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Kayleigh_9109
Member
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Posted: Sat Oct 20th, 2007 10:29 pm |
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All right.. I have a Financial Aid-ish question.. So I figured this was a good place to ask it.. As some of you probably know, I'm only a Junior..
This past week at school we had a convocation where a nice lady from a local College place came and talked to us. She gave us a CCE (College Contribution Estimator) form. It has places for Income and Tax stuff to give students a guess on how much Aid they may qualify.. Anyways, she gave us about 2 weeks to get it filled out, then to seal the envelope and give it to our GC and he'll mail them to her, and in December the company will host a Workshop for Parents and Students to help with figuring out Fin. Aid stuff, and the CCE form we'll be getting back..
Now during her presentation she said to do the form, if parents were divorced, on the parent whom you live with for most of the time.. Which for me would be my mom.
Now am I wrong in understanding that for FAFSA and stuff it's BOTH parents' info that goes into the configuration? If so, then how will figuring out one parents' info help me?
My issue is my mom makes CONSIDERABLY x100 less than my dad. I live with my mom, but they have joint custody. So if I feel out this paper based on my mom's earnings I would probably qualify for much much more than if I did it for the combined Income for both of them...
So I guess my question is, for FAFSA do you have to provide info for both parents income & tax stuff? If so, should I get a hold of my dad and get his for this little paper too?
Thanks
Kayleigh
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jocelynDAD
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 21st, 2007 04:57 am |
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The local College Place is probably not a college BUT a independent for profit company looking to obtain clients that they can 'advise' the possibilities of getting financial aid.
First: (Correction)For the FAFSA, only the parent you lived with or if you live with each equally, that parent that provides the greatest financial support over the past 12 months must give a full financial disclosure.
However, many (not all) colleges/universities have their own financial form including the Profile (under the College Board and used by some colleges). This is where the financial data from both parents is often requested. Therefore, before you get too far into the application process, you should alert both parents as to the probability that they will have to supply financial data, including Tax forms for review by the colleges before they give you any financial aid offers.
Second: Many colleges will give you the Expected Contribution information based on you providing the college with basic financial data. Usually they want you to be a senior, so wait until the end of your Junior year and ask on the college's site.
Third: Suggest you get the FAFSA Bookklet, most Guidence offices at HS will have them and certainly all college admissions/Financial Aid offices will have them.
Just go and ask, then talk to both of your parents (separately or together - which ever is easiest on you) emphasis that this form (FAFSA) is about YOU and your future. Be sure you let both parents know that you need their information for your form or thepossibility of you getting any $$$ aid from the college or the federal/state govt is zero.
Finally, re: the College Place, does sound like a potential rip-off, suggest you email Carolyn and tell her the name etc of this college place and ask her advice. 
Good Luck
Corrected 10/21 - 2:45 pm
Last edited on Sun Oct 21st, 2007 06:48 pm by jocelynDAD
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leftcoast
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 21st, 2007 11:38 am |
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Kayleigh, for the FAFSA, when parents are divorced, you only include income of the custodial parent. That is ONE parent, and it is the parent with whom you live most of the time. It doesn't matter whether your parents have joint legal custody or not -- the FAFSA rules provide that it is one parent not both.
I think your confusion comes from the fact that many colleges ask for additional information than the FAFSA -- most of the top private colleges want you to complete a form with the College Board called the CSS Profile ... and that will ask for the income of both parents.
JocylynDad is correct that the place asking for the info is suspect, and I do not think that you should EVER submit personal financial information to an outsider who shows up at your school. However, he is mistaken as to the FAFSA. It is ONE parent only.
Even private colleges using the CSS Profile make adjustments for the fact that divorced parents are maintaining two separate households -- which would not happen if you merely listed the income of both. Actually, the CSS Profile does not ask you to list the income of both, either -- instead they simply require the non-custodial parent to submit a separate form.
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Kayleigh_9109
Member
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Posted: Sun Oct 21st, 2007 11:51 pm |
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Okay.. Thanks for the answers guys..
Just wanted to say sorry for the confusion. I know the company is NOT a college. I don't live in an area where she could pass off as being from one. She did use to work for Depauw's admission people, but that's irrelevant. I'm not for sure what she called the company she was representing, it's probably on the paperwork..
I think I got confused like you JoceylnDad, thanks to both of you for the clarification on the Main Parent/Both parents thing. It makes a little more sense now..
I'll possibly talk to Carolyn specifically before i have my mom fill out the papers...
Well I know I can get the info from both of my parents. It will just cause Drama, but I still have a year to do it so that's okay...
Thanks again, any more advice/info is appreciated
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leftcoast
Member
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Posted: Mon Oct 22nd, 2007 04:41 am |
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You don't need to get the info for both parents; you just need to get the info from your mom and get your dad to agree to provide the information --- he can provide it in a way that is totally confidential if he has any reservations about what you or your mom see.
The only problem is that if you don't know what info he provides, you can't plan or anticipate what the financial aid picture will be..... but that's hard to do in any case.
I think what you should focus on, instead, is talking to your dad directly (without your mom involved) to find out how much money he is willing to contribute to your education. So it would be very good, right now, for you to bring up the subject: tell him you are very concerned about college costs and need his guidance and suggestions to help you plan, as well as his advice and input on what colleges you should consider. If you confront him directly about money, it will tend to be a conversation stopper -- but most fathers would be very pleased to get a call from their daughter asking for their wisdom and advice -- so that's why I suggest that approach. If you start of the conversation with a comment like, "Mom doesn't know anything! I really need your help figuring all this out...." -- you should be on your way. 
That doesn't mean that your problems will be solved, but if you get your dad feeling personally involved in your college selection process, he will feel more invested when the time comes to pay the bills. And if he tells you at the outset that you are on your own.... well, its better to know before you apply than after you are accepted somewhere and find you can't afford it.
And again, don't give info to the lady who came to the school. All the calculators you need are available on line at the college board web site or at http://www.finaid.org -- so you can figure out the FAFSA numbers on your own without having to involve an outsider.
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Lupine
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 17th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 142 |
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Posted: Mon Oct 22nd, 2007 01:27 pm |
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I think Leftcoast gave some great advice -- I'd only add that it might work even better when you can talk with your dad in-person. Phone conversations can be a little strange -- if you call him from your mom's house, and her name is what's showing up on caller-id, perhaps that's not the best.
Good luck. It is very smart to be considering these issues now.
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Kayleigh_9109
Member
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Posted: Mon Oct 22nd, 2007 10:02 pm |
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Thanks again for the advice..
Lupine; an in person conversation is a little hard to manage. I usually only see him at Thanksgiving, Spring Break, and the Summer. And Thanksgiving is an awful time to discuss such matters. I may not go with him on Spring Break because it may be one of few opportunities to go look at schools, and the Summer is far away.
My mom and him are on speaking terms so that isn't so much an issue. It's just full of hassles because he knows absolutely zero on this subject matter, and my mom is much better with dealing with explaining it to him, but it's a touchy subject there.
Leftcoast; Thanks for the clarification.. Me and my dad talked briefly about this subject last year and gave me his estimate, after talking with my mom, would be. This is just his best guess, not formulated and what not.
I also spent the past summer trying to involve him in discussions and what not. He would love to see me go somewhere like Notre Dame, but he isn't informed to know its terribly unlikely. Other than that, he tries to stay out of it.. Doesn't want any part in taking me to schools etc. So I feel as if I've tried to start including him, even more so than my mom actually..
Oh well.. Thanks
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