<p>My only child is a freshman at a Top 20 university and currently receives a small financial need based grant. I need to sell appreciated stock with capital gains sometime during the next four years to pay tuition because the 529 fund will not cover all four years of tuition.</p>
<p>I was thinking that the school will use my tax returns from 2012 to 2015 for their computation of need based aid for a student that graduates in 2017. Freshman year aid was based on 2012 tax return, for example. So senior year aid should be logically based on 2015 tax return.</p>
<p>Am I thinking clearly that I should wait until 2016 to sell stock with capital gains? When do schools that are giving need based grants stop asking for tax returns? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your help.</p>
<p>When do they stop asking for returns? Ask YOUR kiddo’s college! </p>
<p>In our two kids’ cases, we had to submit tax returns even with our final FAFSA. </p>
<p>If your child will be a college senior in 2016-2017 school year, you will be using 2015 tax information to complete her FAFSA in early 2016. I would say…sell those stocks right after you complete that LAST FAFSA.</p>
<p>Just be alerted that if your kiddo attends some law or med schools, you still might need to provide YOUR financial information on the FAFSA for some schools.</p>
<p>It depends upon the school as to when they stop asking for returns, but the capital gain would be reportable on the financial aid form whether or not the return is asked for or not. Figure that the last form you have to file fo aid will be in 2016 which would could cover the calender 2015 year. So if you sell the stock after 12/31/15, the gain won’t be considered as income. </p>
<p>But all things don’t always go by plan. Your child could go an extra year. It might be wiser to sell the danged stock or risk loss. All of these things need to be considered and are part of the risk.</p>
<p>*our two kids’ cases, we had to submit tax returns even with our final FAFSA. *</p>
<p>Here too.</p>
<p>I don’t know what the size of the potential capital gains are…However, since you are trying to protect a “small financial need based grant”, I’d strongly recommend that you worry more about the market and what you foresee there.</p>
<p>2016 is a LONG time from now…if you wait that long, you may not have any capital gains left to even worry about. Don’t let the financial aid be the sole factor in your decision.</p>
<p>Thank you, all. I agree it’s not a good idea to let the financial aid tail wag the dog. Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Ah… I have been considering this as well. But I expect this calendar year to be good enough financially that D likely won’t get any FA next year (2015-16) anyway (not true every year). And the stock market is high, so I am thinking about selling now. I am waiting a bit to make sure I have a good read on my small business work pipeline this year, though.</p>