utilities and maintenance. Are you prepared to pay those costs?</p>
<p>I would love to own a second piece of real estate with no mortgage as well. BUT if you do end up owning this house, do not expect a college to ignore this. Colleges are not in the business of providing need based aid to students so that they can have a house of their own. </p>
<p>Sorry.</p>
<p>No it wouldnt be a main home. Im his only geandchild and My mother is his only child plus my mom owns the home were in now. It is verry possible for something to happen in the next 5-8 years hes 77 right now and has already had 5 open heart surgerys, countless stents in his legs due to blood clots, when he was younger the tractor blew up under him, and now hes about to go in tomorrow to look at the 70% blockage in his neck.</p>
<p>It would hurt your FA. And as others have pointed out, you still have to cover those other expenses for the property (insurance, repairs to stuff like the roof, utilities, and property taxes). Now maybe you could rent it out and use the income to pay tuition – but if it is in your name it would definitely be a student asset (which hits a lot harder in the financial aid calculation than a parental asset). Now… maybe the estate could be stretched out and the house not transferred to you as an heir until you last year of college when it does not matter for FA. You would have to ask an attorney if that is feasible, I am not sure. It may depend on how the will and other paperwork is set up.</p>
<p>Are you in college now having your need met? If so, it will require you to pay more. </p>
<p>If not, you can’t necessarily plan that you will have your need met when you start college even without the house. </p>
<p>We don’t know your grades, test scores, what kind of schools you may be targeting, your family financial situation.</p>
<p>What is the net value of the house? It could be that selling it if you inherit it will give you more toward college than an unknown amount of aid that may not cover much.</p>
<p>Im trying to get into college now, i was told by my admissions and financial aid advisor told me that with out my parents tax info i cant get any untill im 23 so im working my butt off at walmart 3rd sift trying to save up so i can just pay cash for school.
Im not sure back in the day it was a really good neighborhood in meritta, ga but its gone down hill from there. </p>
<p>Have him list you in the will, and when the time comes if it isn’t beneficial for you to own the home, you can refuse it from his estate. If the will is set up correctly, when you refuse it it will go to your mother or other heir. Just being listed in a will doesn’t change your financial picture now.</p>
<p>Im confused at all these responses. Money is money and money is good. If I give you X, whatever the equity in the house is, your financial aid is reduced by less than X and you have more money. And all this only happens IF your grandfather dies in a very specific time frame. </p>
<p>You dont have to make payments just sell it and keep the money. </p>
<p>Key to any of this is that the house is worth something. In this economy thats not a given. Do you know what the equity is in the home ?</p>
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<p>Why can’t you get your parent’s tax info? Do they have a high income? Can they contribute anything toward your college expenses? Are they married and living together or divorced/separated?</p>
<p>Your immediate concern is to get your parents to turn in the tax information so you can get some financial aid. You would not be considered independent for fin aid purposes till age 24 or some other situations (marriage, get a dependent, veteran of the armed forces). If you are not going to be getting aid and paying cash for school right now, what difference does it make if you MIGHT inherit a house. </p>
<p>Your grandfather is still alive so leaving the house to you in his will isn’t going to make any difference for a while Maybe a long while You can deal with that issue when it happens. Right now you need to deal with current financial aid problems you are having.</p>