High School Class of 2016/College Class 2020

[WDWJDS]

FAFSA QUESTION.... For any experts out there...

So, everything I've read says fill it out in January and to use your prior year if you don't have the information yet. I've never gotten all my tax info in January, typically the first couple weeks of Feb., so I know I won't have it all in time for the FAFSA.

Also, I've had a major change in income during 2015. I went from part-time CNA to full-time RN after completing my own degree. My income from 2014 would be a very poor estimate for 2015.

Our state and first-choice schools have a March deadline.

Would you wait until filing taxes to complete the FAFSA once, or would you go ahead and use the prior year taxes, then update when we file for 2015?

Everything I read says get it done early to make sure you don't miss cutoffs. And I'm notorious for having "issues" with complicated online forms, lol. If I wait until the last couple weeks of Feb, will I get caught up in the masses trying to complete the FAFSA and have issues getting it completed, etc.
Has that ever been an issue with the FAFSA website??

I don't really want to go through the process 'twice', but if that will ensure we don't drop the ball somehow by trying to file the entire form last minute, I'll do it.

What would you suggest???

Use your year end income from your last check of the year and update later on when you get everything in order.

 

[Pembo]

FAFSA QUESTION.... For any experts out there...

So, everything I've read says fill it out in January and to use your prior year if you don't have the information yet. I've never gotten all my tax info in January, typically the first couple weeks of Feb., so I know I won't have it all in time for the FAFSA.

Also, I've had a major change in income during 2015. I went from part-time CNA to full-time RN after completing my own degree. My income from 2014 would be a very poor estimate for 2015.

Our state and first-choice schools have a March deadline.

Would you wait until filing taxes to complete the FAFSA once, or would you go ahead and use the prior year taxes, then update when we file for 2015?

Everything I read says get it done early to make sure you don't miss cutoffs. And I'm notorious for having "issues" with complicated online forms, lol. If I wait until the last couple weeks of Feb, will I get caught up in the masses trying to complete the FAFSA and have issues getting it completed, etc.
Has that ever been an issue with the FAFSA website??

I don't really want to go through the process 'twice', but if that will ensure we don't drop the ball somehow by trying to file the entire form last minute, I'll do it.

What would you suggest???

DS #1 - we weren't getting our last tax form until March (estate stuff) so I filed in January with prior years then refiled in April. In the meantime we got our FA pkg, after I refiled, we got an updated pkg. It only changed slightly. I say go ahead and file in January and then update. The update part is very easy.

 

[MomofKatie]

Estimate your 2015 income, using your last pay stub of the year if possible. Then update when you get your W2.

 

[MomofKatie]

Did everyone fill out the FAFSA? We estimated using our last pay stub of the year and filling in the other info with our amounts from the CSS. We will need to make (slight) changes when we get our W2s, but at least it is done and filed.

DD finished her last, surprise added, application during the first week of the break. She is done with all 7 schools applications and accepted at 2 so far. Now we just wait to hear from the rest.

I'm soooo ready for this whole process to be over!!

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I did the FAFSA app yesterday, I used last years tax info, as I started doing when my older one was still in college. Once my taxes are done, I'll upload the info to FAFSA to update the application, though I doubt my est family contribution will change any.
My son submitted his application for his first choice school on Jan 1, and now has only one more application to do, he'll have six schools total by the time he is done. I wish he has done ED or EA at some schools, but he was afraid to commit without knowing if we could afford the school.
Now, we just wait for the decisions to start rolling in. Four months will seem like forever while we wait for the decisions.

 

[punkin]

I did the FAFSA app yesterday, I used last years tax info, as I started doing when my older one was still in college. Once my taxes are done, I'll upload the info to FAFSA to update the application, though I doubt my est family contribution will change any.
My son submitted his application for his first choice school on Jan 1, and now has only one more application to do, he'll have six schools total by the time he is done. I wish he has done ED or EA at some schools, but he was afraid to commit without knowing if we could afford the school.
Now, we just wait for the decisions to start rolling in. Four months will seem like forever while we wait for the decisions.

DD still has 4 applications to finish. 2 for schools she's very interested in, 1 academic safety, and 1 in-state that I can actually afford where I am forcing her to apply just in case.

 

[indimom]

Okay, I didn't even think about just using the pay stubs, lol. Thanks for the tip! We'll get them this week, and I'll have time Friday to sit down and complete the FAFSA. Fun, fun.

