Community Chat

[elainemasey]

New to all of this college stuff. Before I hit the " send" button is there anything I should know or double check? Do I list my sons savings account, about 14k, to his info or add it to ours? My name is on it, he is a minor. Nervous about this entire process.

[RedTop]

I would have listed it as a separate account with both names, since it is an asset.

[Marienkaefer2]

On the FAFSA there are two sections, one for parent info, and one for student info. If your son's name is the primary (first) name on the account, then it goes under his info. If your name is the primary name it should go under your info. If you have questions, you can call 1 800 4 FED AID. Also, your son's high school counseling office should be able to help you with FAFSA questions as well. A third possibility is to call the financial aid office of the college your son wants to attend. They should be very open to helping you with any FAFSA questions. When you complete the FAFSA online, it has a built in program to catch omissions, possible mistakes, etc. It will alert you as you're going along. It won't let you continue until any mistake is corrected. So, you shouldn't worry about missing anything. However, call the 800 number if you want to double check anything. Also, your son's colleges that are receiving this info will call you if they notice anything that they want to check. I know it seems a little intimidating doing it the first time, but there are lots of checks and assistance built into the process. You should receive the SAR (Student Aid Report) in about two weeks (when you complete the FAFSA online). This will give you another opportunity to edit information if you need to.

[elainemasey]

Thank you both, I did call the school to make sure I could do it now, even though our taxes are not completed. Thank you for saying it takes about 2 weeks to get the report back. In my mind for some reason I was thinking it was something generated immediately to let the schools know you had done it, like a confirmation number. I'll get cracking on it, his 1st choice school has a scholarship with an early deadline and they require that report. Thank you

[Marienkaefer2]

You're welcome. Just remember to call your son's high school counseling office or the financial aid office at the college he wants to.attend if you.have questions or concerns. Both of those places should be more than.willing to help.

[goodstuff]

All I can say is that I'm glad our kids are grown and we're done with FAFSA! We hated that form and the whole financial aid process every year they were in school!

[Marienkaefer2]

On 1/17/2015 GoodStuff said:

All I can say is that I'm glad our kids are grown and we're done with FAFSA! We hated that form and the whole financial aid process every year they were in school!

Your post contributes nothing to the question the o/p had except for negativity, which the o/p doesn't need, as she is just starting out on the college journey with her son. The truth is, the FAFSA is now easier to complete now that it is online. And though at first glance, it may look intimidating, when you complete it section by section it's not bad. Plus, there is plenty of help available for people who have questions. Additionally, once it's completed, you only have to do a renewal FAFSA each hear, which.is easier. For a little bit of time investment, you get financial aid for college. Nothing bad about that. Many kids would not be able to attend without it.