Well...I'm 16 years old and I just started this 2008-2009 school year as a senior. My family has been going through a lot of financial problems and I was thinking how much aid I could get from FAFSA. I'm not going to apply until Jan. 1 but I had a few questions.
1. I'm really confused and broke but I don't want that to stop me from going to NYU or at least a decent university. I have a 3.558 (unweighted)/ 4.825(weighted) GPA. I don't do clubs or sports (because I don't have money to pay dues or drive around to events) but I am active in my church. Does FAFSA consider this or are they strictly need based?
2. If my mom only makes about $950 a month, how much money will FAFSA give me?
3.. My dad used to live in Puerto Rico and used to make a lot of money. He would only give $500 as child support for me and my brother. Since my mom only makes $950 a month and rent costing $900 for a 3 bedroom apartment, $500 wasn't really a lot. Anyways, my dad has been unemployed for about 6 months so he had to move back to his native country, Dominican Republic. This means that he won't be filling out an income tax report again. Will FAFSA still ask me for his information even though he doesn't live in the country? I don't know how much money he makes over there. And my parents never went to court to establish the amount of money he had to give for child support. It was sort of a "verbal agreement".
3. Does FAFSA allow you to use the money as you wish or is it only for tuition and books? Can you use it for room & board/ meal plans?
4. Do they give you money per month or per semester?
5. Does the money go to you or does FAFSA pay the college directly?
6.What if I get a job (which is unlikely because no one will hire me because I have no experience)? Will I get slightly less aid?
7. I know I'm asking a lot but this is the last one. I have a hunch that my mom got married. She hasn't told me yet, but I'm pretty sure about it. I'm assuming that her husband has been paying our bills since my mom makes really little and my dad has been unemployed. Will FAFSA require me to give my mother's husband's information even though he doesn't live with us? I don't think he claims me as a dependent. I'm not sure how marital laws work. If he married my mom does that mean he's legally my stepdad? Would my mom have had to sign something for that to happen? Could she do that without my consent?
If anyone can answer even one of my questions it would be really appreciated. 1. FAFSA only considers your and your family's income. If you have a very good GPA, then the college you go to may give you a scholarship in addition to financial aid; also, see if your church has any scholarships.
2. If she only makes that much, and she has hardly any savings or assets (like owning a business) then you will probably get almost all of your college covered by grants, and the rest from loans. Even for someone whose family makes a lot of money, they will get the full cost of college in loans. I don't know about your dad; you should ask your counselor.
3. It covers anything, including tuition, books, room and board, travel, etc.
4. It's per semester or quarter. So when you get your check at the beginning of the semester, you have to budget it to last until the next semester starts. This is especially important if you are living off campus and paying for rent.
5. The money goes to the school first; after they take out tuition (and room and board, if you live in the dorms) you get a check for the remainder.
6. Yes, if you get a job you will get less aid. The financial aid system in our country is ridiculous in this way. Students should be able to work a little bit and save up money to make life easier, or to pay off loans soon. They shouldn't be penalized, but they are. Now, if you get a lot of aid you may have to do work study. This is where you work on campus to cover part of your financial aid. Since the money doesn't get paid to you directly, I don't think it counts as income on your FAFSA, but if you do this you should talk to a financial aid counselor at your school for more details.
7. First of all, he is your stepdad if he married your mother. All they needed to sign was a marriage license, which doesn't need anyone's consent. However, step-parents don't have much legal obligation to their stepchildren unless they adopt them. If I recall, the FAFSA only asks about the mother and the father, and not about step-parents, but it's been awhile. When you get the form you will find out if step-parents are considered or not. I suggest you ask your school counselor all of these questions if the people on yahoo answers can't help you. I've been receiving financial aid from FAFSA since 2003, so I think I might have some answers. However, it is always best to verify any information I give you with a counselor or even with a FAFSA rep.
1. When I was in high school, I wasn't really active in anything either, and that never seemed to affect my award. In my experience, FAFSA is solely need-based...not like scholarships where clubs and community service are considered as well.
2. It would be my best guess that most, if not all, of your expenses will be covered...possibly with some money left over. My parents made more than that, and my FAFSA award covered tuition, books, and housing at a junior college. It might not go so far at a university, but I bet you get a great deal of help.
3. I have no idea...contact a counselor :)
3. (Because you have two #3 questions) My FAFSA always went to tuition first, then housing, then books if there was enough to cover it. But yes, it may be used toward any school expense.
4. They give you your money at the beginning of each semester. If there is any left over, you will usually receive a check for the balance within a few weeks of school starting.
5. The money goes directly from FAFSA to your account at the college you're attending. Anything left over will be given to you in a check issued by the school.
6. That shouldn't affect your aid. I had a job through 4 years of college, excluding one semester and it never affected me. They go primarily on parents' income. FAFSA also gives you an option to apply for work-study at the school you attend, which is really a great option and that money is separate from the actual FAFSA award. For example, if you got standard aid plus work study, it might say Federal Student Aid $1,000...Work-study $550 or whatever the numbers may be. And as I did work-study for my entire first three years of college, I do know that work study checks are paid out to you directly for you to use on whatever you please...it's just like a check from any other job. The only difference is you're not required to report work-study income on tax returns, as they do not tax you when they pay you.
7. See my answer for #3 (the first one). Questions like these are much better answered by a professional who knows the ins and outs of these situations.
Good luck! 1. GPA isn't very important, but it does help you qualify for certain scholarships and grants if you have good GPAs. It's a good thing if you have a high GPA, but it won't hurt you to have a not so good GPA too.