DD is finished with all her scholarship applications and exam retakes. She improved on the SAT, but had very little change on the ACT. She has been accepted to all the schools she applied to, and has been offered various scholarships to three at this point. The best offer was from an out-of-state school about four hours away. Of these three, it's also the school with the best opportunity for research opps while an undergrad; so, that seems to be our top contender at this point.

I'm still waiting to hear if she gets any offers from another out-of-state school about an hour from here (it's cheaper in the first place, closer, also had great research opps, and it was my favorite of all the schools we visited, lol). But, they don't announce offers until March. I have a feelings she's going to have her mind set on the other option long before then. The "hurry up and wait" is about to drive her crazy. Ha Ha.

On a side note, we just found out over Christmas that our nephew (who will be playing football in college) may be attending the same school four hours away. We hadn't heard any of his plans, so I finally just cornered him and asked. lol... So, a bit of an odd coincidence, but I'll be thrilled if he ends up at the same school, especially one so far from home.

She picked up a few small college items for Christmas. A storage ottoman (that she can also use as a seat or a stepstool for a lofted bed), hanging shelves for her closet, nice narrow felted hangers for her closet, and a metal rolling cart that can fit under a desk or sink. Hopefully they'll come in useful next year, and they were super cheap purchases after all the 2015 kids headed off to college this fall. lol.
Of course her favorite gift was her first smart phone. She's been enjoying setting it up, organizing her contacts and accounts, choosing a calendar and various apps to organize her life, downloading music, and of course just playing with her new toy.

Hope everyone had a great holiday. Only one more semester to go.....

 

[punkin]

Just great! DH's work is switching over to a new computer system and I don't have access to his pay stubs until a copy comes in the mail. I really need to fill out the fafsa.

 

[jetskigrl]

OK - I'm confused. DD started her FASFA and I just finished putting in the parent's Finances using last year's data (which shouldn't change too much this year). We will file our taxes in early Feb and update the form at that time. DD has never worked so she has nothing to claim except her savings account.

But this process seems to easy. I have heard people say it took them hours to do this. Am I missing something?? How long did it take everyone to complete the online form?

Also, when do you find out your EFC?
eta: nevermind, I see it on the confirmation page. Pretty much what we expected.

 

[maxaroni]

OK - I'm confused. DD started her FASFA and I just finished putting in the parent's Finances using last year's data (which shouldn't change too much this year). We will file our taxes in early Feb and update the form at that time. DD has never worked so she has nothing to claim except her savings account.

But this process seems to easy. I have heard people say it took them hours to do this. Am I missing something?? How long did it take everyone to complete the online form?

Also, when do you find out your EFC?

It's been a couple of years for me but their should be a spot to find your EFC as a worksheet type thing. Someone who has recently done this or can remember can help there. But we said the same thing. Can it really be this easy? I expected so much worse. Lol

 

[jetskigrl]

It's been a couple of years for me but their should be a spot to find your EFC as a worksheet type thing. Someone who has recently done this or can remember can help there. But we said the same thing. Can it really be this easy? I expected so much worse. Lol

Thanks so much. I found it on the bottom of the confirmation page.

 

[MomofKatie]

The FAFSA was a piece of cake compared to the CSS. As long as you have your tax forms or pay stubs, it is not difficult for most people. Maybe if you own a business or have a lot of investments, it would be more complicated.

The CSS (we had to turn it in to 6 of the 7 schools she applied) was the complicated one to fill out. I think it took us about 2 hours from start to finish, and it costs $$$ to send it to the different universities. We spent almost $100 to get it out to every school that required it.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

I am working on the FAFSA but ran across a few questions.

1. My exhusband passed away four years ago. We were divorced for years before he died and neither of us remarried. Do I call myself divorced or widowed? I put down divorced. I was initially worried that they would think that there was a dad out there that would chip in some dough - but they didn't even ask anything about bio-dad, they just wanted my info only, so I think I'm okay with that.

2. I was wondering when and how to report DDs survivor benefits, but I found the answer to that on the web.

I think we can get this bad boy out the door tonight. It wasn't remotely as hard as I thought.

DD was just accepted into the honors program at one of her schools along with a $1500 scholarship on top of what they were already giving her. When it all shakes out, it would cost me about 3,000 a year to send her there including room and board but not counting books and travel. However.... she is about 90% sure that she is going to choose the other one - which is fine. I told her that cost isn't going to be the sole determinant, just a piece of the puzzle. She already ruled out number three because they don't have her major. I think she feels that school #1 is a tiny bit close for comfort (45 minutes). The one she likes has her major as well as the benefit of being two and a half hours from home (but 45 minutes from my sister in case of emergencies).

