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The new Simplified FAFSA is here! Here’s a quick video with some tips that will help you get through it with a minimum of chaos and maximum of financial aid. 🔗
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FAFSA Income Surprises
Friends are having a FAFSA nightmare: their daughter’s EFC came back as 60% of their income. They suspect the reason for this is that he consolidated his retirement accounts, rolling several over into a single larger account, and that some or all of that rollover is showing as an IRA distribution.
Link to an article I wrote for another blog that discusses the costs to raise a child and the cost of college.
Aid Formulas
Refresher post on the three aid formulas: 1. Federal methodology (FM), based on the FAFSA; 2. Institutional Methodology (IM), based on the CSS PROFILE; and 3. Consensus Methodology (CM), which uses both aid forms. Each aid formula has a different way of calculating a family’s financial strength with respect to ability to pay for college.
2018-2019 FAFSA Formula is Here
Wondering about income and asset protection allowances for the coming FAFSA? The FAFSA EFC Formula Guide for 2018-2019 is available here.
SAT Test Dates
Generally you are better off waiting to take the SAT until you’ve done enough test preparation to do the absolutely best you can. That’s because by the time junior or senior year rolls around, it can be tough to change your GPA by much, but even a little prep can make a big difference in test scores.
Borrowing: Where to Start
I’ve probably said this before, but there are families staring down tuition payments for the first time right around now. Most families use a combination of savings, cash flow and borrowing to pay for college.