I found this website while searching for scholarships to help pay for college so I figured an appropriate first post would discuss the FAFSA. My school encourages filling out the FAFSA, and back in September I thought it was a great idea. What better way to get free money to go to college and be somebody? After filling out the FAFSA, I was sent a letter with the meager amount of money they offered...in a loan. What's the point of offering a loan if it's only a very small fraction of the cost of a college that I can not afford? It's not worth the time and effort to pay back that small of a loan. So for me, the FAFSA did nothing. My parents and I will probably suffer financially for several years after they send both my brother and I through college. Who is the government to say how much money I could theoretically pay for college? Since my parents own our house the government assumes that we have money. My family is not in debt, so the government assumes we have money. Because my parents only buy what they can afford, and because we don't have the finer things in life, the government assumes we have money. In truth...we don't. With the rising costs of gas prices, driving an hour to college will be quite expensive, and that doesn't include tuition, room and board, books, etc.. My question to you all is, What do you think of the FAFSA? Is it valuable? Or a waste of time?
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It is valuable. Nothing is a waste of time. I mean your parent's would have to make a good amount for you to not qualify. They just give the money to people who need it more than you. families that make 20k or less.
The problem with it only working for families that make less than 20k is that if you make $20,100... you're ineligible for aide...
Hmmm, so now I have to pay rent, utilities and (at the least) 10k for tuition?
10k is half of my income. If my rent is $7500 a year i'm left with $2600. I MIGHT be able to buy food off of that and nothing else...
They need to re-evaluate their standards. I mean, I would have to have a baby or make min. wage to get help from the government... Whats up with that?
Why can't they help the people who have their life together but just don't make enough money?
I doubt that a discrepancy of 100 dollars is going to make you ineligible for aide.
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
I beg to differ... I worked three jobs last year .. all at once, while attending school... and on my income tax I made (give or take a few dollars) more than 20K... and I do not qualify for federal funding... I called FAFSA because i couldn't believe it either... I asked the lady why i did not qualify and she replied (with a laugh) you made about 100 dollars too much last year!
Seems... odd. Sorry you had to go through that.
There has to be ways around it. Aren't there?
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
Well, I can still get loans, but nothings better than free money... I'm doing scholarships also. But other than that, I will just have to work with what I can get. There is a thing called IDA (individual development accounts). They match your savings 2 to 1, to help pay for college... I'm looking into that! And thanks, for the concern!
It prob would be better if FAFSA had just sent a letter back saying "You're S.O.L." - you know? I know how you feel, I just lost my pell grant and both my brother and I are in college, too. I mean, I couldn't even go to my first choice school cuz I knew it was going to be way too much. It just sucks cuz you know they only look at the bottom line. All we can do is make good economical decisions.
fafsa is greeat because they are giving out FREE money....anything thats free i like it, especially money. when i got to college i know that fafsa will help me out a lot. Its always good to have that extra help from someone else other than your parents.
No, of course the FAFSA is valuable. You shouldn't be so selfish about it. Think about how many kids there are in this country who want to go to college. Even if you can't afford the one you want to go to, there are some kids who can't afford to go to any college, at all. That doesn't mean they don't deserve it. The government is offering to HELP people pay for something that they should be paying for themselves. (Even if that means ten years. It's not like they are forcing everyone to go to college. It's a choice.) You should be happy with anything they give you. I want to go to a public college and I don't even think I have enough money, so I plan on filling the FAFSA out asap after January 1. But I'm being responsible and applying for as many scholarships as possible, and working really hard on the SATs and school work to get merit scholarships from the school. I don't think it's too much work because I know it's worth it.
this is where iam right now. what did you do? i'm kinda stuck, and in the same position i dont know what to do really.
<33 Miss Shorty <33
FAFSA needs to fix my EFC! at this point in life im not to happy with FAFSA.
I second the not too happy comment. But you can calculate your own EFC and see why it's so high... (i'm guessing that's the case, because the lower the better) .
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/0809EFCFormulaGuide.pd...
That's the site.. and I hope it works for you!
I disagree that the FAFSA just helps people who really need it. The FAFSA looks at people as if they are children who live off their parents. If you are an independent motivated student who wants to pursue a degree at a prestigious or private college and your parents are not paying for it, the FAFSA makes sure that you are out of luck. For example, I applied and was accepted to Cal State. I had about $4000 saved from working all through high school. My parents combined income was less than $50,000 per year. I didn't qualify as having financial need. I was offered loans! Loans? Loans are just future debt. I had a high GPA and SAT score, volunteer work, etc. and the FAFSA would rather award money to someone with less potential because their family made less than mine. I think most financial aid should be personal, not such a cut and dry application. Financial aid should be awarded on merit, promise, community service, or other personal attributes which prove a person is deserving of the aid that so many people need.
I had not even considered FAFSA as a tool to punish parents but you are right. Why should parents be expected to spend their entire year's income on one childs college. If you really think about it (my parents also make 50,000 per year combined) at least half of their income has to go to their own living expenses. My parents have car payments, house payments, etc. My mother has been married three times which means she started this third marriage with nothing. My step dad had also been previously married so he too had a lack of savings. However, because they are married, the FAFSA also does not look at their divorces. Everyone knows divorce is expensive and yet the FAFSA does not even take it into consideration.
Further, the FAFSA punishes people who work hard. My mom, who never finished high school, works for wages and my step dad's situation is not much better. I am a first generation college student and recieve nothing for that. Not to mention, the FAFSA asks you how much money you have saved and holds it against you. If I spent all the money I make I can lower my EFC. What does that say about the system? FLAWED.
I think it is both. After recently filling it out, from the government I faced the same situation, however from my school I recieved alot of money, in addition to seperate scholarships I've applied for, and they offered me an on campus job. So, I think that it was better to fill it out than to not fill it out...but it is too bad, I know you're so right, it bites you in the butt sometimes to do the right things.