Fafsa - if you didn’t fill it out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you wish you did and why?

I’m leaving towards not filling it out. We won’t get any money. I’m certain.

We filled it out in the hopes of getting an EFC less than 100%. We did not get it so were full pay but both children took out the FAFSA $5500 loan (which increases every year) and that was important because THEY had to sign the paperwork which gave them skin in the game. Well, worth it. And today both kids are on top of their own loan obligations and understand finances and interest much better than if we had just paid it all.

I like the idea for them to take the $5500 loan, but is it too much work to go through the whole FAFSA process just for that ? It takes hours and we need to disclose all our financial information!

[Anonymous]

FAFSA is not required for 99.9% of merit awards. Ask each school your child is applying to if you are worried they are one of the very few that require it. None of the schools my 3 kids applied to required the FAFSA for merit aid. Not one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not filling it out either, played with the calculator, EFC is 80k+ Based on assets only (~ 2 million ) even with 0 income

Similar here. Our EFC as per the net price calculator for Colgate is $70,000 due to our modest retirement accounts and home equity. But I can’t sell my house to pay for college.

[Anonymous]

We didn't fill it out, and DS got merit aid at five colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another anecdote but the same - we don't qualify for aid, didn't fill out FAFSA, my DS got merit money at several schools in a range of amounts (up to half tuition) and is now at that school. We won't fill out for my second kid - I haven't ever heard of a real school in real life that requires FAFSA for merit aid. (not saying it isn't true, just saying I don't personally know it).

VCU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Filled it out for DC number one, got nothing. Did not fill it out for the next 2 years. Will fill it out this year, because we will have two in college next fall. Probably won't get anything, but you never know!

I have a similar situation - no financial aid now at a private college school for my oldest (my income about $350K), but will have two kids in college next year. I will fill out FAFSA this year because according the net price calculator for my oldest, the school's tuition will be reduced by $30K next year due to the second kid.