Short Answers to A Few Common FAFSA Questions

Short Answers to A Few Common FAFSA Questions

Does checking the Federal Work Study box on the FAFSA affect other

forms of financial aid that a college might award, such as

scholarships or other government aid? Is it wise to check this box

even if you have not yet received a college’s financial aid offer?

— S. Z.

Turning down one form of need-based financial aid generally does not

increase the amounts of other types of financial aid to

compensate. For example, you can’t get more grants by refusing to

accept loans or work-study. There is no harm in checking this box; you

can always decline the work-study later. Note also that checking this

box does not guarantee that you will receive work-study.

Are you required to report the amount of your cash balance,

checking and savings account on the FAFSA? I feel that this is very

private information and I am not comfortable sharing this

information. Am I allowed to leave it blank?

— Becky M.

You must report the total current balance of cash, savings and

checking accounts as of the date the FAFSA is filed. Bank account

balances can be based on the most recent account statement. This

information is currently required by law, specifically sections

475(d)(2)(A), 476(c)(2)(A) and 477(c)(2)(A) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965. Failing to report it on the FAFSA is

fraud. Of course, you can choose to not file a FAFSA, but then you

won’t get any need-based student financial aid. If you’re worried

about the privacy of your FAFSA, talk to the college financial aid

administrator. Information submitted on the FAFSA is protected by

the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

I have been divorced for 17 years. I have a daughter who attends

college full time and is 20 years old. She has never lived with her

father. The child support order stopped when she graduated from high

school, but since he was so far behind on his child support, I still

receive payments on the arrearage. Do I still have to claim this as

child support when filling out the FAFSA even though the order ended?

— Katherine H.

You must report child support actually received on the FAFSA even if

it is based on a past obligation and not a current obligation.

If you expect that the child support received will differ

significantly during the award year, you could ask the college

financial aid administrator for a professional judgment review. If

the child support last year was higher than normal because of a lump

sum catch-up payment, some colleges will make an adjustment to smooth

out the volatility. If the child support during the award year will be

lower because the child support payments will be ending, some colleges

will make an adjustment to reflect the amount that will be received

during the award year. But the decision to make an adjustment is up to

the college financial aid administrator, not you.

My mom is a single parent raising me and my little sister. She gets

child support for my sister, but she has never received any child

support for me. Does my mom have to report the amount of child support

she gets for my sister on the FAFSA, or can she specify the amount as

zero because she receives none for me?

— Reyna R.

Child support received for all children must be reported on the FAFSA,

not just child support received for the student.

Source: Fastweb

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