<p>Does this sound right?--I have been divorced 10 years with 2 children. One child in college. My ex quit paying child support for her when she graduated from high school, and does not help with her college at all. Including child support for my other kid, I earn about $40000 a year before taxes (already less than the OP mom's alimony), and my D gets no need-based grants at all. She has qualified for tons of loans and has a merit scholarship, but will basically graduate with a huge debt. After her loans and scholarships, I have paid (borrowed) $8000 personally in the calendar year 2006 to pay the rest of her bill. What do poor people do? When she and my son graduate, I will be working two jobs to pay this off. She is a sophomore now. Am I doing something wrong on the FAFSA? I just don't know where they expect the money to come from. I am not a frivolous person. I have old 80's blue and pink furniture and decor and holes in my underwear. I mow my own lawn, clean my own house, color my own hair, and paint my own fingernails. (ha ha) I cannot cut expenses any more than I already have. Sorry for the rant. Just wanted to see how these numbers compare with other folks.</p>
<p>Oh, I like this thread a lot!</p>
<p>My parents are divorced. They divorced in 2000 and my father pays about $500 a month for Child Support. He owns a restaurant and works as the chef. I'm not exactly sure how much he makes yearly because he didn't tell me..not a very communicative dad.
My mom made around $34,000 in 2005...she is my custodial parent. She is an acupuncturist and it makes good money, but she just started her own business in 2005 so that's why the income is so low.</p>
<p>My step-dad is married to my mom, but he I guess...isn't actually considered in any of my FAFS files because both of them put down single when filing it. So I guess I check off single-custodial parent.</p>
<p>Also, do we use the 2005 tax returns or 2006? I don't think they filed the 2006 yet.. And what is it that we need proof for FAFSA or whichever that my parents are divorced?</p>
<p>You file after January 1 using the 2006 tax figures. I submit the FAFSA electronically and have not been asked to provide any divorce documents.</p>
<p>MusicMom, according to FAFSA, what's your EFC? It seems to me your daughter should qualify for need based aid.</p>
<p>just bumping.....</p>
<p>My Dad is a millionare. My Mom earns about $55,000 annually. Brown University is my first choice school. It has a non custodial parent form requirement, which is what my father is. My parents have undergone a custody battle since their divorce when I was 4-years-old, and, now, I do not live with my Dad at all. </p>
<p>Stated within the noncustodial parent form, my Dad said something about how he is not willing to pay anything more than what he already has saved for me (about $60,000).</p>
<p>Brown is need-blind and promises to meet the full demonstrated need of every admit. </p>
<p>How will my parents situation affect my financial aid package?</p>
<p>Brown and most schools that take the CSS profile will look at the income and assets of both of your parents. there willb e separate EFCs for both of your parents since they are divorced, the school respect their privacy and not disclose financial aid info to the other parent.</p>
<p>this being said, FA is based on how much money your parents are able to pay not how much they are willing to pay, side agreements and most don't consider divorce agreements that cap. If your father is a millionare it is highly unlikely that you will get any need based financial aid at Brown or any other school that provides aid soley based on need. You will be consider a full freight payer.</p>
<p>It seems that you are between a rock and a hard place with your parents.</p>
<p>You can look at schools that only require the FAFSA where they will only ask for the income of your custodial parent (your mother). Also consider looking at schools where you could be in line to get merit money that is not based on financial need. have you spoken to your dad on your own and explained your desire to attend Brown?</p>
<p>Is the $60,000 your father has saved an asset in your name? If yes, then the school will calculate any where from 25 to 35% to your EFC.</p>
<p>for example if they assess 25% a year the first year you will have an EFC of 15,000 separate from your parents.</p>
<p>60000-15000 = 45000</p>
<p>the second year will be</p>
<p>45000 * .25 = 11250</p>
<p>45000-11250 = 33750</p>
<p>3rd year </p>
<p>33750 * .25 = 8438</p>
<p>33750 -8438 = 25,312</p>
<p>4th year </p>
<p>25312 * .25 = 6328</p>
<p>good luck to you</p>
<p>RE: UVA, my D applied to UVA a few years ago and they did not require Profile, only FAFSA, which would not include the Dad. I think the mom's income is too much for their current low income program, but you might check out the info on access UVA, I know they are very very helpful at UVA fin aid about working with you. UVA did have some Profile-like questionnaires, including home equity and cars you have, but no official Profile. Give UVA finaid a call and see what they can do for you.</p>
<p>By all means have your mother bring up your college situation to her divorce attorney. It may bring some resolution.</p>
