<p>Yes, but it's YOUR aid!!! It is imperative that people take the time to understand.</p>
<p>What frustrates me the most is how I never get WorkStudy. I'm interested to see how poor I actually have to be before they give it to me. Maybe now that I made a whopping $9000 in income in 2007-2008 and am living off ramen.</p>
<p>When you fill out your FAFSA, do you check off the box that says you'd like work study? If not, that may be why you don't get it. Other reasons: your school might award loans prior to awarding work study; you might be at cost of attendance & not eligible for more federal aid; you might apply too late to get it (FWS is limited - if you finish up your application after it's all awarded, it's gone ...); your school might not get much work study funding from the feds; etc. Ask your f/a office about it - maybe they can help you figure out if you could do something that would make you eligible next year.</p>
<p>The most frustrating thing for me is having to complete the FAFSA using estimates. I get my taxes done by the end of the first week in Feb. Seems like the deadline should be extended to mid February...and maybe the date for choosing a college moved to May 15. That way...maybe more folks could complete the FAFSA and Profile without having to amend it. Seems like this would be better on the receiving end too...colleges would receive more final documents instead of estimates and final later..but both deadlines would have to change.</p>
<p>kelsmom:</p>
<p>Yeah, I get that. But that wasn't example given. It was both bio-parents, unmarried, living in the same household with college applicant, and both bio-parents working and contributing to household expenses.</p>
<p>The bottom line is if low income people get to go to a private college, then the middle class should too. To the person who mentioned lower priced opportunites for the middle class people making 150k who cannot afford 50k a year and do not receive financial aid, then the low-income people should only be getting aid at these lower-priced places.</p>
<p>Read page 29 (21 of pdf) Common-law marriage.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0809AVGCh2.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0809AVGCh2.pdf</a> </p>
<p>Unmarried in a state that doesn't consider them wed under common-law marriage laws ... student follows rules of divorced parents. Since he lives with both, he uses the one who contributes more (which would logically be the one who makes more money).</p>
<p>bosoxnm3, the expensive private colleges don't always meet need even for low income people. I assume you refer to those that do. If so, you need to understand that the low income people are awarded aid using the same formula used to compute need for middle (or higher) income people. Everyone is evaluated using the same method. The only difference is that those who make more money can theorically afford to pay more. You have posted your EFC elsewhere. EFC is roughly 1/4 of yearly income (not a hard & fast rule, but it works for an average). Your EFC is more than MANY people make in a year.</p>
<p>kayf,</p>
<p>I am very grateful I have a job. And even more greatful that it is in Financial Aid. Quite honestly, I have repeated told others that I find this themost rewarding job I could have, as I am able to help others achieve their dreams and improve their lives.</p>
<p>However, when we get dozens of calls a day asking "Is the Stafford Loan a loan?", FAO's get very frustrated. When we get dozens of calls from students or parents who make 6 figures asking why they didn't get the pell grant, we get frustrated. When parents and students give us a hard time because we have to ask for their tax returns because the DOE selected their FAFSA for verification, we get frustrated. When a student messes up their name on the FAFSA and we call to let them know they need to fix it and they yell at us, we get frustrated.</p>
<p>It isn't because we don't appreciate the fact that we have a job. It isn't because we don't appreciate it is our students that keep us employed. It isn't because we hate speaking to students or parents.</p>
<p>I challenge anyone who can't understand the frustration to spend 1 week in a Financial Aid Office fielding the phones....I guarantee you will walk away with a better appreciation of everything the FA Officers go through to help our students. Many of us work unpaid overtime just to make sure all of our students are serviced quickly and properly. I travel to many of my satelite campuses to visit with students (using my personal vehicle and pay for my own gas) because I care about my students and want to make sure they understand what is going on. But there has to be some give on the student and parent side of this process as well.</p>
<p>What frustrates me the most is how I don't know a damn thing about financial aid, and niether do my parents. How I filed the wrong FAFSA because I wanted a priority filling only to have to resubmit the correct 2009-2010 FAFSA and contact all my colleges of my dumb-ass mistake. How I probabubly won't see any money, and still even this second don't know if my colleges have even recieved the new FAFSA I sent in......................ugh.</p>
<p>There isn't a single college that expects your 2009-10 FAFSA to be on file already. Relax. You haven't missed out on any money. Schools have a priority date. It's not first-come, first-served in the sense that you have to have your FAFSA on file "first." You just need to get it in by the priority date to be assured of the best possible financial aid that the school can offer you.</p>
<p>nasty,</p>
<p>Think of it this way..when you redo the 2009-2010 FAFSA it will be easier, as you know have experience. Some of the information from the 08-09 FAFSA will roll over to the 09-10 application, meaning even less to fill out. </p>
<p>Quite honestly, this is the time of year when FA Offices are used to seeing students submit the wrong application, so they probably have a system in place that would have caught this for you.</p>
<p>Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Here I am minding my own business and somebody comes up to me and says, "Hey, want some money to help pay for your kids to go to college?" What the heck's wrong with that? Be thankful if you can get some. Don't be acrimonious if you can't--you can get other things!--and enjoy the fact that education can be got anywhere, anytime. All that's necessary is desire.</p>
