I just filled out my FAFSA--is it too late for money?...And what's next?

[Doctora Foxy]

I finally filled it out. I applied for a PIN number a while ago, but it expired before I checked it, so I applied for a new one today and I filled out the whole FAFSA. So now I'm just waiting for the PIN to sign it and submit it.

I haven't been accepted anywhere yet, but 2 of the schools I have interviews at have February deadlines for FAFSA. Will I get less or no money if I end up matriculating at those schools?

Procrastinating sucks! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />

So what happens next? Will I have to fill out more forms? SAR or profile or something?

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[Dr. Kermit]

Hey Lady Fox

Check with the school which are still considering you. I missed the 3/1 deadline at one of my schools because they wanted me to use exact numbers from my parents 1040, not estimates. What many schools don't realize is that some parents don't file taxes before 3/1!!!

For the two schools which I'm considering, I had to complete the FAFSA. Temple's deadline was 3/1, Einstein's is April 1, I think. Only Temple required me to enter my parents' data for institutional information. However, I couldn't just send my parents' info to one school, but not another.

For Einstein, I had to complete the CSS Profile. It's a little more in depth than the FAFSA. However, if you need to complete this form for any of your schools and they require parental data, do the paper version. On the online verson, it won't allow you to enter parental data like FAFSA did. I lost $22 because I didn't know this. (There is a $5 registration fee for CSS and each school you add is $17.) You can probably find out if your school will require you to submit a CSS by checking their website.

Finally, you will need to send your and your parents' 1040 forms to the FA office. I think it's only pages 1 and 2.

That is all I've done thus far. I was a little tardy in submitting my FAFSA, but after I got the ball rolling, it wasn't so bad. I'm also about to leave for vacation in two weeks, so I wanted to make sure everything was in line before I left!

Good luck with everything and especially all those interviews you have coming up!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Thanks Dr Kermit

Did you have to send your parents forms to the FA office at each school? Or do you only send it to schools you have interviewed at and are waiting to hear from them/or have been accepted. I'm still waiting to hear from 7 schools.

 

[Dr. Kermit]

For my FAFSA forms, I registered the three schools at which I hadn't withdrawn (Temple, MCP, and Einsteing) and the one school I would attend if I were offered an interview and were accepted (Sinai.) I'm only waiting to hear from two more schools, Sinai and Ohio State, and I probably wouldn't attend the later at this point.

For the CSS, I checked if Sinai required the form before I submitted it, but they don't. So, I only registered and paid for Einstein.

I am only sending the tax forms to the three schools at which I was accepted. (All of them required parental forms for institutional aid. Check with your schools if it is required, but I'm guessing they'll want it.) For Sinai, I figured if all of my other FA information was at their school, they wouldn't hold it against me to mail in a tax form late.

Hope that answered all your questions

 

[lilycat]

The financial aid "deadlines" really don't mean anything -- they are more guidelines than anything else, at least for entering students. Schools realize that students may not get accepted until the first week of classes, so they expect people to be submitting their financial aid paperwork throughout the spring and summer. While it is good to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible, most schools also have their own financial aid application that you must fill out before you're application is complete. You don't get those materials until you've been accepted, which obviously means that your financial aid application may not be complete until way after the established "deadline."

The advantage of getting your financial aid materials in early is that you are generally in a better position to received grants and scholarships -- those are generally on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, the timing of your FAFSA and the rest of financial aid application will not change your eligibility for Stafford loans, etc.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

So when my parents receive their tax forms, should I send those to schools I have interviewed at or should I wait until I get accepted somewhere and THEN send them? I would think it is better for the school to have them sooner rather than later.

and p.s. thanks for the info lilycat!

 

[mpp]

I would wait until you are asked for more information. As Lilycat said, schools have their own financial aid forms and will ask for parental information with the form. Of course it is helpful to have a copy of your parents income tax returns ready so that you can send them back as soon as you are asked for them.

 

[mcwmark]

I thinkg the FASFA thing is more to determine eligibility for the Stafford Loans and such--there really isn't a deadline for this (I finished mine in December of last year, for last year, and still got loan money in 5 days).

The schools will have separate deadlines for scholarships and other attractive loan offers, and these are usually waived for first-year students.