2. When you fill out your FAFSA, you will need info from your parent's income tax. And it will direct you where to look for the info you should put. I have no idea how much you will be getting based on your mom's yearly income.
3. I guess you would only fill out information from your mom's income tax since your dad won't be able to work.
4. It gives you money to cover for your whole year. And they give out money per year. You will have to reapply for FAFSA every year.
5. FAFSA only gives you money for the tuition. They pay you through the school. So, you will receive your loan or grant money from school checks. If the financial aid gave you more than you need to pay for the school, you can use that money for anything. However, if they have used all of the money for your tuition, then you get nothing.
6. If you don't work or plan on filing for income tax, then they won't need your information on how much money you make or have.
7. Everything on FAFSA will be all based from your income tax info. If the document says she is married, then you would have to fill out your stepdad/dad's income info. If it says divorced, I'm assuming you will just be putting info for your mom only. As for the signatures, you can register a pin number for her so that you can be signing for her whenever you fill it out.
I suggest you have a financial aid counselor to help you fill it out. It will be so much easier for you since you're new to this. Ok um FASFA only goes based on the previous years tax report. Meaning if you applied in 2009 they would only ask about the 2008 taxes filed && income earned. They go based on financial need && how much your yearly income is.
The money you get is told to you in total but split up into two installments to be use between the two semesters. The money is used to pay for tuition, room && board, books, meal plans. Anything school related.
Any money the school doesn't use is given to you in the form of a check or sent to an account which you can use for whatever you want.
As for how much you'll get, you won't really know that until you file since it's sometimes different per person even if the income is the same.
Example: Me & my sister have all the same information on our forms but for some reason I got more money.
Most likely if you wanna go to a really good school like NYU which is 38 thousand a year, even with financial aid you'd still have to take out loans, apply for grants && scholarships.
Good Luck. Hopefully everything works out the way you want. Honestly you can get a lot of money from Fafsa. Your mom makes very little and as long as you apply with your mom thats all that matters and put that she is responsible for your brothers also. You do not need to put your dad on the application what so ever. It's as if he doesn't exist it isn't recorded anywhere he gives your mom money so therefore it doesn't need to go on the application. The less money your mom makes the more you get and you should also fill out scholarships. See what scholarships your school offers also. And you are entitled to a Tap reward and a Pell grant. The money goes directly to the school. You should apply for the EOP program which pays for your school and books. Which I am sure you will automatically qualify for. Talk to your school counselor and the college counselor also. Good luck Your mom would fill out the FAFSA and it is based on yours and your moms income tax filings for the year before you enter college....if she never claimed money from your dad on her income tax...you will definitely qualify for the max in student loans subsidized and unsubsidized which and the school will also qualify you for work study and their scholarships and loans at the school. All colleges HAVE to take a percentage of financially strapped students....make sure you put down your ethnicity as Dominican Republic.....I hope you are a legal alien because if you're not, you will not get financial aid....
If your mom got married ....that can mess things up...you really need to sit down with your mom and get all the facts...and the only ones that count is how she files her taxes and if she claims you and if she is married and if he will be claiming both of you this year....those questions are the important ones and you need truthful answers before you go to the student aid office. This is how FAFSA sends you money: Once an award package has been put toghether for you, FAFSA sends the money to your school. Your school then applies this your tuition, fees, books, supplies, housing, and any other outstanding debts. and gives the difference to you. Schools have a Cost of Attendance figure that includes tuition, books, supplies, housing, transportation, misc fees such as health center and ASB, and a little money for personal expenses (meal plans are generally included with housing). Your maximum expected aid is your school's Cost of Attendance minus your Expected Family Contribution. You are paid once per term of attendance (semester, quarter, etc. depending on the school) but the amount shown on the award letter is for the whole academic year, ans the payments are divided evenly by the number of terms in an academic years (2 semesters, 3 quarters, etc.) Now, about employment, if you are a Dependent studnet, you only report your parent(s) income, if you are Independent, you report your own income. In order to be Independent, you must one of the following: either be at least 24 years old, working on a graduate level degree, have sereved in the military, is a ward of the court or foster sytem (or was until age 18), or is married. If you do not fit any of these descriptions you are a Dependent, if you fit at least one, you are Independent (not living with parents is not enough to be considered Independent. The parent(s) you report (if you are Dependent) are, for example, if apply for aid in 2009-2010, both parents if they are married, if not married or are divorced, the parent you lived with the most and/or recieved 50% or more of your support from 1/1/2008 to 12/31/2008. If they married within these dates, you may have to include the step-father, but not usually (I'd inquire). He would only be legally your stepdad if you are still a minor, but for financial aid purposes he may. Also remeber that mlost aid is need-based and does not care about academic merit, just income, however your state may have merit-based grants and the Academic Compeitive Grant is merit and need based, but only requires the minimum for acceptance into a state university (but you can still go to community college or any school and get the ACG). Your school also offers many scholarships that, both need and merit based. I cant answer all of those questions but I think I can help with some parts. Try going to the FAFSA website and see what kind of questions they ask and hopefully that helps you a little.
I just started college and to get my financial aid I had to go to the university to get it so my guess is that FAFSA pays the college directly. I got enought money to pay for my books and tuition and even a couple of bucks left over.
and Yes I think you can the money for your room and board/ meal plans.
I may be wrong since I dont pay for room and board/ meal plans.
Hope this helps you clear things out somehow |
