<p>I got a notice yesterday saying that corrections had been made to my daughter's FAFSA. </p>
<p>Today I got another notice saying that corrections had been made. </p>
<p>I called FAFSA help-desk today and had the changes explained to me. </p>
<p>The first set of changes was from my daughter's school (GWU). They had gone in and made some pretty bizarro changes - saying that she had a little over 3K in investments (she has none) and that I had over 17K in cash/savings/checking (I've got nothing even remostely like that). </p>
<p>The second set of changes was from a school my daughter had been accepted to, but hadn't chosen to attend (Rollins) and hasn't had any contact with since March/April. No deposit or anything financial with them other than the application for aid. Rollins had gone into her FAFSA and changed the incorrect information that GWU had put in... and updated a few little things like tconfirming the type of tax form we each used. </p>
<p>Is that not strange?</p>
<p>For starters - why is GWU saying we have money that we clearly don't have?</p>
<p>Secondly - why is Rollins doing anything at all to her FAFSA? Why do they bother messing with a FAFSA for a kid who isn't coming to them? </p>
<p>Of course all this happens on a Friday, so I cna't really do anything about it until Monday, but I did email our contact at GWU's financial aid office. He's been very helpful in the past and hopefully that will get the ball rolling. </p>
<p>Is stuff like this common and I'm making a big deal out of nothing? </p>
<p>Strange.
Any input would be welcome.</p>
<p>Financial aid doesn’t always know the student isn’t going to enroll. We just process what is in front of us. I have a list of files that are ready to verify & I do just that … I don’t look at whether or not the student has decided to attend, just that the student has submitted the info & is ready to be verified.</p>
<p>As far as the incorrect info goes, it could have been a mistake. That happens. Calling is good idea.</p>
<p>Kelsmom’s explanation makes sense to me. Fin aid and admissions are often separate. If a FAFSA change notification comes to the office, it would be automatic for a school to look at it without necessarily checking for whether the student is enrolling.</p>
<p>Also, mistakes are often made. You need to talk to GW. You don’t want incorrect data to be on your account.</p>
<p>thanks so much for the reassurance. </p>
<p>there must be a rule that says that all of these scary things have to happen on a friday after when we can’t do anything about it! :)</p>
<p>So I just heard back from D’s school and now I’m really worried. </p>
<p>Reminder: the school sent into the FAFSA and changed several things, the most concerning of which were:
- Changed D’s investment income from $0 to $3,000.
- Changed my cash/savings/checking from $1,000 to $17,700.</p>
<p>Their answer was that the changes were made based on information from the tax returns. and: “In the event dividend or interest earnings are reported on a tax return, our office will project an investment from those earnings based on the level of said interest and/or dividend income.”</p>
<p>D had no interest or dividend income. </p>
<p>I had $886 in interest on my tax return which came from cashing-in $4,600 worth of savings bonds, most of which was used to pay-off an educational loan. I dont’ see how they can get $17,700 from that. </p>
<p>Does this sound right to anyone in-the-know?</p>
<p>Send them the 1099 from your bonds and point out the your D had none! I have heard of imputed values where the FAFSA shows a lower amount of assets than is supported by the interest/div income reported on the tax return, but this should be fairly easy to clear up.</p>
<p>sk8tr -
thanks so much. i’m totally freaked out by this & afraid that they’ll change her aid package at the last minute & she won’t be able to go there. </p>
<p>i’ll fax them the copies and drop them in the mail as well. </p>
<p>i hope i can clear this up soon.</p>
<p>Make sure to include a typewritten, signed statement that explains that you did not have these assets on the day you signed your FAFSA. Indicate the value of any assets you DID have on that date, and include a statement from the accounts, if possible, as of that date.</p>
<p>Do what 1sttimemom said.</p>