She was also thrilled to find out how little math her major actually requires.

 

[Pikester]

DD just got into WPI and Northeastern within the span of 30 minutes. She got into the Honor's program at NEU, and $15,000 scholarship, but for a $60,000 a year school I don't think that is going to be a big enough dent. I hate that she worked so hard and is going to end up at a SUNY because these schools are all so crazy expensive.

So cool, my DS got his acceptance to WPI a few weeks ago. Congratulations!

FAFSA QUESTION.... For any experts out there...

So, everything I've read says fill it out in January and to use your prior year if you don't have the information yet. I've never gotten all my tax info in January, typically the first couple weeks of Feb., so I know I won't have it all in time for the FAFSA.

Also, I've had a major change in income during 2015. I went from part-time CNA to full-time RN after completing my own degree. My income from 2014 would be a very poor estimate for 2015.

Our state and first-choice schools have a March deadline.

Would you wait until filing taxes to complete the FAFSA once, or would you go ahead and use the prior year taxes, then update when we file for 2015?

Everything I read says get it done early to make sure you don't miss cutoffs. And I'm notorious for having "issues" with complicated online forms, lol. If I wait until the last couple weeks of Feb, will I get caught up in the masses trying to complete the FAFSA and have issues getting it completed, etc.
Has that ever been an issue with the FAFSA website??

I don't really want to go through the process 'twice', but if that will ensure we don't drop the ball somehow by trying to file the entire form last minute, I'll do it.

What would you suggest???

Like everyone else said, fill in with 2014 info and then go back in when you get the 2015 info.

My DS has been accepted into two colleges so far, WPI in Worcester, MA (#1 choice) and UNH (University of NH; safety school) in Durham, NH. He applied EA for both of those. Now he is applying to Rensselaer (RPI), Dartmouth, Tufts and Williams College. Guess we shall see how those go.


Congratulations to all the DDs and DSs for their college acceptances!

 

[Mom2DDs]

So I'm confused - what's the CSS?

I also found the FAFSA to be pretty straight forward to fill out but maybe it's because I'm used to filling out similar forms for my job and neither my DH or I are self-employed.

My DD has basically made up her mind to go to Temple (Honors Program-Business School) but is still awaiting to hear back from her other schools before we send out the deposit. My DH is happy with that school but I'm not just because of the area but at least it's pretty close to us (only an hour 15 minutes away).

 

[okeydokey]

The FAFSA was pretty short actually. I am still unsure if I filled it out correctly. The online directions are not very detailed. I put our savings accounts in the parents assets section along with the 529 for daughter who is a senior but did not include the one for my son who is a sophomore in HS. Was I supposed to? The money is for him, not her.

After all that when I submitted they said my annual EFC was over 19,000 so she won't be getting any help anyways, besides a little bit of Bright Futures money. Living in the dorms will not be happening, but she is fine with an off campus apartment instead.

 

[punkin]

So I'm confused - what's the CSS?

I also found the FAFSA to be pretty straight forward to fill out but maybe it's because I'm used to filling out similar forms for my job and neither my DH or I are self-employed.

My DD has basically made up her mind to go to Temple (Honors Program-Business School) but is still awaiting to hear back from her other schools before we send out the deposit. My DH is happy with that school but I'm not just because of the area but at least it's pretty close to us (only an hour 15 minutes away).

Css profile is required by many private schools and almost no public schools. It costs to file and calculates etc differently than fafsa.

 

[MomofKatie]

Css profile is required by many private schools and almost no public schools. It costs to file and calculates etc differently than fafsa.

There are only a very, very few public schools that require the CSS, and darn it if DD didn't apply at one of them (UNC Chapel Hill). I'm hoping that means more aid $$, since UNC actually covers 100% of demonstrated need- one of the few public universities that do.

 

[punkin]

There are only a very, very few public schools that require the CSS, and darn it if DD didn't apply at one of them (UNC Chapel Hill). I'm hoping that means more aid $$, since UNC actually covers 100% of demonstrated need- one of the few public universities that do.

Only one of DD's schools doesn't require the css. I'm not happy.

 

[Microcell]

Oh lord I don't even know what CSS is! My DD applied to three schools so far. She may apply to one more but her first choice accepted her already. She has to sing for her supper, literally. Vocal Performance, so we won't know about scholarships until she auditions thus spring. Ugh this is all so stressful!