A bit confused about FAFSA

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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DickVetPlease

DickVetPlease

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Hey all,

My question is about applying for FAFSA/when to do so. I've gotten one acceptance already, so I know i'll be going to vet school SOMEWHERE next year. So, does that mean I should go ahead and get FAFSA done? Or am I supposed to wait until I know exactly where I'm going? I guess the reason i'm confused is because I would think that they'd need to know exactly how much money i'll need before providing calculating the loan amount. Obviously, I won't know how much money I need until I know exactly where i'm headed.

Thanks in advance.
 
from all the past fafsa threads everyone says fill it out in Jan. So actually, tonight i had planned on filling mine out! i have no clue why though! i just listen to the experienced people lol. When i looked up deadlines they were all later may-june....?? so i have no clue, but id fill it out this month!
 
Dont forget your need your taxes and your parents done(if your including their informations which you should if you want to be considered for HPSL) before you can really fill out the FASFA.

It can be doen with estimates, but you will then have to submit a correction after your taxes are finalized.
 
Just pick all the schools you might be attending. FAFSA doesn't release your information to any of the schools until you've accepted to attend and have given them a deposit. I think right now, I have 8 schools listed, but need to fill out my tax stuff before I can submit it.
 
Some schools have deadlines as early as March 1st, but you can't fill it out until you have your tax info handy. Most places send out W-2's in mid to late January, so you will have most of February to complete it.

Something that helped me: if you run into any problems/questions, see if your school's financial aid office has a person who works specifically with vet students. OSU has one, and it has saved me a lot of time. I called the regular financial aid office and was quoted a 30 min wait time by the automated system. I hung up, emailed the vet school contact and had an answer within a few minutes.

I hate how they word things...I feel like it is trying to trick me. "Do you have driver's license information that you would like to provide?" Uhhhh you tell me? 😕

Oh, one more thing that I found super confusing: According to the financial aid office, ALL Vet students are considered independent for the FAFSA (any professional student is). BUT if you are providing parent info for the HPSL, it will ask you how many people are in your parent's household, and you are supposed to count yourself - even if you don't live there. I found this out when it asked how many people in your parent's household are in college and I put 0...it gave me an error because I didn't count myself.

Mmmm, this is going to be fun, I can tell already.

:smack:
 
causticus said:
Some schools have deadlines as early as March 1st, but you can't fill it out until you have your tax info handy. Most places send out W-2's in mid to late January, so you will have most of February to complete it.

Something that helped me: if you run into any problems/questions, see if your school's financial aid office has a person who works specifically with vet students. OSU has one, and it has saved me a lot of time. I called the regular financial aid office and was quoted a 30 min wait time by the automated system. I hung up, emailed the vet school contact and had an answer within a few minutes.

I hate how they word things...I feel like it is trying to trick me. "Do you have driver's license information that you would like to provide?" Uhhhh you tell me? 😕

Oh, one more thing that I found super confusing: According to the financial aid office, ALL Vet students are considered independent for the FAFSA (any professional student is). BUT if you are providing parent info for the HPSL, it will ask you how many people are in your parent's household, and you are supposed to count yourself - even if you don't live there. I found this out when it asked how many people in your parent's household are in college and I put 0...it gave me an error because I didn't count myself.

Mmmm, this is going to be fun, I can tell already.

:smack:
Click to expand...

I realize i can google this, but what is HPSL? and also, is HPSL the reason why some people in the old thread were talking about providing parents info? someone said that you arent approved to have ___ type of loan w/o ur rents info, is this true? My parents would rather me not write their info down since they make decent money. i know students were saying that whether you put down your parents info or not they will give you the same amt of money..? blahh so many questions lol
 
I think its Health Professional uhh.. scholarship loan? Well I guessed the SL part of HPSL, but yeah. Does this loan have a lower interest rate or something than the regular government loan (Stafford I think)?
 
Health profession student loans. Federal loan with 5% interest thats subsidized while your a student. Although there is no set amount for if you get it or how much you would get.
 
My question about the FAFSA/financial aid is a little unique. I know you're supposed to give your parents info to get certain types of loans. But then I read somewhere about having to do that if you're 30 of younger by Dec 31st of the year of enrollment. I'll be 31 then...so does that mean I don't have to give my parents' info? This is something that probably doesn't apply to most of you so people might not know this. I'll likely have to go research it, but I figured someone out there on SDN might know the answer already, so why not ask.
 
Not trying to count my chickens here, but does anyone know if VMRCVM has the same FAFSA code as Virginia Tech? I searched and I couldn't find one for it specifically. Thanks.
 
Im filling it out now too and i dont see VMCRVM so i just put down VT. I think that's ok.

