$ave Dat Money - Unofficial 2016-2017 Financial Aid Discussion Forum

[azaleafire]

Another NYU question - they ask about grant aid received during undergrad. Should I just add up the total grant amounts I have gotten every aid year, or do I just do the last year?

[Keilz]

Can someone tell me if I am up to date for the following schools, or if there is something I need to do now?

UVA - I submitted FAFSA. Waiting for their merit-based notification in Feb.?
Berkeley - I submitted FAFSA and CSS. Waiting for their merit-based notification in Feb.?
NU - I submitted FAFSA and CSS. I need to write the scholarship essays by March 1 and submit that form, and that's it.
Georgetown - I submitted FAFSA and CSS. Need to wait for a feeler email for merit-based? More information coming later per their website? Do I need to do anything else? Their chart was confusing.

I added all these schools to my FAFSA last week, but unfortunately didn't submit it properly so I just sent it to them now. Would this have any impact on merit aid notifications at UVA/Berk/Gtown? Especially now since Berk just had their FR wave there are a lot of people newly admitted.

Thanks!

[WesGibbins]

Is there a point submitting a CSS if my parents are 'upper class'? They aren't exactly paying for law school but I think their financial statements would prevent me from getting any need based grant tbh

[TexasENG]

.

[kpadoreo]

Does NYU have a separate aid application to fill out? They don't use the CSS Profile right?
I'm trying to figure out if I need to submit anything before I am admitted......

[studyingeveryday]

How late/disadvantaged am I if I've just filled out the CSS? I didn't think I would get into a school that required it. I filled out my FAFSA months ago :/

[BrainsyK]

test

[big_willy_style_333]

.

[kpadoreo]

I created a separate post about this , but have you guys noticed that Berkeley requires parental info on the FAFSA? I am applying for aid there and at other schools that do not require parental info on anything (Northwestern). For Northwestern, I obviously do not want to include parental info on either FAFSA or CSS since they consider me independent, but is there a way to submit different versions to different schools?

I was under the impression that parental info on the FAFSA was not mandatory. However, I know that Berkeley requires the CSS Profile so this would have all the parental information they could possibly want. Once I submitted the CSS for Berkeley it said there wasn't any additional information they require (unlike Stanford for example, which requires one to send in their own and their parent's 2015 tax returns).

[ZVBXRPL]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

[azaleafire]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

[ZVBXRPL]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

So should I fill it out? Do I do it once and its good for all schools?

[azaleafire]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

So should I fill it out? Do I do it once and its good for all schools?

Check which schools need it.

Some schools, like NYU, have an internal app so this is unnecessary. You fill it out once, like the FAFSA, and pay like 16 bucks to send it to each school. So only send it to those who want/need it. It can be updated later if you only know of one school now that needs it and later get into more.

[ZVBXRPL]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

So should I fill it out? Do I do it once and its good for all schools?

Check which schools need it.

Some schools, like NYU, have an internal app so this is unnecessary. You fill it out once, like the FAFSA, and pay like 16 bucks to send it to each school. So only send it to those who want/need it. It can be updated later if you only know of one school now that needs it and later get into more.

Ty, so I wait until acceptances, yes? Also, which schools dont require parental information? Whats the cutoff income to get need based aid as an independent?

[azaleafire]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

So should I fill it out? Do I do it once and its good for all schools?

Check which schools need it.

Some schools, like NYU, have an internal app so this is unnecessary. You fill it out once, like the FAFSA, and pay like 16 bucks to send it to each school. So only send it to those who want/need it. It can be updated later if you only know of one school now that needs it and later get into more.

Ty, so I wait until acceptances, yes? Also, which schools dont require parental information? Whats the cutoff income to get need based aid as an independent?

Yup. Wait until you are accepted is my advice, although you can start the thing now to avoid wasting time doing it later and just save the app until you know who to send it to.

And those last questions are a) school and case specific and b) mostly outside the scope of my expertise - sorry.

