That’s why I advised OP to call Emory! They will give better advice than CC.
just to clarify, we will not likely qualify for any needed basis financial aid based on EFC calculated as compared COA. What I am trying here is that: maybe we are lucky and school will give some discount (even a small amount) if we file the forms. We didn’t get anything for first year. Well, we didn’t even file any forms. so we never know if school would give us some discount.
not sure if anyone has experience like that (even you have high EFC, you get some discount from school just because you filed the forms)
When we were searching, we did run into a couple of schools that gave $1000 or so just for filling out the FAFSA. I think one was Stetson, and there was another one in the south. They wanted everyone to fill them out and sort of publicized this, so I think you’d know if a school was doing it.
Last year some schools gave a Covid fund payment to all students who had completed a FAFSA. The federal government gave schools millions of dollars and some schools gave it back to students, even students who hadn’t received any other aid or taken the loans.
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Please give where you got this info. It is not uniformly true at most places for citizens.
Of course, transfer students are less likely to receive aid
Calling Emory is good advice for the OP. My response is based on your claim that “most Universities won’t give aid to second years if aid was never asked for going in.” This is not accurate.
It sounds like you are looking for some aid. Really you won’t get more need based aid simply because you fill out the forms…if you don’t qualify otherwise.
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This won’t be your most helpful answer, but I will say you should ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, apply for FAFSA. Even if you don’t think they will give you anything, it’s always worth applying for because you have nothing to lose by applying (because it’s free) and you might actually get something. It’s worth it. (I don’t know anything about CSS, but it sounds like it’s still worth it).
Also, even after the deadline, you can sometimes still get financial aid from FAFSA, even well past it, so go ahead and apply for it for his first year! Again, nothing to lose!
CSS has a cost and if your EFC is above the COA, you won’t get anything. CSS is more difficult and if you often have to upload financial docs. I did it - and spent a few hundred - but mostly for piece of mind as I knew I was getting nothing.
FAFSA is a no brainer and while people get panicked, it’s relatively easy to fill out - you can even download all your stuff into it from your tax returns and I agree - yes, everyone should fill it out. It likely won’t help but at some schools it will (for example, Chicago will waiver your app fee) and others require it even for merit. It won’t hurt, and if you ever wanted a loan, you need it to get one too.
So there’s zero downside to doing it - well i suppose if the FAFSA got hacked it would be downside. But your college or one you applied to will definitely get hacked (thank you CU Boulder…glad we applied :)) So…yep, get it done.
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There is no reason to ALWAYS fill out. My D had a full ride and it wasn’t required for her merit. Why did I need to fill it out? My EFC was above the COA at the schools my D applied to and we didn’t need loans. So why fill it out?
Come on common sense. Time is valuable.
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FAFSA is a financial aid application form , not an aid distribution spot. The FAFSA does not give aid. The federal government and the schools give the aid.
With regard to federally funded aid…yes, you can submit the FAFSA after school deadlines to get any portion of the Pell Grant you are eligible for…and to access the Direct Loan.
BUT in terms of institutional aid, if you submit after the deadlines, don’t expect the colleges to give you aid from their money.
Best plan…if you need aid submit in keeping with the deadlines for your colleges.
It’s smart to do it first year, not every year. Your kids, like mine, go to schools where it doesn’t matter. But there are some where it does matter.
it’s personal preference, but if a child is applying to many schools and hasn’t yet picked one out, it’s a good box to have checked off just in case. For example, one college, I can’t remember which, offered a $1K scholarship just for submitting your FAFSA. Others on other threads have mentioned that a select few schools require a FAFSA before they’ll award you merit aid.
But if one chooses not to, that’s fine too.
It is called institutional aid. All colleges and universities offer additional aid to students every students based on need and merit. Ask the school about institutional aid
Some schools gave covid relief money to all who had filled out FAFSA last year. It was hundreds of dollars. If the student hadn’t filled out the form, they couldn’t give the money because it was federal money and that can’t go to non-qualified (non-citizen/green card) students.
So? My DD didn’t need the money. And her school did not give it to everyone who filed a FAFSA. I hope it went to someone who needed it.
I can’t stand the overgeneralizing.
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What’s with the attitude? Again, you don’t need to fill it out. You have an auto merit deal or an awarded merit deal.
It’s been noted that in the majority of cases if your EFC is above the COA, you won’t get anything.
However, there are occasions where it is beneficial. It’s why the colleges tell you regardless of your circumstance to fill it out.
You disagree. You’ve stated so. That’s fine. No reason to insult everyone. Don’t do the FAFSA and move on.
That’s fine if she didn’t need the money. Many took the stimulus money who didn’t need it.
Many find it worth it to spend 30 minutes filling out the FAFSA to get some money. You didn’t. OP asked what the benefits were and I gave one example of a benefit that her children could possibly get for just filling out the FAFSA.
Also, at the beginning of when my kids went to school, the high school or school district was getting a benefit if all their students filled it out. Michelle Obama traveled to several schools in Florida and ‘helped’ students fill out the forms or had a big drive and schools that had a high percentage of students fill out the FAFSA, even if they weren’t going to college, got something. I’m sure the Obamas didn’t fill out FAFSA for their kids, but they were sure encouraging everyone else to do it if eligible.
I’m not sure what you mean with this response. First of all…every student does NOT get merit or need based aid. This is student specific, and college specific.
And in most cases, the full need of students isn’t met.
And if the net price calculators indicate a family will get no need based aid, they won’t get need based aid.
But this thread is about filing a FAFSA and CSS Profile.