<p>Regarding the early submission of FAFSA, remember that the freshman year is the only time that priority submission dates are as early as Feb 1. In subsequent years, when you refile, the dates are always much later. For my college freshman S, this year the deadline is April 15 for FAFSA, CSS Profile and submitting copies of income tax forms. When he was a prospective student, the deadline was Feb. 15.</p>
<p>One of my biggest pet peeve has been noted Nikki's post # 26My other pet peeve is the lack due diligence regarding college admissions and FAon the part of families and students. Many don't even put FA/Admissions on their radar until it is time for them/their child to apply to college. </p>
<p>Yes, there are 2 separate methodoligies. </p>
<p>The fafsa and the CSS profile use 2 different set of methodologies when calculating your EFC. </p>
<p>At minimum you file the FAFSA (at almost every school) to determine your eligibility for federal aid (Pell/ seog grants, stafford and perkins loans). Most public univeristies will just require the fafsa (the exception may be UVA, UNC- CH, Mich and a few others which may require their own forms)</p>
<p>The CSS profile is used at different colleges that distribute their own institutional aid (Many of these schools have much deeper pockets).</p>
<p>Many schools that use a federal methodology to determine EFC will require only the FAFSA. Schools that use an instutional methodology or a combination of the 2 will require the CSS profile or their own FA forms.</p>
<p>Differences between the IM and FM models are</p>
<p>IM collects information on estimated academic year family income, medical expenses, elementary and secondary school tuition and unusual circumstances. FM omits these questions.</p>
<p>IM considers a fuller range of family asset information, while FM ignores assets of siblings, all assets of certain families with less than $50,000 of income, and both home and family farm equity.</p>
<p>FM defines income as the “adjusted gross income” on federal tax returns, plus various categories of untaxed income. IM includes in total income any paper depreciation, business, rental or capital losses which artificially reduce adjusted gross income.</p>
<p>FM does not assume a minimum student contribution to education; IM expects the student, as primary beneficiary of the education, to devote some time each year to earning money to pay for education.</p>
<p>FM ignores the noncustodial parent in cases of divorce or separation; IM expects parents to help pay for education, regardless of current marital status.</p>
<p>FM and IM apply different percentages to adjust the parental contribution when multiple siblings are simultaneously enrolled in college, and IM considers only siblings enrolled in undergraduate programs.</p>
<p>The IM expected family share represents a best estimate of a family’s capacity (relative to other families) to absorb, over time, the costs of education. It is not an assessment of cash on hand, a value judgment about how much a family should be able to use current income, or a measure of liquidity. The final determinations of demonstrated need and awards rest with the University and are based upon a uniform and consistent treatment of family circumstances.</p>
<p>Except in the most extraordinary circumstances, Colleges classifies incoming students as dependent upon parents for institutional aid purposes, even though some students may meet the federal definition of “independence.”</p>
<p>Students enrolling as dependent students are considered dependent throughout their undergraduate years when need for institutional scholarships is determined.</p>
<p>For institutional aid purposes a student may not “declare” independence due to attainment of legal age, internal family arrangements, marriage or family disagreements.</p>
<p>Your COA (cost of attendance) is tuition, room board, books travel expenses and some misc. expenses associated with attending college.</p>
<p>The FAFSA does not "give" you money, it just determines your eligibility for federal aid.</p>
<p>Schools that require the profile or their own FA forms determine , how they are going to distribute their funds. </p>
<p>FA is based on what the school determine what parents can afford to pay from their income/assets, not what the parents want to pay, often leaving a big disconnect.</p>
<p>
[quote]
remember that the freshman year is the only time that priority submission dates are as early as Feb 1.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>While this is USUALLY true...it isn't always true. When my daughter was a sophomore, her finaid renewal was due in January. They have since changed to March 1 (thank goodness). BUT I sure would have been caught by surprise if I hadn't checked the college website in November for renewal dates that soph year!</p>
<p>Bottom line...check for DEADLINES on your college(s) websites.</p>
<p>My S's private, Fafsa only school (NYU) has march 1 for priority date for returning students. But the thing that irks me is that I won't get the FA award letter until late July (at least this is the case for the 2nd fafsa I did last year before sophomore year started)</p>
<p>really, it takes 4+ months??</p>
<p>the FA letter came 2-3 weeks before the fall bill was due</p>
<p>Agreed with Sue. DD didn't get her finaid renewal until late June last year...very annoying.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When you fill out your FAFSA, do you check off the box that says you'd like work study? If not, that may be why you don't get it. Other reasons: your school might award loans prior to awarding work study; you might be at cost of attendance & not eligible for more federal aid; you might apply too late to get it (FWS is limited - if you finish up your application after it's all awarded, it's gone ...); your school might not get much work study funding from the feds; etc. Ask your f/a office about it - maybe they can help you figure out if you could do something that would make you eligible next year.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I do check it on the FAFSA, and I also go by the work study office and get on their "waiting list" so they'll call me up if enough of their work study students drop out. But they never call me back. :( It's frustrating because my school hours are so demanding (usually at least two or three days with classes from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM) that it makes finding work hard.</p>
<p>Ya I was just pretty frustrated, because I am completely alone in this, and my parents don't know what they are doing. When I refiled the 2009-2010 FAFSA it was much easier, I was just worried it might cause some confusion, that's all. I know it probably won't cause any problems, it's just such an annoying process.</p>