Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most financial aid comes in the form of loans. If you’re willing to take them out, filling out the FAFSA gets you access to what you’re eligible for. But most donut hole families are not getting free money outside of merit.

It depends on the school. It also makes your kid eligible for work study

+1

By not checking the box, you are ruling out work study and low interest loans.

Anonymous wrote:New to this thread. Trying to figure out if we should file a fafsa. We are the first generation in our families to have achieved self-pay as an option. Feels like I’m taking away aid from someone who needs it. But if my kid lands at a safety school where they could get merit aid and maybe be a thus and such scholar, that has academic benefits, maybe I’m being an idiot?

Your merit awards will not be affected by not checking the “will seek financial aid” box. In fact my theory is (and I admit I have ZERO evidence for this, so take with a grain of salt) that at some schools merit aid is more readily given to those not already receiving need based aid.

Congrats on your success. Saving to pay 100% of the exorbitant cost of college is an admirable achievement.

New to this thread. Trying to figure out if we should file a fafsa. We are the first generation in our families to have achieved self-pay as an option. Feels like I’m taking away aid from someone who needs it. But if my kid lands at a safety school where they could get merit aid and maybe be a thus and such scholar, that has academic benefits, maybe I’m being an idiot?

Anonymous wrote:Most financial aid comes in the form of loans. If you’re willing to take them out, filling out the FAFSA gets you access to what you’re eligible for. But most donut hole families are not getting free money outside of merit.

It depends on the school. It also makes your kid eligible for work study