SSS Family Report: # of dependents seems wrong?

I just noticed on our SSS family report that the listed # of dependents is one less than my number of kids…It’s as if they aren’t counting my DD going to BS as a “dependent?”

Is anyone else able to let me know that their report is doing the same thing? I’m wondering if it’s just the “extra dependents,” or if there is truly an error in my forms somewhere.

(I went back in to confirm that I had all the kids listed in the family information section.)

Also: unrelated but the SSS has some really big ideas about what they think I could reasonably afford! (ha).

Mine isn’t doing such a thing. It shows the actual number of my dependents regardless of the type of school they do or will attend. You may want to call the SSS folks and talk to them. The incorrect number of dependents may explain the higher EFC.

Ok thanks. I wonder what is going on then.

Call them on Monday! I bet that’s why your EFC is so high.

I emailed and I will call Monday.

But I am curious – anyone else showing “dependents” field on the Family Report not including the applicant?

I’m starting to wonder if it might be just how they present their data, for 2 reasons:

  1. I scoured the forms, and where you input the family info, it does have an "applicant" field and a "non-applicant dependent" field. So it's input separately. I doubt these forms are doing any math. It seems to be an input-transfer-format interface.
  2. And, someone DM'ed me and was showing the same thing that I had -- K-1 (where K is the total number of Kids in your house) as "dependents."

I will let you know what I find out but wondered about the experiences of other current applicants.

But why would data be presented differently on different reports? Our family reports says, literally:

Family
No. of Parents - 2
No. of Dependent Children - 2
Children in Tuition-charging Schools - 2

We have 2 children, both in tuition-charging schools, and one of them is the applicant. No “K-1” thing in our report.

@GoatMama is that for this year? Is it possible it has changed?

Yes, it’s for this year.

@GoatMama So I think we are looking at two different things.

On the SSS “dashboard” in the lower left, there are two different things you can click. One says “print your PFS” and the other says “Family Report.”

When I click on “print your PFS” the “dependent” number is K, which is correct.

When I click on “Family Report” the “dependent” number in the “Summary of PFS information you submitted” is K-1.

But – I noticed that the item number next to this is item 3. If I pop over to the “print your PFS,” item number 3 lines up with “non-applicant dependents.” In other words, even though they call it “dependents” on the “Family Report,” I think they might really mean “non-applicant dependents” from the PFS.

Why they would not be consistent with their language is a mystery. But I think this explains the difference.

I am guessing that the “Family Report” is only for the family (hence the title?), so perhaps it doesn’t matter anyway. I still will call to confirm.

Just to circle back – I’ve emailed (got a form email back that defined a “family report” but didn’t answer my question at all). And I’ve called, and I was told that “your dependents cannot include the applicant.” Which felt like a weird thing to say. But I decided to let this go since the PFS reflects all of my kids, even if the Family Report does not seem to.

Thanks @Calliemomofgirls

Like @GoatMama mine is correctly reflected. I wanted to share that mine also had nearly double what I believe I can afford. When I contacted the schools re something else I asked about the amount and all of them said not to worry that it is just a general calculation and that the school has a way of doing their own calculation and it is usually a good deal lower than the SSS amount. Some consolation I hope.

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@amumof2 – to confirm – are you talking about the PFS maybe? (not to get too hair-splitty, but want to make sure we are comparing apples to apples). Now I’m wondering again if I need to reach out to schools since the SSS people told me it was fine the way it was. ARGH.

@Calliemomofgirls - thanks, I didn’t even know the Family Report existed. Mine is the same as yours - it says number parents 2, number of dependent children 1, children in tuition-charging schools 1. We have two children, both currently in public schools, with our oldest applying to BS right now. And the figure they came up with for our contribution is hysterically funny…

^if y’all think the SSS/PFS figure for BS is funny…wait until you start doing this for college. You’ll be in downright hysterics. Ours was so hysterically funny, it literally brought us to tears.

And by then you’re so used to the heat turning up, you’re boiled but don’t even feel it.

This year’s application for the first time included one in college in addition to the one in high school. The total EFC number was many times lower than our college cost alone! I was honestly wondering what the school will do - let him attend for free??? Of course not. They gave us a couple thousand more FA but that was it. Now on to creative survival.