Another FAFSA question Forum

Discuss various money matters here. Loans (federal and private), scholarships, lottery winnings, or other school finance related information and queries.
Post Reply
User avatar
nsideirish

Bronze
Posts: 411
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:32 am

Another FAFSA question

Post by nsideirish » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:44 pm

Okay, I am a senior in college planning on attending LS next year. I don't know too much about the FAFSA as my mother usually does it for myself and other siblings in college. But now, I am a bit confused as what is needed for next year. Do I file the FAFSA individually? When do I need to file it by? Do I submit it to all schools, even ones I haven't heard back from yet?

I am pretty clueless as to how this all goes. Any help would be appreciated

User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:11 pm

Presumably you're 21-ish years old. Time to grow up and start filling out your own forms.

The new FAFSA for the 2001-12 school year came out Jan 1. Most schools want you to fill it out at soon as possible after that. The grant money at each school's disposal disappears first, so late applicants will likely only be offered loans.

Yes, you list up to 10 schools on the FAFSA that you are applying to, whether you've heard back from them or not. (If applying to more than 10, I think you wait until FAFSA has sent reports to some schools, take those off your list, and add in your other schools.) In addition, some schools require a private form called Need Access, and/or supplemental financial aid/scholarship application forms.

Frankly, you should have already researched on each school's website what they require and when they want things filled out.

User avatar
BlakcMajikc

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:05 pm

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by BlakcMajikc » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:18 pm

rinkrat19 wrote:Presumably you're 21-ish years old. Time to grow up and start filling out your own forms.
Why be an asshole? My mother filled them out for me as well because she didn't want me to know all of my parents' financial information at the time. He may need to grow up or he may have secretive parents.

The advice was solid tho.

User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:34 pm

BlakcMajikc wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:Presumably you're 21-ish years old. Time to grow up and start filling out your own forms.
Why be an asshole? My mother filled them out for me as well because she didn't want me to know all of my parents' financial information at the time. He may need to grow up or he may have secretive parents.

The advice was solid tho.
You must have a low assholery threshold, because I rewrote that sentence twice to sound less harsh than my initial eye-rolling reaction.

True, some people have weird, secretive parents who turn themselves into obstacles in the FinAid procress. But the OP also apparently hasn't done any research on FAFSA or school requirements for financial aid applications, so I assumed it was helicopter parent hand-holding going on. If I'm wrong, I retract my first sentence.

User avatar
BlakcMajikc

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:05 pm

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by BlakcMajikc » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:29 pm

rinkrat19 wrote:
BlakcMajikc wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:Presumably you're 21-ish years old. Time to grow up and start filling out your own forms.
Why be an asshole? My mother filled them out for me as well because she didn't want me to know all of my parents' financial information at the time. He may need to grow up or he may have secretive parents.

The advice was solid tho.
You must have a low assholery threshold, because I rewrote that sentence twice to sound less harsh than my initial eye-rolling reaction.

True, some people have weird, secretive parents who turn themselves into obstacles in the FinAid procress. But the OP also apparently hasn't done any research on FAFSA or school requirements for financial aid applications, so I assumed it was helicopter parent hand-holding going on. If I'm wrong, I retract my first sentence.
Gotcha. Considering tone is tough to figure out on an internet forum and it's TLS, I assume everyone is writing like an asshole until proven otherwise. My bad.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:18 pm

BlakcMajikc wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:
BlakcMajikc wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:Presumably you're 21-ish years old. Time to grow up and start filling out your own forms.
Why be an asshole? My mother filled them out for me as well because she didn't want me to know all of my parents' financial information at the time. He may need to grow up or he may have secretive parents.

The advice was solid tho.
You must have a low assholery threshold, because I rewrote that sentence twice to sound less harsh than my initial eye-rolling reaction.

True, some people have weird, secretive parents who turn themselves into obstacles in the FinAid procress. But the OP also apparently hasn't done any research on FAFSA or school requirements for financial aid applications, so I assumed it was helicopter parent hand-holding going on. If I'm wrong, I retract my first sentence.
Gotcha. Considering tone is tough to figure out on an internet forum and it's TLS, I assume everyone is writing like an asshole until proven otherwise. My bad.
No worries. :)

User avatar
nsideirish

Bronze
Posts: 411
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:32 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by nsideirish » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:13 pm

I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks

User avatar
BlakcMajikc

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:05 pm

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by BlakcMajikc » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:23 pm

nsideirish wrote:I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks
Each law school is different for requiring parental information. Most don't require your parent(s) for fafsa, but some do. Its easiest if you call each law school you have applied to (or check their respective websites)

The combination of options is basically FAFSA, Need Access, and/or school specific forms...

