<p>I am currently a freshman in college. I filed FAFSA when it was due but I put my parents 2009 income..I had to pay around 1600 even though the EFC was at 0. Then I heard you can maximize your financial aid if you resend it? So i did that; I sent the 2010 income and got selected for verification. Now all of the sudden they took my financial aid until the verification gets done which I understand. However, they send me a bill with what I should of paid for fall (subtracting the pell grant) and included the winter 2012 semester. It is like around 7k; if I don't pay that apparently they will send it to the collections agency. I am really irritated because I don't know what to do; I called several times but get the same answer all the time! I fear if my financial aid will get completely taken away so i would like to know if I am in jeopardy or should I calm down?</p>
<p>First, you must have filed the FAFSA as “have filed” with 2009 income info and that was wrong - you can only use prior years as estimates with a “will file” tax status and then you need to go back in and update as soon as you have current figures. Do you have an updated, processed SAR now and did your EFC change? It sounds like you caused a headache for the FA dept and they had to back out your awards due to the incorrect info but they have added back a Pell grant…is that right? Schools are required to adjust a student’s aid when errors are discovered and, in this case, the errors were due to your failure to follow the FAFSA instructions. </p>
<p>What other aid did you have for fall that is still missing and are you sure you’re actually eligible for that aid with the updated FAFSA? Can you make an appointment to go in and talk with a FA advisor? If not, I would not bother them by telephone but would send an email POLITELY inquiring whether your revised FA awards will be complete by the due date on the bill and, if not, ask for an extension until they are finished. If you have to pay additional amounts and can’t come up with the money, please don’t start classes in spring unless you have it sorted out. We’ve seen students post here that they owe for classes and can’t get their transcripts released because of past due balances…that’s a very bad situation to be in!</p>
<p>For future reference, you are supposed to use the correct years income for FAFSA. For the current 2011-2012 school year, that is the 2010 income. Any aid awarded based on 2009 income was awarded in error. If you still have a 0 EFC now that you have submitted the correct data, then hopefully it will work out ok. Send the verification documents immediately.</p>
<p>You would not be eligible for extra aid by resubmitting FAFSA. That would make no sense whatsoever. As you already had a 0 efc you were probably getting the maximum you were eligible for. A 0 EFC does not mean you pay $0.</p>
<p>You will need to do FAFSA again after the 1st January, but it will be next year’s FAFSA (2012-2013) and will require 2011 income.</p>
<p>yes, i got a 0 when I resubmitted it. I honestly didn’t know that it had to be recent. Also, my parents income decreased in 2010 as well. Thanks swimcatsmom for your answer…now I understand what to do.</p>