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When I finally got through to someone at the financial aid office, they told me the CSS profile is just a starting point and we'd have a chance to explain our specific financial situation after submitting. That made me feel better about the whole thing.
To address your concern about timing: most schools will send preliminary aid offers with your ED acceptance letter in mid-December. You'll typically have until May 1st to make your final decision, and schools understand that financial aid is a crucial factor. If the package is truly unworkable for your family, you can appeal or potentially be released from the ED commitment. For the CSS Profile specifically, just make sure you're reporting information exactly as it appears on your tax documents. For your rental property loss, enter it as a negative number. And don't forget to report the property value in the assets section as well. The most important thing is consistency with your tax returns.
The impact of the SAI vs. EFC change depends on your specific financial situation. Generally: - Middle-income families with multiple children in college may see LESS aid (the "sibling discount" was reduced) - Lower-income families may see MORE aid due to increased income protection allowances - Families with more complex financial situations (divorce, multiple contributors) might see significant changes either way Since you mentioned being on the edge of qualifying, I'd recommend using one of the new FAFSA forecasting tools to estimate your SAI before submitting. The Federal Student Aid website has resources, or you can use tools from organizations like SwiftStudent or the College Board.
btw i heard they changed the name from EFC to SAI cuz too many parents thought "estimated family contribution" meant that was all they had to pay for college lol. now its just a number that doesnt mean anything specific
also tell her to check if schools need the CSS Profile too not just FAFSA!!!! my kid missed out on aid from NYU cuz we didnt know they needed both smh
This is absolutely crucial advice. Many private schools and some public universities require both the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The CSS Profile is more detailed and lets schools use their own methodology for calculating aid. Even with a -1500 SAI, missing the CSS Profile deadline could mean losing out on significant institutional aid at schools that require it.
Update: So we asked about CSS Profile requirements and are checking each school's website for their specific forms. I also had her email all the financial aid offices to confirm they received her FAFSA with the correct SAI. Thanks everyone for your help! This is all so new to us.
Great steps! One more thing worth checking: some schools have special scholarships specifically for first-generation college students. Since you mentioned her daughter is first-gen, make sure she's applying for those opportunities as well. Sometimes these are separate applications with different deadlines from the general financial aid process.
my school has this thing were u can become a RA mid year if someone quits and it covers housing right away!! maybe ur school has that? also check with ur states higher ed department becuz some states have emergency grants for college students that arent through the school
One more suggestion - consider taking one fewer class if possible. If you drop from 15 credits to 12 (still full-time for financial aid purposes), you might save enough to make your current funds stretch. Then you can make up that class in summer when you hopefully have more scholarship money lined up. I did this my sophomore year and it saved me about $1,800.
Giovanni Moretti
my brother went thru this last year and he said the most annoying part was each school formats their aid letters totally different so its super confusing to compare them side by side. some schools make loans look like scholarships if ur not reading carefully
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Sofia Perez
also just fyi the timing on this stuff is so random. my daughters first school sent her aid package like 2 weeks after she got accepted but another one took until like april even tho she was accepted in january. dont panic if they all come at different times
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