Stanford Financial Aid determination & retirement assets ? Forum

[bertrussell]

Accepted at Stanford, deferring a couple years to gain WE, enjoy life before 1L, and save up some money. Does SLS count retirement accounts (401k, Roth, etc) as assets for need-based aid determination?

Haven't seen this answered in Stanford's literature/TLS, but if it's somewhere else please direct me there.

[kartelite]

Interested in this as well, and also primary home equity. Yale doesn't count retirement assets/home equity, Harvard does, and SLS makes no mention.

[jimbeam21]

[quote="bertrussell"]Accepted at Stanford, deferring a couple years to gain WE, enjoy life before 1L, and save up some money. Does SLS count retirement accounts (401k, Roth, etc) as assets for need-based aid determination?

I'd throw all your money in a traditional 401k and IRA to decrease your AGI. I made the mistake of maxing out a Roth 401k and Roth IRA, which left my AGI much higher than it needed to be.

[JJ123]

Accepted at Stanford, deferring a couple years to gain WE, enjoy life before 1L, and save up some money. Does SLS count retirement accounts (401k, Roth, etc) as assets for need-based aid determination?

I'd throw all your money in a traditional 401k and IRA to decrease your AGI. I made the mistake of maxing out a Roth 401k and Roth IRA, which left my AGI much higher than it needed to be.

Maybe. It depends on whether they include some of those for AGI deductions in their expected contribution calculation (some schools do). We would need to see their financial aid application form.