Ok, cool your jets. Mea culpa for not catching the hint in your first sentence that you were referring to University of Michigan students. Although at the end you do make a comparison to California public schools, which do not require Profile, to support your contention that the Profile requirement at a school could discourage students from applying under the impression that such a requirement would result in less need-based financial aid. Maybe this would be the case at California public schools, which have a comparatively generous financing mechanism for in-state students, but the fact that submitting Profile is part of the aid process should not be viewed as a negative. Many schools that require Profile are generous with institutional need-based aid, much more so on average than schools that only require FAFSA. For instance, a student from a low income family living in Pennsylvania who was accepted at both Penn State (FAFSA only) and Swarthmore (Profile required) would get far more aid from Swarthmore and very likely have a far less net cost there, even if moderate additional assets were reported on Profile (equity in a primary home, for example). Should such a student not bother to apply to Swarthmore because of an apprehension about the Profile requirement? No.
I’m happy to have a respectful, and spirited, discussion with you and anyone else regarding college financial aid or anything else covered by a CC forum. But I emphasize the word respectful. Hashing out these issues can lead to increased knowledge for anyone who cares to participate. Snarky attitudes generally either lead to a reply in kind or less participation, neither of which is desired.
Personally, I’m not worried about low income kids getting less aid because of the PROFILE. That will really only happen for a very small minority of students as MOST low income families have very simple finances.
What I’m worried about with the PROFILE is that it’s one more barrier to students. I used to volunteer in metro Detroit & Lansing (obviously at different points in time lol) schools working with juniors and seniors and their families to navigate the whole college process. The FAFSA was already a big barrier. The PROFILE is that much more complicated.
As I’ve said before though, if this increases the number of low income students who are able to go to U of M, I will be the first to applaud.
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Personally, I’m not worried about low income kids getting less aid because of the PROFILE. That will really only happen for a very small minority of students as MOST low income families have very simple finances.
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I don’t agree that UMich requiring CSS Profile affects a very small minority of low income kids, since NCP info is req’d. Low income families probably have as many NCP issues as middle/higher income families. I would guess that significant % of students have an NCP. The student who realizes that his/her NCP will not fill out the paperwork may be less likely to apply to UMich.
I agree that simply requiring ANY FA paperwork is a stumbling block to many low income students
@BelknapPoint I apologize for my sarcasm. I was shocked that anyone took my simple suggestions as to how some Pell qualified students might not end up applying or attending UMich because CSS Profile (or their NPC) captured something that FAFSA doesn’t include.
Recent studies indicate that divorce rates are higher at lower educational attainment and lower income, for whatever reason. (In addition, divorce itself tends to be bad for the finances of the ex-spouses.) To the extent that divorced spouses are often uncooperative with each other, that can make the CSS NCP Profile a barrier to many students with such parents, even if the parental finances are otherwise quite simple.
So it is likely that the use of CSS NCP Profile screens out a higher percentage of first generation and lower SES students than it does for higher SES students.
The University of Michigan does require the CSS NCP Profile.
Ucb… are you agreeing with me? Disagreeing? I have no idea what you’re trying to say.
FAFSA is simple among low income kids regardless of parents’ marital status.
PROFILE is a barrier. Yes, divorced parents are one of the many, MANY difficulties that low income students face with these additional forms.
Agree that CSS Profile is itself a barrier. But the CSS NCP Profile is an additional barrier (beyond what CSS Profile causes) for students who have uncooperative divorced parents.
Unless the NCP is unknown or whereabouts unknown (but yes, proving that adds a barrier).
Perhaps UMich could simplify the process for all EFC0 students, it’d already ease things up.
UofM meets need for instate students so I am not sure this is anything more than elevating that fact as a marketing strategy since other Michigan universities don’t guarantee to meet need. As far as out of state students UofM gets 50000 apps for roughly 6000 seats so there is really not a compelling need to simplify the process. If tuition discounting 5 grand or even 10 Grand a year from excess funds to OSS students or give a few more full ride scholarships to low out of state SES students who are fully qualified then yeah for the uni for raising the money.