Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 21:48     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Our son just got merit aid from three schools and we didn't fill out a fafsa.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 21:44     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Fafsa was NOT needed at my children's 2 universities. DD received a scholarship (merit aid) for 1/2 tuition for 4 yrs.

Totally depends on the college/university
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 21:42     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Anonymous wrote:I used to work in the financial aid office. Anyone applying for any sort of scholarship first had to fill out a FAFSA even if they knew they'd be denied FA. Those who hadn't done it often couldn't get it done before the deadline for the scholarship passed.

How much financial info does the college see? Or is an amount of expected contribution calculated and sent on to the college?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 21:39     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
I used to work in the financial aid office. Anyone applying for any sort of scholarship first had to fill out a FAFSA even if they knew they'd be denied FA. Those who hadn't done it often couldn't get it done before the deadline for the scholarship passed.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 21:37     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Anonymous wrote:What have people found to be the HHI that is the limit for need based aid? $100,000? $150,000? $200,000? $250,000? How much income is too much to receive financial aid from college. My dc is only a freshman in high school so I have not looked into the numbers. I am just wondering what people have experienced?

Depends on lots more factors (savings, other kids in college, I don't know what else). But what I sense is that $$ can be found for the brainiac kid. And, going to more of a safety school will increase chances of getting $$.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 19:06     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
What have people found to be the HHI that is the limit for need based aid? $100,000? $150,000? $200,000? $250,000? How much income is too much to receive financial aid from college. My dc is only a freshman in high school so I have not looked into the numbers. I am just wondering what people have experienced?
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 18:50     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
You can't be approved for athletic scholarship without FAFSA, not sure if that applies to you or not.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 18:48     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
This is a good post OP. I would like to here what others have done. I wonder also if we should bother with the FAFSA.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 17:49     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We won't qualify for financial aid and I don't want to provide financial info to college, FAFSA or CSS. Am I missing something by ignoring their many "recommendations" that we file these forms? (No chance of merit aid at this school but merit aid is possible at a few other schools where DS has applied). Thanks for any insight.


Schools won't give merit "aid" unless they have a FAFSA. That way they can see how much merit aid they need to give.


My DC was offered merit aid without a FAFSA. We have not gotten any requests from colleges to fill out the FAFSA this time around.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:59     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
I have three kids in three different colleges. One private and two state schools. All three insisted on FAFSA before they awarded scholarships. We knew we wouldn't qualify for any kind of financial aid but we had to do it in order for them to receive their academic and athletic scholarships.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:56     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We won't qualify for financial aid and I don't want to provide financial info to college, FAFSA or CSS. Am I missing something by ignoring their many "recommendations" that we file these forms? (No chance of merit aid at this school but merit aid is possible at a few other schools where DS has applied). Thanks for any insight.


Schools won't give merit "aid" unless they have a FAFSA. That way they can see how much merit aid they need to give.

OP here. I misspoke. Not merit "aid" but merit scholarship.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:55     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
You might want to call someone and just make sure they aren't in the process of changing their policy re aid (merit or otherwise) -- no harm in making sure you aren't missing free $ before you write it off.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:53     Subject: Re:Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
If you have no intention of applying for financial aid, I would continue to ignore the emails. Chances are, they're being sent to everyone who applied.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:53     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
Anonymous wrote:We won't qualify for financial aid and I don't want to provide financial info to college, FAFSA or CSS. Am I missing something by ignoring their many "recommendations" that we file these forms? (No chance of merit aid at this school but merit aid is possible at a few other schools where DS has applied). Thanks for any insight.


Schools won't give merit "aid" unless they have a FAFSA. That way they can see how much merit aid they need to give.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2014 16:21     Subject: Private college told us 3 times to file FAFSA and CSS
We won't qualify for financial aid and I don't want to provide financial info to college, FAFSA or CSS. Am I missing something by ignoring their many "recommendations" that we file these forms? (No chance of merit aid at this school but merit aid is possible at a few other schools where DS has applied). Thanks for any insight.