Can someone please tell me the amount they were awarded from the HPSL each year?
 
regarding putting in parents information and such.. you are not required to provide parent information to fill out FASFA but under the federal guidelines you are required to provide parent info for the HPSL (lower fixed rates at 5%).

when i went to the Ohio state there was a very useful powerpoint and it can be found at http://vet.osu.edu/2693.htm about halfway down under financial aid and click on financial aid powerpoint presentation. While its going to be different for each school obviously, there is lost of good information in it especially page 12 where it compares where money will come from if you do verses do not put your parents down on FASFA.. hope this helps you all 🙂
 
bardsle1 said:
regarding putting in parents information and such.. you are not required to provide parent information to fill out FASFA but under the federal guidelines you are required to provide parent info for the HPSL (lower fixed rates at 5%).

when i went to the Ohio state there was a very useful powerpoint and it can be found at http://vet.osu.edu/2693.htm about halfway down under financial aid and click on financial aid powerpoint presentation. While its going to be different for each school obviously, there is lost of good information in it especially page 12 where it compares where money will come from if you do verses do not put your parents down on FASFA.. hope this helps you all 🙂
Click to expand...

thank you!!!! ya i realize my parents info does not affect the stafford loan but will affect the HPSL. my parents really dont want to give their info out at all and they want to know how much the HPSL will even give me because if it's not a lot then they want me to leave their info out on the fafsa.
I gotta check this website/powerpoint out it sounds amazing! thanks 😀
 
BlacKAT33 said:
thank you!!!! ya i realize my parents info does not affect the stafford loan but will affect the HPSL. my parents really dont want to give their info out at all and they want to know how much the HPSL will even give me because if it's not a lot then they want me to leave their info out on the fafsa.
I gotta check this website/powerpoint out it sounds amazing! thanks 😀
Click to expand...

Its different for every school, and varies year to year. And there is no formula to figure out how much you can expect.

I'm at OSU and I got $0 in HPSL this year. I'm hoping its just because I made too much last year to qualify and might get some this year. But I won't know until I get my package back.
 
david594 said:
Its different for every school, and varies year to year. And there is no formula to figure out how much you can expect.

I'm at OSU and I got $0 in HPSL this year. I'm hoping its just because I made too much last year to qualify and might get some this year. But I won't know until I get my package back.
Click to expand...

wow 0$, thats what im afraid of lol on the powerpoint from bardesle the example showed a person getting $1000 from HPSL. thats nothing compared to the total I need to take out. im starting to think that it's not even worth it. I figured it would be small but I was thinking above 5,000+!! lol
 
Thanks!! 🙂 So if I fill out my FAFSA without my parent's information, do you know if I would still be eligible for these private loans? BTW, the last loan on the site requires a cosigner in case anyone is curious.
 
luvgoldens482 said:
Thanks!! 🙂 So if I fill out my FAFSA without my parent's information, do you know if I would still be eligible for these private loans? BTW, the last loan on the site requires a cosigner in case anyone is curious.
Click to expand...

FASFA has zero to do with private loans. Why are you even looking into private loans as opposed to Stafford and Grad Plus?

The first two loans on the Chase website are federally backed Stafford and Grad Plus loans. Which you could only get through Chase if your school isn't a Federal Direct Loan Lender.
 
gone
 
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this thread kind of makes me want to close my eyes, place my hands firmly over my ears and go "LALALALALALALA"

I want to go to vet school so badly, and I've been so focused on getting in, that I have sort of blocked the part out about how I'm going to finance it..... but I do suppose it is something I need to start thinking about, even though I won't even know if I'm accepted to my top choice until mid-march.
 
Jochebed said:
I think I got $500 for my first year and none after that. I did get married after my first year of school though, so I dunno if that affected it or not (though I would have filed my FAFSA for 2nd year unmarried).
Click to expand...

thanks!!
 
I've gotten $3000/year ($1500/semester) both years so far from HPSL. Rest from federal Stafford Unsubsidized and Subsidized.

Its kinda a drop in the bucket compared to my overall loans, but it is nice having it because its that much less I have to take out in unsubsidized loans.
 
Yeah, but 3 grand a year of HPSL versus Grad Plus loans will save you from accumulating nearly 2 grand in interest in the 4 years the loans are in deferral while your in school.

And will continue to save money until all your loans are paid off since they are only 5% compared to 7.9%(or 8.5%) for Grad Plus.
 
david594 said:
FASFA has zero to do with private loans. Why are you even looking into private loans as opposed to Stafford and Grad Plus?

The first two loans on the Chase website are federally backed Stafford and Grad Plus loans. Which you could only get through Chase if your school isn't a Federal Direct Loan Lender.
Click to expand...

Yea, I don't even think that my schools allow private loans and are Federal Direct PLUS programs, so I don't know why I was looking into those, I am just the kind of person that over-researches everything. I guess I should have checked if they are Direct before posting! 👍 I think I will try to stick to Stafford and Grad Plus loans primarily. My parents do not want to provide their information for FAFSA so I am wondering how much it would short me for HPSL... I guess I will see!
 
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