<p>As far as your brother joining the college scene, the problem is whether your father is going to cooperate in the process. In a school like UVA, BOTH parents' w-2s are needed, and they want both parents' financial info. If your dad refuses to fill out anything and release anything, it is a big problem. If he fills out the info, and is in the financial situation where he is deemed to be able to pay for your college (and your brother's), it is a problem, if he won' t pay. Most colleges that require info outside of the FAFSA, and UVA is such a school, want the info from both parents, whether they are divorced or not, whether they are cooperative or not, and if it is not forthcoming, neither is the aid. Your mother's income clearly qualifies all of you for aid, and a FAFSA only school would probably not ask for your father's particulars. You will be entitled to govt aid as FAFSA will calculate, but it's not going to be easy getting UVA to let your father off the hook. You should try with letters from the school, a minister, a social worker, some adult familiar with your predicament. </p>
<p>Wecandothis, during divorce negotiations, things get very nasty, and getting about &250K which is what is needed in a lump sum set aside for a kids college is too often a "no deal", and the judge will too often throw it out. My friend did have a "half the college costs" deal with her ex, but when the time came, he defined that half as half of what it would cost to commute to a state school. And he could well afford private school costs. Once the kid is 18,it becomes their responsibility to sue for any of that, and most kids are reluctant to do so, as are many custodial parents who are just plain worn out from the battles. There is no legal requirement for non divorced parents to commit to college costs either. It is a decision parents make together, though there may be disagreements about amounts. One of the most vicious battles I saw was with a married couple we know who came very close to divorce over college costs. He went to a local college, commuted, graduated, has a great business. He doesn't see why his girls should have to go away to an expensive private school. He has a boat, vacation home, super bowl tickets, beautiful, expensive home, luxury cars. He wants those things. Sending his daughter away to college for a projected $200K in costs is not in his vision. Mom feels that it is a priority expense, and wants the girls to have the away to college experience. No way will they qualify for financial aid, and though they are good students, getting a free ride is not likely. He feels the local state school is just fine, and a bargain besides. Why pay for them to go to Hartwick or Smith or Wheaton? Because the decision is in the hands of the parent, it is treated the same as sending the kid to a private school--highschool or grammar or nursery. It is a parental decision, not one of the kid's, and if you have the bad luck to have parents who can't or won't spend the money, you are stuck. THere are local inexpensive avenues you can take, but without parental cooperation and money, it is unlikely you will be able to go away to college.</p>
<p>"UVA requires both FAFSA and the CSS profile to determine financial aid. This means the income and the assets of both your parents will be used to determine the amount of financial aid you will recieve."</p>
<p>I started registering for the CSS profile today and it said something about if parents are divorced/separated, you fill it out according to which parent you've lived with/gotten the greatest contribution from in the past 12 months. I haven't started filling it out yet, but where does the other parent come in? Just wondering.</p>
<p>regarding divorced/spearated parents, UVA states the following:</p>
<p>*Divorced or Separated Parents of Undergraduate Students *</p>
<p>In cases where parents are divorced or separated, the University expects both custodial and non-custodial parents to contribute to their children's educational costs based on their financial ability. </p>
<p>UVA takes the FAFSA and their own institutional aid form (which does ask basic information about the non-custodial parent). My take is that UVA contacts the ncp directly regarding them filling out the financial aid forms.</p>
<p>February Submit</p>
<p>signed copies of your parent(s) and your 2006 federal tax returns (including W2 and schedules). You may either mail or fax your 2006 documents to Student Financial Services. Do Not submit state tax returns</p>
<p>Dependent students are required to submit both their parents’ and their income tax documents. Independent students are required to submit both their spouse’s (if applicable) and their income tax documents.</p>
