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Mother and step-father have joint income of $450k of which $200k is maternal. Stepfather doesn't pay for stepD's expenses, and father pays 00 and is estranged. May I assume schools will see this large income and say "forget it- you don't need financial aid"? Is the miserable form worth submitting?

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Some schools aren't going to give you anything, including loans, without filling out NeedAccess. If they require NeedAccess, you need to fill it out.

There is very little purely need-based aid (Harvard, Yale, and a few other random schools being exceptions) given out anyway. Some schools call their awards "combined" need/merit, but the amounts are about what the people could expect from their numbers, disregarding income. Most of us are taking out loans, no matter how poor we are.

rinkrat19 wrote:Some schools aren't going to give you anything, including loans, without filling out NeedAccess. If they require NeedAccess, you need to fill it out.

There is very little purely need-based aid (Harvard, Yale, and a few other random schools being exceptions) given out anyway. Some schools call their awards "combined" need/merit, but the amounts are about what the people could expect from their numbers, disregarding income. Most of us are taking out loans, no matter how poor we are.

I know Columbia won't give you anything without filling out all the forms. Their website says something about being fair and respecting the process.

I figured you could just turn in the FAFSA and use federal loans up to the full cost of attendance, though.

howlery wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Some schools aren't going to give you anything, including loans, without filling out NeedAccess. If they require NeedAccess, you need to fill it out.

There is very little purely need-based aid (Harvard, Yale, and a few other random schools being exceptions) given out anyway. Some schools call their awards "combined" need/merit, but the amounts are about what the people could expect from their numbers, disregarding income. Most of us are taking out loans, no matter how poor we are.

I know Columbia won't give you anything without filling out all the forms. Their website says something about being fair and respecting the process.

I figured you could just turn in the FAFSA and use federal loans up to the full cost of attendance, though.

The school disburses your federal loans too. If your entire aid application package (FAFSA, NeedAccess and whatever else they want) isn't complete, I'm not sure you'd get your fed money. At least not without annoying someone in your school's financial aid office by not following their instructions.

rinkrat19 wrote:

howlery wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Some schools aren't going to give you anything, including loans, without filling out NeedAccess. If they require NeedAccess, you need to fill it out.

There is very little purely need-based aid (Harvard, Yale, and a few other random schools being exceptions) given out anyway. Some schools call their awards "combined" need/merit, but the amounts are about what the people could expect from their numbers, disregarding income. Most of us are taking out loans, no matter how poor we are.

I know Columbia won't give you anything without filling out all the forms. Their website says something about being fair and respecting the process.

I figured you could just turn in the FAFSA and use federal loans up to the full cost of attendance, though.

The school disburses your federal loans too. If your entire aid application package (FAFSA, NeedAccess and whatever else they want) isn't complete, I'm not sure you'd get your fed money. At least not without annoying someone in your school's financial aid office by not following their instructions.

At least at Columbia, they'll let you get loans without filling out NeedAccess. But you will be paying sticker unless you got a named scholarship with your acceptance.