[Tbone17]

Does anyone have any experiences or anecdotal evidence of Need-Based Aid from T-14? In particularly how much a certain school will reward a student on average?

[ZVBXRPL]

Does anyone have any experiences or anecdotal evidence of Need-Based Aid from T-14? In particularly how much a certain school will reward a student on average?

Curious about this too! How much is too much for student income?

[cavalier1138]

Does anyone have any experiences or anecdotal evidence of Need-Based Aid from T-14? In particularly how much a certain school will reward a student on average?

Curious about this too! How much is too much for student income?

Almost no one gets a pure need-based scholarship. But a good number of T14 schools lump merit and need together when calculating scholarship funding. So it's pretty much impossible to tell if there's a "cutoff" or how much income affects your offers. In general, just submit your info and don't count on it changing anything.

[ashrice13]

Sorry for newbie question, but what is the CSS and where do I find it? Should it have already been filled out?!

Its through the college board's website (yes, the SAT people) and that deadline varies from school to school.

So should I fill it out? Do I do it once and its good for all schools?

Check which schools need it.

Some schools, like NYU, have an internal app so this is unnecessary. You fill it out once, like the FAFSA, and pay like 16 bucks to send it to each school. So only send it to those who want/need it. It can be updated later if you only know of one school now that needs it and later get into more.

Ty, so I wait until acceptances, yes? Also, which schools dont require parental information? Whats the cutoff income to get need based aid as an independent?

Most schools with list their requirements for including parental info on their website in the financial aid section.

I would be surprised if the info to the 2nd part was ever put out there. Even if you're independent making 50,000 there are several factors that will change the need based consideration (do you have dependents, do you own a home, etc). Two independent sudents making the same amount of money can be in two vastly different financial situations and therefore qualify for aid differently.

[big_willy_style_333]

I created a separate post about this , but have you guys noticed that Berkeley requires parental info on the FAFSA? I am applying for aid there and at other schools that do not require parental info on anything (Northwestern). For Northwestern, I obviously do not want to include parental info on either FAFSA or CSS since they consider me independent, but is there a way to submit different versions to different schools?

I was under the impression that parental info on the FAFSA was not mandatory. However, I know that Berkeley requires the CSS Profile so this would have all the parental information they could possibly want. Once I submitted the CSS for Berkeley it said there wasn't any additional information they require (unlike Stanford for example, which requires one to send in their own and their parent's 2015 tax returns).

The FAFSA application itself doesn't make it mandatory, but Berkeley says that parental info must be on both applications in order to be considered for need-based aid (unless you are 30 or can prove financial independence for the past 5 years). https://www.law.berkeley.edu/admissions ... ts/#parent

[ashrice13]

I'm really not sure about the best way to word the negotiation emails. It's hard not to sound like a pompous ass.

[Dr.Degrees_Cr.Cash]

I'm really not sure about the best way to word the negotiation emails. It's hard not to sound like a pompous ass.

+1

Specifically how do you use an admission at a higher school without just being like:

"They're ranked better, is that worth anything?"

[pyramidenergy888]

What about saying like "I guarantee I will matriculate if you give me X amount of money"? Does that ever work?

[brinicolec]

What about saying like "I guarantee I will matriculate if you give me X amount of money"? Does that ever work?

I would only recommend going this route if you actually mean it lol. I think something more along the lines of, "As I will be paying for my education myself (assuming you will), I have concerns about financing so much of my education via loans. This has caused me to look into other schools' offers

• . However, [x] still remains my first choice and I would really like to matriculate here. If [x] is able to provide more aid (maybe be more specific if you honestly do have a specific number that is necessary), I am fully prepared to make my seat deposit (or something like that)."

[brinicolec]

I'm really not sure about the best way to word the negotiation emails. It's hard not to sound like a pompous ass.

I just feel like an ass asking for money because I acknowledge that my GPA ain't pretty lol.