Does including my name on FAFSA make me responsible for remaining tuition costs?

Completing the FAFSA doesn't automatically make you responsible for tuition payments - it's just an application to determine your eligibility for financial aid. However, when you enroll in college and register for classes, you're entering into an agreement with the institution to pay for those classes, regardless of how you're funding your education (personal funds, loans, scholarships, etc.). The FAFSA is used to calculate your SAI (Student Aid Index) which helps determine what federal grants, work-study, and subsidized loans you might qualify for. It doesn't create a legal obligation to pay tuition - that comes from your enrollment agreement with the school.

when i did my fafsa last year they just used it to figure out my pell grant and loans i could get. your parents should fill out the parent part tho or you might not get as much $$$. the school makes you sign a different thing for actually paying them

The FAFSA itself is just an application for aid - it's not a promissory note or financial commitment. However, you need to understand a few key points: 1. When you enroll in college, you'll sign a financial responsibility agreement with the school that DOES make you legally responsible for any charges not covered by financial aid. 2. Your FAFSA results (your SAI) will determine eligibility for federal grants and loans, but doesn't guarantee they'll cover everything. 3. If your parents completed the parent section but don't actually contribute what the FAFSA expects them to, you'll be responsible for covering that gap. I recommend having a serious conversation with your parents about exactly what they're willing to contribute. Get it in writing if possible. You should also visit your school's financial aid office to understand all your payment options before classes start.

The financial aid system is DESIGNED to trap young people in debt! When you sign up for FAFSA, they calculate some made-up number your family can supposedly afford (the SAI), but there's ZERO requirement for your parents to actually contribute that amount! So you end up stuck with loans to cover the difference. The whole system is predatory garbage!!!

I was in your exact situation last year! My parents were super vague about how much they would help with college costs. Here's what I learned: 1. FAFSA just determines what aid you QUALIFY for, it doesn't make you responsible for anything. 2. When you actually enroll, you'll sign something with your school that DOES make you legally responsible for paying. 3. What worked for me was having a direct conversation with my parents showing them exactly what the cost would be after my financial aid package. I actually made a spreadsheet showing different scenarios based on how much they might contribute. BTW, if you're having trouble getting your FAFSA questions answered by calling FSA, try Claimyr.com - they got me through to an actual human at Federal Student Aid in under 5 minutes when I was stuck in verification hell. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration!

just wanted to add that Parent PLUS loans are something your parents can take out to help cover costs, but those are IN THEIR NAME not yours. If they're serious about helping, they should look into those. But don't let them pressure you into taking more student loans in YOUR name than you're comfortable with just because they don't want to commit to Parent PLUS loans.

one more thing nobody mentioned is that some schools have payment plans so you dont have to pay everything at once. my school lets me pay in 4 payments over the semester and it doesnt cost extra

Thank you all SO MUCH for the helpful advice! I'm feeling much less panicked now. My plan is to: 1. Finish my FAFSA this weekend (with parents' info) 2. Create that spreadsheet showing different payment scenarios 3. Have a serious talk with my parents about exactly what they can commit to 4. Look into payment plans when I get my financial aid package I'll update once I have my SAI and financial aid offer. Fingers crossed for a decent Pell Grant! 🤞