Regardless of what the school requests for need-aid, you will want to submit FAFSA for government loans.

User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:34 pm

nsideirish wrote:I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks
I believe anyone applying for grad school (not undergrad) is considered independent by FAFSA. But some schools still require parental info. If FAFSA considers you independent, you can choose whether to fill out the parental info or not--you need to determine if any of your schools will want you to do it.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
rocon7383

Bronze
Posts: 431
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:02 pm

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rocon7383 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:37 pm

FAFSA is lame.

User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:50 pm

rocon7383 wrote:FAFSA is lame.
Yes, I'd much rather try to borrow $200,000 from a private bank. :roll:

User avatar
nsideirish

Bronze
Posts: 411
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:32 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by nsideirish » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:54 pm

rinkrat19 wrote:
nsideirish wrote:I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks
I believe anyone applying for grad school (not undergrad) is considered independent by FAFSA. But some schools still require parental info. If FAFSA considers you independent, you can choose whether to fill out the parental info or not--you need to determine if any of your schools will want you to do it.

Thanks..I just went ahead and filled out my parent's info. But, how do I send my FAFSA w/ parent's info to some and w/out to the others. Would it be bad if I just sent them all with my parent's info or would they not really care?

User avatar
rinkrat19

Diamond
Posts: 13922
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2010 5:35 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by rinkrat19 » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:59 pm

nsideirish wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:
nsideirish wrote:I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks
I believe anyone applying for grad school (not undergrad) is considered independent by FAFSA. But some schools still require parental info. If FAFSA considers you independent, you can choose whether to fill out the parental info or not--you need to determine if any of your schools will want you to do it.

Thanks..I just went ahead and filled out my parent's info. But, how do I send my FAFSA w/ parent's info to some and w/out to the others. Would it be bad if I just sent them all with my parent's info or would they not really care?
The schools who don't want parental info won't care. I THINK that they request some sort of report from FAFSA and it only includes the info they care about. (Not sure about that.)

But I also heard that some people submit their FAFSA form without the parental info with only the non-parental schools listed, wait until they get word from the schools that their FinAid files are complete, and then log back in to FAFSA, add parental info and resubmit to the other schools that do want parental info.

That was a terribly convoluted sentence, sorry. If you don't get it, I'll try to clarify!

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
BlakcMajikc

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:05 pm

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by BlakcMajikc » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:03 am

rinkrat19 wrote:
nsideirish wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:
nsideirish wrote:I appreciate the helpful information. I do fill out most of my own stuff but the FAFSA was always something that was just taken care of. I have done a bit of research (isn't asking a question on here also considered "research"?). However, I guess I am still not completely understanding it..do I need to file any info about my parent's income if she (single parent household) still claims me as a dependent but will not be helping me at all with law school tuition? Or now that I am in grad school, is it just my info? Would I send the same info on my FAFSA that I would send to my UG if I was staying another year to law schools I am applying to?

Thanks
I believe anyone applying for grad school (not undergrad) is considered independent by FAFSA. But some schools still require parental info. If FAFSA considers you independent, you can choose whether to fill out the parental info or not--you need to determine if any of your schools will want you to do it.

Thanks..I just went ahead and filled out my parent's info. But, how do I send my FAFSA w/ parent's info to some and w/out to the others. Would it be bad if I just sent them all with my parent's info or would they not really care?
The schools who don't want parental info won't care. I THINK that they request some sort of report from FAFSA and it only includes the info they care about. (Not sure about that.)

But I also heard that some people submit their FAFSA form without the parental info with only the non-parental schools listed, wait until they get word from the schools that their FinAid files are complete, and then log back in to FAFSA, add parental info and resubmit to the other schools that do want parental info.

That was a terribly convoluted sentence, sorry. If you don't get it, I'll try to clarify!
I did that as well and it doesn't take long at all for it to process so that you can resubmit.

User avatar
nsideirish

Bronze
Posts: 411
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:32 am

Re: Another FAFSA question

Post by nsideirish » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:12 am

Ok..I just submitted it with my parent's info just in case. Can't hurt I guess.

Thanks a lot for the help...now I just gotta do the needaccess for one school that requires it and I should be good to go.

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


Post Reply

Return to “Financial Aid”