<p>MAmom23, you are not being penalized for your ex's earnings if you are filing FAFSA alone. FAFSA schools only take the custodial parent's financal situation. It's when they also require PROFILE or their own app, that they will go after the non custodial parent's financials as well. It is really only fair that they do so, because if they did not, it would become part of divorce planning to set up an agreement or ignore the college finances. That is what usually happens anyways, but most colleges that use the supplemental forms will not take that as an answer. Only in cases where you can prove that the non custodial parent has truly deserted the child, can you get away without his paperwork. If you and the custodial parent have been living poverty level for the past 10 years without being able to pursue the other parent, and you have social workers, pastors, counselors all noting the situation, you might be able to go ahead without his part of the financial app.<br>
This has become an epidemic problem. Non custodial parents tend to want to skimp on their college contributions regardless of what they have in terms of assets and income. It is sad that the kid has to pay the price of this neglect, but it is consistent with college methodology. IT is the parents' responsibility to provide the college education. If your parents do not want to pay and they have the means, that is their choice. If they do not have the means and you/they can find a school that will give you money, then you are set. THere are merit awards for those kids that are particularly desirable to colleges. But otherwise, it is a tough go. COllege is not a right in this country. If your family does not have the means and you cannot get enough money in aid and scholarships, you need to work and earn the money yourself to go. You can join the military, you can take community college courses part time. There are ways to do this. But you are not owed a college education in this country.</p>
<p>Is there a list on CC of selective college which only require the FAFSA and not the CSS form. I know the Earlham in IN is one such school. Please add to the list.</p>
<p>Earlham requires the FAFSA and their own financial aid form</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is there a list on CC of selective college which only require the FAFSA
[/quote]
Somebody, I forget who, started a list like that last week.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=285798%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=285798</a></p>
<p>I've never seen such a list. You need to get a list of the FAFSA schools and then cross of the PROFILE schools. You still have schools that request their own apps. Schools that require FAFSA only do not tend to meet large % of need, in my experience.</p>
<p>Our experience was different-- UCLA met 100% of need. As (almost) always, that includes grants, student loans, and work study.</p>
<p>I have been wanting to check out the statement that FAFSA-only schools are less generous.</p>
<p>So I ran a comparison of three similar schools in my neck of the woods, Baylor, TCU and SMU. The first two are FAFSA-only. SMU is FAFSA and Profile. </p>
<p>The FAFSA-only schools meet 70% of need, SMU 91% of need. The ratio of average need-based award to tuition, room and board, however, shows SMU to be less generous. I really don't know what to make of this, honestly.</p>
<p>Here are the statistics. Can anybody else mine this data for something conclusive?</p>
<p>Baylor - Tuition 22814, RnB 7125
Financial Aid Statistics
Full-time freshman enrollment: 3,161
Number who applied for need-based aid: 2,282
Number who were judged to have need: 1,739
Number who were offered aid: 1,739
Number who had full need met: 278
Average percent of need met: 70%
Average financial aid package: $16,482
Average need-based loan: $2,015
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $12,114
Average non-need based aid: $6,880
Average indebtedness at graduation: Not reported</p>
<p>Texas Christian - Tuitition 23028, RnB 7520
Financial Aid Statistics
Full-time freshman enrollment: 1,610
Number who applied for need-based aid: 875
Number who were judged to have need: 613
Number who were offered aid: 610
Number who had full need met: 289
Average percent of need met: 71%
Average financial aid package: $14,193
Average need-based loan: $4,809
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $10,246
Average non-need based aid: $8,117
Average indebtedness at graduation: Not reported</p>
<p>Southern Methodist - Tuition 28630, RnB 10115
Financial Aid Statistics
Full-time freshman enrollment: 1,402
Number who applied for need-based aid: 644
Number who were judged to have need: 471
Number who were offered aid: 468
Number who had full need met: 270
Average percent of need met: 91%
Average financial aid package: $23,506
Average need-based loan: $2,555
Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $11,918
Average non-need based aid: $5,188
Average indebtedness at graduation: $18,571</p>
<p>Let me add UC Berkeley to the mix-- (UCLA's stats aren't reported on College Board, but Berkeley is similar in many regards):</p>
<p>Financial Aid Statistics</p>
<pre><code>* Full-time freshman enrollment: 4,059
* Number who applied for need-based aid: 3,168
* Number who were judged to have need: 1,994
* Number who were offered aid: 1,934
* Number who had full need met: 995
- Average percent of need met: 90%
- Average financial aid package: $16,460
- Average need-based loan: $4,254
- Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $12,021
- Average non-need based aid: $2,958
- Average indebtedness at graduation: $13,171 </code></pre>